The infamous Rowlatt Act was opposed by Indians because it provided for

Key Points

• The Rowlatt Act, officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was passed by the British colonial government in India.
• It aimed to extend the repressive wartime measures into peacetime and granted the government extensive powers to suppress any activities perceived as revolutionary or seditious.
• One of the most controversial aspects of the Act was that it allowed the government to imprison any person suspected of terrorism without trial, denying the basic right to a fair trial.
• It also permitted the trial of political cases by judges without juries, further curtailing civil liberties and judicial fairness.

Additional Information

• Sedition:
  • Sedition refers to conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
  • In the context of the Rowlatt Act, it was used to suppress any form of dissent against British rule in India.
• Jury System:
  • A jury system is a legal proceeding where a group of people (jury) are selected to make a decision in a legal case.
  • The Rowlatt Act bypassed this system, allowing trials without a jury, which was seen as a denial of a fair trial.
• Imprisonment Without Trial:
  • Imprisonment without trial means detaining individuals without presenting them before a court to face charges.
  • This was a major point of contention as it violated basic human rights and principles of justice.