What were the objectives and provisions of the Rowlatt Act?

The ‘Anarchical and Revolutionary crimes Act of 1919’ was popularly known as the Rowlatt Act. as the said Act was framed on the basis of a report submitted by a committee headed by Justice Rowlatt, the Act came to be called the ‘Rowlatt Act’.

However, the real motive of the British in enacting the said Act was to deprive the Indians of their right to personal liberty as also the right to participate in political movements on the pretext of suppressing a handful of revolutionaries.

The main provisions of the Rowlatt Act were:

(a) Arrest and deportation of any person on mere suspicion.

(b) Trial of all political cases by tribunals to be set up for the purpose.

(c) Possession of seditious pamphlets was declared to be a punishable offence.