Bookstawa – Modern History

Civil Disobedience Movement

Background

In December 1928, the Nehru Report was sent to the British government with an ultimatum
to get it implemented within a year i.e. by December 1929 but the government did not even
respond. In December 1929, the Indian National Congress in its Lahore session aimed for “Purna
Swaraj”.

To carry forward the mandate give by the Lahore Congress, Gandhi presented eleven
demands to the government & gave the ultimatum of January 31, 1930 to accept or reject his 11
demands.

With no positive response from the government, the Congress working Committee invested
Gandhi with full powers to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement at a time & place of his
choice. Gandhi was looking for a central idea around which the while Civil Disobedience
movement could be built. By February end, he decided to make salt the central formula for the
movement. The Government had passed the Salt Tax Bill in 1882. It contributed approximatelyy
15% to the British India revenue.

As Gandhi said, “There is no other article like salt, outside water, by taxing which the
government can reach the starving millions, the sick, the maimed & the utterly helpless... it is the
most inhuman poll tax the ingenuity of !mann can devise.” Salt afforded a very small but
pscyhologically important income, for the poor through self-help. It also offered to the urban
populace the opportunity of a symbolic identification with mass suffering.

Dandi March

On March 2, 1930, Gandhi informed the viceroy of his plan of action. As per the plan, Gandhi &
his colleagues, a band of 78 members, were to march from his headquarters in Ahmedabad to
Dandi coast where they would be violating the salt law by collecting salt from the beach.

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Even before the proposed march began, thousands thronged to the ashram. The historic march,
marking the launch of the Civil Disobedience movement, began on March 12, & Gandhi broke the
salt law by picking up a lump of salt at Dandi on April 6. Since, all the people walked in white
clothes following Gandhi for 24 days, this march is also famously known as the White Flowing
River. Gandhi openly asked the people to make salt from sea water in their homes & violate the
salt law.

Significance of the Salt March

The march, its progress & its impact on the people was well covered by newspapers. In
Gujarat, 300 village officials resigned in answer to Gandhi’s appeal. The violaton of the law was
seen as a symbol of the Indian people’s resolve not to live under British-made laws & therefore
under British rule.

Gandhi gave the following directions for the future actions:

• The civil disobedince of the salt law should be started wherever possible.
• Foreign liquor & cloths shops to be picketed.
• Lawyers can give up their practice.
• Refusal to pay taxes if we one has the requisite strength.
• Public can boycott law courts by refraining from litigation.
• Government servants can resign from their posts.

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• Local leaders should be obeyed after Gandhi’s arrest.

• All these should be subject to one condition – truth & non-violence as means to attain
swaraj should be faithfully adhered to .

Spread of Salt Law Disobedience

Once Gandhi broke the salt law at Dandi, defiance of the salt laws started all over the
country. His arrest came on May 4, 1930, when he had announced that he would lead a raid on
Dharasana Salt Works on the west coast.

His arrest was followed by massive protests in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta & in Sholapur. The
Congress working committee now sanctioned following actions to be taken:

• Non-payment of revenue in ryotwari areas.

• No-chowkidara tax campaign in Zamindari areas.
• Violation of forest laws in the Central provinces.

Satyagraha at Different Places

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Tamilnadu • In April 1930, C Rajgopalachari organised a march from

Trichinapoly to Vedaranniyam on the Tanjore coast to break
the salt law.

Dharasana • On May 21, 1930, Sarojini Naidu, Imam Sahib & Manilal
Gandhi took up the unfinished task of leading a raid on the
Dharasana Salt Works. The unarmed & peaceful crowd was
met with a brutal lathicharge which left 2 dead & 320 injured.

Maharashtra, • The non-coastal areas saw defiance of forest laws such as

Karnataka & Central grazing & timber restrictions & public sale of illegally acquired
Provinces forest produce.

Malabar • K. Kelappan, a congress leader famed for the Vaikom

Satyagraha, organised salt marches.

Peshawar • Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan’s educational & social reform work
among the Pathans had politicised them.

United Provinces • A no-revenue campaign was organised & a call was given to
Zamindars to refuse to pay revenue to the government.

• Under a no-rent campaign, a call was given to tenants against

Zamindars. Since most of the zamindars were loyalists, the
campaign became virtually a no-rent campaign.

Government Response

The government’s attitude throughout 1930 was ambivalent as it was puzzled & perplexed
but once the repression began, the ordinances banning civil liberties were freely used including
the press being gagged. Provincial governmentss were freedom to ban civil disobedience
organisations. There wer lathi charges & firing on unarmed crowds which left several killed &
wounded, while thousands of satyagrahis besides Gandhi & other congress leaders were
imprisoned.

After the failure of 1 Round table congress organised by the British Government, the
st

British government desperately wanted the Congress to join the next Round table conference. This
paved way for Gandhi-Irwin pact which, for the time, called for a halt in the Civil disobedience
movement.

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 MINDMAPS by Bookstawa (YouTube Channel)

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
MOVEMENT

Indians are ready with the

report and gave it to British After 1 year, British didn’t
giving them 1 year implement the Nehru report & it
ultimatum to implement the didn’t even respond so INC
report within 1 year i.e., by 31 decided to launch CDM
Dec 1929 if not, India would
launch another movement

In Dec1929 Lahore session,

Poorna Swaraj resolution was Nehru was the president.
passed and on 31st Dec, on the He said that until now we
banks of Ravi River, Nehru demanded for Dominion
hoisted India flag and every status and British didn’t
year on 26th Jan , Poorna respond so now we don’t
Swaraj day is celebrated want domination status ,
we want Poorna Swaraj
 INC authorized Gandhi to He started Dandi march from
launch CDM & he thought that Sabarmati Ashram
salt tax
He bill can unite everyone

in the country against British

This march is called Dandi

march. Many people followed
Gandhi broke salt law by Gandhi and everyone was
grabbing salt on the cost wearing white khadi clothes so,
of Dandi this movement is also called as
White flowing river

C.Rajagopalachary &
Kelappan also undertook
salt march C.Rajagolpalachary

Kelappan
 With this, CDM was launched. Objective of CDM
is to disfunction
British govt.
Of CDM using peaceful
means

British govt. tried to suppress Gandhi & his followers moved

the movt. by arresting from Dandi to raid Dharasana
Gandhi, Nehru, Patel but INC salt works in a peaceful way.
didn’t stop Dharasana march. This is also called as Dharasana
Although it was a peaceful salt Satyagrah. Gandhi sent a
movt. British lati-charged & letter to Lord Irwin on the same
this news was spread across matter.
the world
Lathi
charge

Sorojini
British govt. actions to suppress the
revolt are:

Simon report was discussed in 1st RTC which was held in

Nov1930 INC didn’t participate in 1st RTC since it was busy
with CDM against British, so 1st RTC failed. So, Irwin met
Gandhi to discuss about INC attending 2nd RTC
 Facts about CDM:

Red shirt movt in NWFP: Eastern India :

Khan Abdul Gaffar khan Chaukidar tax was paid to

ed the movt. in Peshwar. guard the village