It authorized the government to imprison any person without trial and conviction
Explanation
The Rowlatt Act, officially titled the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was enacted based on the recommendations of the Sedition Committee chaired by Justice Sidney Rowlatt. It was designed to extend the emergency measures of the Defence of India Act (1915) into peacetime to curb revolutionary activities.Statement-wise Analysis:
- It authorized the government to imprison any person without trial and conviction is Correct: The Act empowered the government to imprison any person suspected of terrorist activities for up to two years without trial. It allowed for the arrest and confinement of suspects without a warrant and suspended the right of Habeas Corpus. This led to the popular slogan describing the Act as "No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal" (no argument, no lawyer, no appeal).
- It was passed unanimously by the Indian members of the Imperial Legislative Council is Incorrect: The Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council despite the unanimous opposition of all elected Indian members. In protest, leaders like Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Mazhar Ul Haq resigned from their seats in the Council.
- It was supported by the Moderates but opposed by the Extremists is Incorrect: The Act was opposed by all sections of Indian political opinion, including the Moderates, Extremists, and the Home Rule Leaguers. There was no support from the Moderates; the opposition was universal across the political spectrum.
- It aimed to curtail the trade union activities in India is Incorrect: The primary objective of the Act was to suppress revolutionary and anarchist crimes (political violence and sedition), not specifically to curtail trade union activities. While it restricted civil liberties generally, its target was political nationalism rather than labor unions.
Key Takeaway:
The Rowlatt Act is infamous for authorizing detention without trial, which triggered the first all-India mass struggle known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha under Mahatma Gandhi's leadership.