Civil Disobedience Movement

Introduction

Civil Disobedience Movement (1930 – 1934) under Mahatma Gandhi was a landmark in the India national struggle to gain independence. Replacing the positive efforts of the 1920s, this movement altered the national objective of Dominion Status to Purna swaraj (Complete Independence) which essentially undermined the British colonial rule by direct law-breaking like non-violence.

Background and Causes

The movement needed to be launched by a number of reasons:

• Rejection of Dominion Status: The Nehru Report (1928) had required Dominion Status but the British government did not respond within the time limit of one year which the Congress had set.
• Purna Swaraj Resolution (1929): Purna swaraj resolution was the last goal of Independence declared by the Lahore session of congress under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru and the first day of Independence was 26 January 1930.
• Gandhi 11 Demands: The 11 demands made by Gandhi to Viceroy Irwin such as the removal of salt tax were declined, leaving him with no alternative but a direct action.
• Economic Distress: The Great Depression (1929) had impacted on the peasants and the workers negatively fuelling the desire to have a mass movement against the British economic exploitation.

Launch: The Dandi March (1930)

• Symbolic Protest: Gandhi used salt as the key campaign theme, since it touched every Indian, regardless of caste and class.
• The March: On March 12, 1930, Gandhi started the 240-mile 24 day march, starting at Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, and had 78 followers.
• Breaking Salt Law: Gandhi picked the salt on April 6, 1930, and officially started off the movement at Dandi.

Features and Spread of the Movement

The Civil Disobedience Movement was centered on the direct law violation, unlike the Non-Cooperation Movement that took a more lax position in law disobedience:

• Salt Satyagraha: People produced salt all through the country bypassing the British monopoly.
• Boycotts and Picketing: Burning of foreign cloth, picketing of foreign cloth stores and liquor shops became common, and most of the time young ladies were the ones who were more involved.
• No-Tax Campaign: In a number of provinces, farmers did not pay land revenue, Chowkidari tax or forest laws.
• Mass Participation: Women, students, peasants, and business people have never participated in such large numbers.
• Regional activity: The North-West Frontier Province was run by the Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan of the “Red Shirts” and the Tamil Nadu was led by Vedaranyam.

British Response

• Mass Repression: The government undertook a policy of iron repression and over 90,000 individuals were arrested among them Gandhi and Nehru.
• Violence and Censorship: peaceful demonstrators were brutally charged with lathis and fired upon and press censored.

Truce and Withdrawal

• Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931): The Viceroy not only consented to release political prisoners but also permit the manufacture of salt to be used personally and also to suspend the movement.
• Second Round Table Committee: Gandhi participated in the conference, which was held at London, but it did not reach any result and he was compelled to resume the struggle in early 1932.
• Final Withdrawal: The movement started to deform after brutal repression and it was officially withdrawn in 1934, despite the fact that it had gained massive political mobilization.

Significance of the Movement

• Mass Politicization: It transformed nationalism into a truly mass movement, taking it to rural areas.
• Diluted British Legitimacy: The movement shattered the psychological fear of the British power among the masses.
• Women Empowerment: Women picketed the shops and confronted jail in masses that had never been used before.
• Forced Negotiations: It made the Congress an equal to the British leading to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the Round Table Conferences.

Limitations

• Low Muslim Participation: As compared to Non Cooperation Movement, Muslim participation was low partly because of the communal propaganda of Muslim League.
• Small influence on Industrial Labor: Labour unrest was not that powerful as in the past movements.

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