CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

Introduction
The Civil disobedience movement is one of the most important parts of Indian freedom
movement. It started by the Mahatma Gandhi against the British rules and commands.

Millions of people involved in this movement for removing the control and powers of the
British government.

When Civil disobedience movement started

The Civil disobedience movement launched on 12th January 1930 after a few weeks of
reflection. It started with Dandi March, which is also known as Salt March, Salt Satyagraha.
He began Dandi March along with 78 followers.

He started Dandi March from the Sabarmati Ashram to “Dandi” on the Gujarat coast.

Mahatma Gandhi walked with the followers in distance of 200 miles.

After few days of Dandi March, the British government violated the salt laws by making salt
from Sea-water.

After Dandi March, he has started the Civil disobedience movement.

Why it started
Mahatma Gandhi wrote in the newspaper, Young India, that he will stop the civil
disobedience or law breaking action if Irwin accepted his eleven-point demands.

But the Lord Irwin government did not respond, and then Mahatma Gandhi started the Civil
disobedience movement.

Demands of the people by Civil disobedience movement

The Civil disobedience was begun to complete the request of Indian people for freedom, and
they remain struggle for freedom. They have demanded the

 Rupee sterling ration should reduce

 Half should reduce land revenue and made a subject of legislative control,
 Salt tax should be stopped and also the government salt monopoly,
 Military expenditure should be reduced by 50% to begin,
 To Protect the Indian textiles and coastal shipping,
 All political prisoners should discharge
Essentials of Civil disobedience movement
 People of the India was much happy and enthusiasm to become the part of the Dandi
March.
 During the start of Dandi March, people much encouraged and begun to break the law
by selling banned political pamphlets, by showing defiance of section 144 and by
withholding rents.
 Mahatma Gandhi also encouraged to women to fight for freedom by picketing the door
of government offices and foreign goods shops.
 In the freedom struggle, it was a new and great thing for the women because they are
courage by the Gandhiji and fight for freedom.
 In the Bengal and North-west, the movement took place by many of the people.
Action of great Satyagrahis in Civil disobedience movement with Gandhiji
 On the next morning of this movement, with the Gandhi, the great satyagraha which
included Motibas Das, a khaki student of about 20 years of age from Balasore, prepared
salt in violation of a salt law.
 The action of the Motibas Das was held by all Indian such as
 Jawaharlal Nehru was greatly encouraged to the Gandhi for organised this movement,
and he was impressed by the Gandhi for determination to break the salt laws.
 Subhas Chandra Bose compared the Dandi March of Gandhi to Napoleon’s march to
Paris from Elba.
 Sarojini Naidu was also the part of this movement and struggled for the freedom.
 In the north-west, the most famous leader was Abdul Gaffar Khan, and hew was also
known as “Frontier Gandhi”, and his followers were known as ‘red shirts’ as they wore
red coloured kurtas.
Pact between Gandhi and Irwin
The Government had called Round Table conference in 1930 in London.

The Congress did not join it. To make sure that the Congress would participate in the second
conference, Lord Irwin made a pact with Gandhiji in 1931.

In this “Gandhi-Irwin Pact” the Government agreed to let off all political prisoners and to
cancel the oppressive laws.

The Second Round Table Conference was a failure from India’s point of view. Gandhi
demand for full self-government rejected.
Agreement in pact of Gandhi and Irwin
 To withdraw all ordinances and pending prosecutions
 To release all political prisoners except those who were guilty of violence
 To restore the confiscated property of the Satyagrahas,
 To permit peaceful picketing of liquor, opium and foreign cloth shops, and
 To allow the collection or manufacture of salt, free of duty, by persons residing within
a particular distance of the seashore,
 The Congress agreed not to press for investigation into police excess,
 To suspend the civil disobedience movement, and
 To stop boycott and to participate in the Second Round Table Conference.
 In 1931 individual events coming to power of conservatives, replacement of the
Viceroy, and execution of Bhagat Singh created an atmosphere of dejection in Gandhi
and other younger Indian leaders. The Congress decided to restart the movement in
January 1932.
Conclusion
The Civil Disobedience Movement was not successful. But it prepared the people of India for
great sacrifice. It was good training for the people. Unlike the Non-cooperation Movement,
the Civil Disobedience Movement increased the popularity of the Congress.