Assam joined the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Assam Association decided in its 1920 Tezpur session to support Gandhi’s call. In 1921, Gandhi’s visit to Assam gave a big boost to the movement, and thousands of people joined the boycott of government schools, offices and courts. Students, lawyers and many youth leaders took an active part.
Tea-garden workers also strongly supported the movement. In Karimganj, more than 8,000 labourers protested against exploitation and demanded higher wages, though the British suppressed them brutally.
The movement had several positive outcomes in Assam. Many national schools were set up in places like Guwahati, Nalbari, Jorhat, Tezpur, Sibsagar and Karimganj. The first national school was the Tilak Memorial School in Guwahati (1921). The use of opium declined due to strong anti-opium campaigns, and the use of khadi increased, which encouraged local textile production.