Name the President of the special session held in Calcutta (1920) in which the resolution of Non-cooperation was passed?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The Calcutta Special Session of the Indian National Congress in September 1920 was a pivotal moment in India's struggle for independence, as it was convened specifically to discuss and ratify the resolution for the Non-Cooperation Movement in response to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and the Khilafat injustice. The session was presided over by the veteran nationalist leader, Lala Lajpat Rai. Although the resolution was initially met with some resistance from senior Congress leaders who preferred constitutional methods, Mahatma Gandhi successfully moved and championed the resolution, and it was ultimately passed. Lala Lajpat Rai's presidency provided the necessary authority and stature for this critical session, marking the beginning of a new, mass-based phase of non-violent resistance under Gandhi's leadership.

The incorrect option is 1 (Motilal Nehru): Motilal Nehru was a key proponent of the Non-Cooperation Movement, even renouncing his legal practice. However, he was not the President of this specific special session; he later served as Congress President on other occasions, such as the Calcutta session in 1928.

The incorrect option is 2 (Jawaharlal Nehru): While Jawaharlal Nehru was an emerging young leader at the time and fully supported the Non-Cooperation Movement, he was not the President of the Congress in 1920. He would gain prominence and first preside over the Congress much later, at the Lahore Session in 1929.

The incorrect option is 4 (Gandhiji): Mahatma Gandhi was the principal architect and driving force behind the Non-Cooperation resolution which was passed in the session. Although he was the most influential figure, he was the mover of the resolution, not the appointed President of the Calcutta Special Session of 1920.