Civil Disobedience Movement in India

The Civil Disobedience Movement, a pivotal chapter in India’s struggle for independence, marks a significant era where non-violent resistance became the spearhead against British rule. Initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, this movement not only demonstrated the power of passive resistance but also united diverse sections of Indian society against colonial oppression. In this article, you will learn origin, causes, spread and effects, etc of Civil Disobedience Movement.

This article will provide key insights for GS Paper-I Indian History  of UPSC IAS Exam.

Table of Content

• Table of Content              
• What is Civil Disobedience?         
• What was Civil Disobedience Movement?             
• Origin Civil Disobedience Movement
• Precedence before Civil Disobedience Movement              
• Spread of Salt Law Disobedience
• Impact of movement      
• Extent of Mass Participation
• Government Response & Efforts for Truce
• Evaluation of Civil Disobedience Movement
• Conclusion          
• Frequently Asked Questions        
• Reference           

What is Civil Disobedience?

• Civil Disobedience is the refusal of a citizen to obey laws, demands, orders or commands of a government or any other authority in an active manner.

What was Civil Disobedience Movement?

• The Civil Disobedience Movement was a nonviolent law defying movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 to demand for purna swaraj or complete independence of India.

Origin Civil Disobedience Movement:

• During the December 1928Calcutta session of the Congress, the Nehru Report was approved.
  • The Nehru Report of 1928 was a memorandum by All Parties Conference in British India to appeal for a new dominion status and a federal government for the constitution of India.
• However, youth leaders of Congress including Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose, and Satyamurthy, were discontented with the Congress’ aspiration for dominion status.
• Youth leaders had ardently advocated for purna swaraj, signifying absolute independence, as the major objective.
• The older leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Motilal Nehru advised against discarding the notions of dominion status as the consensus for the dominion status has been developed after many years.
• They rather proposed a reasonable extension of two years to the government as an opportunity to embrace the dominion status demand.
• Under the pressure of the younger faction, this grace period was reduced to a single year.
• The Congress resolved the matter by concluding that if the administration failed to endorse a constitution based on dominion status by the year’s end, then the Congress would demand for complete independence, by launching a campaign of civil disobedience.

Precedence before Civil Disobedience Movement:

Political Activity during 1929:

• Throughout 1929, Gandhi had travelled extensively to galvanize people for direct political action.
• He called the youth to prepare for the upcoming movement.
• He had initiated constructive work within the rural communities, and addressed specific grievances by drawing inspiration from the Bardoli agitation of 1928.
• The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has established a Foreign Cloth Boycott Committee that advocated for a campaign based on boycotting foreign clothes and creating a public bonfire to consume such textiles.
• In March 1929, the inaugural phase of this campaign in Calcutta was personally initiated by Gandhi, that resulted in his arrest.
• Following this, foreign clothes were burnt across the nation.
• The Meerut Conspiracy Case had occurred in March that had contributed to the heightened political fervour.
• The detonation of a bomb within the Central Legislative Assembly by Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt in April had added to the aggravated atmosphere.
• This agitation was further intensified by the ascension of the minority Labour government, led by Ramsay MacDonald, to power in England during May.
• Wedgewood Benn was appointed as the Secretary of State for India, an event that further augmented the political climate of the time.

Irwin’s Declaration (October 31, 1929):

• Before the Simon Commission report was declared, a proclamation was surfaced, delivered by Lord Irwin.
• Lord Irwin had recognized that as per the Declaration of 1917 that the logical trajectory of India’s constitutional evolution was to culminate as a Dominion status.
• Lord Irwin had promised of a Round Table Conference after the submission of the Simon Commission’s report.

Delhi Manifesto:

• On 2 November, 1929, Delhi Manifesto was declared by the British government as a condition to attend the RoundTable Conference:
  • Establishment of majority representation for the Congress within the conference.
  • Political detainees will be treated fairly along with the conciliatory approach.
  • The Round Table Conference shall not be used to determine the timeline as and when the dominion status will be achieved, but on the framing of a constitutional framework to actualize dominion status.
• In December 1929, Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, and other leaders met Lord Irwin to reassure that the purpose of Round Table Conference is to establish dominion status.
• Lord Irwin denied their request.

