Gandhi launched a non-violent Non-Cooperation Movement on 1 August 1920.
On 2 February 1922, a group of well-organized volunteers was picketing in the local market against liquor sales and high food prices in Chauri Chaura, in Gorakhpur district of U.P.
The local police deliberately provoked the volunteers by beating up the volunteer leader, an army pensioner named Bhagwan Ahir, and locking him and several others in the local chowki.
On 5 February, approximately 2,000 to 2,500 protesters gathered in front of the local police station shouting slogans and demanding the release of their leader.
In an attempt to frighten and disperse the crowd, the police fired warning shots in the air.
This only agitated the crowd further, which now began to throw stones at the police.
The Indian sub-inspector in charge ordered the police to open fire on the crowd, killing three and wounding several others.
This angered the mob further, which now started advancing towards the police.
The policemen, who were heavily outnumbered, ran inside the police chowki to take shelter.
The crowd set the chowki on fire, killing all of the Indian policemen and peons (official messengers) trapped inside.
Those who tried to escape were hacked to death by the crowd at the entrance of the chowki and their bodies were thrown back into the fire.
A total of 22 people died inside the police chowki.
On hearing of this incident, Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation movement, which formally ended on 12 February 1922.
Gandhiji was very disappointed and on 16 February 1922, he wrote in Young India, that the country did not have that truthful and non-violent atmosphere yet, which alone could justify mass disobedience.
He confessed that he lay no claim to superhuman powers and like his fellow beings he had erred.
