In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: Indians who wished colonialism to end were asked to stop attending schools, colleges and law courts, and not pay taxes in the Non-Cooperation movement.
Reason: Peasants, workers, and others interpreted and acted upon the call to non-cooperate with colonial rule in ways that best suited their interests.

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

The correct answer is Option 2 - Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

While both statements are true, the Reason provides context but does not directly explain why Indians were asked to stop attending schools, colleges, and law courts, or not pay taxes. The primary rationale behind these specific actions was to disrupt British administration and economic interests, rather than the diverse interpretations and actions of the people.

It was the Rowlatt satyagraha that made Gandhiji a truly national leader. Emboldened by its success, Gandhiji called for a campaign of “non-cooperation” with British rule. Indians who wished colonialism to end were asked to stop attending schools, colleges and law courts, and not pay taxes (ASSERTION). In sum, they were asked to adhere to a “renunciation of (all) voluntary association with the (British) Government”. If non-cooperation was effectively carried out, said Gandhiji, India would win swaraj within a year. To further broaden the struggle he had joined hands with the Khilafat Movement that sought to restore the Caliphate, a symbol of Pan-Islamism which had recently been abolished by the Turkish ruler Kemal Attaturk.

Students stopped going to schools and colleges run by the government. Lawyers refused to attend court. The working class went on strike in many towns and cities: according to official figures, there were 396 strikes in 1921, involving 600,000 workers and a loss of seven million workdays. The countryside was seething with discontent too. Hill tribes in northern Andhra violated the forest laws. Farmers in Awadh did not pay taxes. Peasants in Kumaun refused to carry loads for colonial officials. These protest movements were sometimes carried out in defiance of the local nationalist leadership. Peasants, workers, and others interpreted and acted upon the call to “non-cooperate” with colonial rule in ways that best suited their interests, rather than conform to the dictates laid down from above.