Lahore Congress and Purna Swaraj:

• Jawaharlal Nehru as a president of Lahore congress session has advocated for purna swaraj complete independence.
• Major decisions taken at the session:
  • To boycott the Round Table Conference.
  • Purnaswaraj was declared as the aim of the Congress.
  • Congress Working Committee can launch civil disobedience movement including non-payment of taxes.
  • All members of legislatures had to resign from their seats.
  • January 26, 1930 was to be celebrated as the first Swarajya (Independence) Day.

Gandhi’s Eleven Demands:

• As per the decisions taken at the Lahore Congress, Gandhi laid forth 11 demands before launching the movement to the government.
• January 31, 1930 was given as final deadline for the acceptance or rejection of these demands.
• The demands were:
  • Curtail military and civil service expenses.
  • Instigate reforms within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
  • Amend the Arms Act to endorse public oversight on the issuance of firearm licenses.
  • Liberate political prisoners.
  • Approve the Postal Reservation Bill.
  • Lower the rupee-sterling exchange ratio.
  • Establish safeguards for the textile industry.
  • Designate coastal shipping for Indian enterprises.
  • Slash land revenue by 50%.
  • Abolish salt taxation and the government’s monopoly on salt production.
• Government had not responded, which made the Gandhi launch the movement, who had first decided to produce the salt and make salt a central theme.
• Gandhi had chosen salt as it was a basic necessity of all sections of society.

Spread of Salt Law Disobedience:

• On March 2, 1930, Gandhi informed the viceroy his strategic course of action.
• As government had not responded, Gandhi led a group of seventy-eight individuals from Sabarmati Ashram on a 240-mile march to Dandi while travelling through the villages of Gujarat.
• After reaching the coast of Dandi, the breach of the salt law was to be done.
• Gandhi had given the following directives before launching the movement:
  • Launching acts of civil disobedience against the salt law whenever feasible.
  • Organizing picketing at establishments selling foreign liquor and cloth.
  • Refuse tax payments.
  • Lawyers can voluntarily discontinue their practice.
  • Publicly boycott law courts by abstaining from litigation.
  • Government employees shall resign from their positions.
  • All such actions shall be conducted under the principles of truth and non-violence, and a means to achieve swaraj.
  • Local leaders will lead after Gandhi’s arrest.
• The historic march began on March 12 as a commencement of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• Gandhi had transgressed the salt law by collecting a lump of salt at Dandi on April 6.
• The violation of the law had represented that the Indian citizen did not want to live under British–made laws and thus under British rule.
• Gandhi had asked the people to produce salt from sea water in their homes and violate the salt law.
• Gandhi was arrested on May 4, 1930 when he had announced that he will raid on Dharasana Salt Works on the west coast.
• After the arrest, CWC had sanctioned:
  • Non–payment of revenue in ryotwari areas
  • No-chowkidar tax in zamindari areas
  • Violation of forest laws in the Central Provinces

Satyagraha at Different Places and their leaders:

• Tamil Nadu: C. Rajagopalachari
• Malabar: K. Kelappan, P. Krishna Pillai
• Odisha: Gopalbandhu Chaudhuri
• Assam: Chandraprabha Saikiani,
• Bengal: Subhas Chandra Bose, J.M. Sengupta
• Bihar: Ambika Kant Sinha, Bonga Majhi, Somra Majhi
• Peshawar: Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
• Dharasana: Sarojini Naidu, Imam Sahib
• Manipur and Nagaland: Rani Gaidinliu

Impact of movement

• Import of foreign cloth and other items fell.
• Government had suffered a loss of income due to nonpayment of liquor, excise and land revenue.
• Elections to Legislative Assembly were boycotted.

Extent of Mass Participation:

• The Civil Disobedience Movement drew participation from various segments of society.
• Women, under Gandhi’s guidance, had picketed foreign cloth shops, opium dens, and liquor stores.
• For Indian women, this movement was a liberating experience that marked their entry into the public sphere.
• Students and youth had also boycotted foreign cloth and liquor.
• Muslim involvement was not as widespread as during 1920-22 due to leaders’ appeals and government encouragement.
  • However, some regions like the North-West Frontier Province saw extensive participation.
  • Middle-class Muslims in regions like Senhatta, Tripura, Gaibandha, Bagura, Noakhali, and Dacca were active.
  • Muslim communities involved in weaving in Bihar, Delhi, and Lucknow had contributed effectively.
• Trader associations and commercial groups had enforced the boycott, especially in Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
• Tribals in regions like Central Provinces, Maharashtra, and Karnataka played an active role.
• Workers from Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, and Sholapur had joined the movement.
• Peasants were also active participants in the United Provinces, Bihar, and Gujarat.

