“Gandhi Returned British Medal Over Khilafat And Not Jallianwala Bagh Massacre”, The Commune , October 07, 2025

“An exhibition at the National Archives of India in 2022 brought to light historical documents that presented a nuanced picture of Mahatma Gandhi’s decision to return his British medals, clarifying that the primary impetus was the Khilafat Movement and not solely the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as is commonly believed.

The original letter, dated 2 August 1920, written by Gandhi to the then Viceroy Lord Chelmsford, is part of the ‘Saga of Freedom: Known and Lesser-known Struggles’ exhibition. In it, Gandhi states his reasons for returning the prestigious Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal, the Zulu War Medal, and the Boer War Medal.

The communication reveals that the act was a direct part of the “scheme of non-cooperation inaugurated today in connection with the Khilafat movement.” Gandhi expressed his inability to wear the honours “with an easy conscience, so long as my Mussalman countrymen have to labour under a wrong done to their religious sentiment……..”

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