Government Response & Efforts for Truce:

Government Response:

• Throughout the year 1930, the government had found itself in a state of uncertainty, leading to confusion and bewilderment.
• If government used force, the Congress would accuse it of “repression.”
• Instead, if government opted for minimal action, the Congress would cry “victory.”
• In either scenario, the government witnessed a gradual erosion of its authority.
• Even the arrest of Gandhi was delayed due to hesitation.
• However, once the crackdown began, many civil liberties were curtailed, which even included the press.
• The provincial administrations were granted the power to outlaw civil disobedience groups.
• The CWC was not officially declared illegal until June.
• Instances of baton charges and firing upon unarmed crowds led to injuries of many satyagrahis.
• The government’s oppressive measures and the tabling of the Simon Commission Report, managed to agitate even the moderately inclined political sentiment
  • Simon Commission Report was a document that had omitted mentioning dominion status and possessed other backward aspects.

Truce between Viceroy and Gandhi:

• In 1930, the Viceroy Lord Irwin had stated about convening a round table conference and reiterated the aspiration for dominion status.
• The Viceroy agreedtothe proposal by Tej Bahadur Sapru and M.R. Jayakar to reconcile between the Congress and the government.
• By August 1930, Motilal and Jawaharlal Nehru were transported to Yeravada Jail to engage in a conversation with Gandhi and both had reiterated the following demands:
  • The right to break away from Britain.
  • Establishment of a sovereign national government with authority over defense and finances.
  • Formation of an impartial tribunal to adjudicate Britain’s financial claims.
• However, discussions failed.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact

• On 25 January, 1931, Gandhi and all the fellow members of the CWC were unconditionally released.
• Gandhi had opened dialogues with the viceroy and signed an agreement on the 14th of February, 1931, in Delhi.
• This led to temporarily halt of the civil disobedience campaign.

The second Round Table Conference:

• Mahatma Gandhi had attended the second Round Table Conference as per the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
• On the failure of the second Round Table Conference, the CWC had concluded on December 29, 1931 to continue the civil disobedience movement.

Evaluation of Civil Disobedience Movement:

Movement was futile as:

• Gandhi’s decision to suspend the civildisobedience movement shall not be misunderstood as a backward step, due to factors such as:
  • Mass movements are mostly short–lived
  • Unlike activists, the masses have finite capacity for sacrifices
  • There were signs of fatigue post-September 1930, particularly among shopkeepers and merchants.
• The youth were disappointed as they had engaged with enthusiasm in order to yearn a grand conclusion rather than a subdued finale.
• Gujarat’s peasants were disillusioned as their lands were not promptly reinstated.

Movement was fruitful as:

• The government had attributed significance to their movement by treating their leader as an equal which had culminated in a formal agreement.
• After their release from incarceration, political prisoners were welcomed home as heroes.

Comparison of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and the Non-Cooperation Movement (NCM):

• Unlike the Non-Cooperation Movement, the objective now was for complete independence, as opposed to earlier demands for specific injustices and self-governance.
• The methods employed in CDM included direct defiance of the law, in contrast to the strategy of non-cooperation with foreign rule as done in NCM.
• There was a decline in number of protests from intellectuals, such as lawyers ceasing their practice and students giving up governmentschools for national institutions.
  • However, the substantial involvement of peasants and business collectives had compensated for the decrease in protest from intelligentsia.
• Muslim participation was not up to the level that was witnessed in the NCM.
• The movement did not coincide with any substantial surge in labour-related activities.
• The number of imprisoned had tripled as compared to the previous instance.
• The Congress had demonstrated heightened organizational strength in CDM.

Conclusion

The Civil Disobedience Movement, spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, marked a pivotal chapter in India’s struggle for independence. This movement not only demonstrated the power of non-violent resistance against British colonial rule but also significantly altered the dynamics of Indian politics. It galvanized a broad spectrum of Indian society, transcending class, caste, and regional boundaries, thereby promoting national cohesion and a collective identity among Indians. The movement’s ability to disrupt the colonial economy through the boycott of British goods and refusal to pay taxes showcased the potential of organized mass protest to challenge and negotiate power structures.

Ref: Source-1

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