Civil disobedience movements are a form of political participation that involve the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government or occupying power without resorting to physical violence. One of the most notable examples of civil disobedience is the Indian Civil Disobedience Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule. **Key aspects of the Civil Disobedience Movement in India:** - **Time Period:** 1930-1934 - **Leader:** Mahatma Gandhi - **Objective:** Protest against British salt monopoly and taxes, demand for complete independence - **Key Event:** Dandi March (Salt March) initiated by Gandhi on March 12, 1930 - **Method of Protest:** Civil Disobedience, Non-violent Resistance - **Salt Satyagraha:** Symbolic production and selling of salt without paying taxes, breaking the salt laws - **Boycott of British Goods:** Indians boycotted British goods and institutions - **Non-Cooperation:** People refused to cooperate with British authorities, surrendered titles and honors - **Women’s Participation:** Significant involvement of women in protests and marches - **Outcome:** Increased political awareness, international attention, and negotiations with British - **Legacy:** Contributed to India’s independence movement, emphasized non-violent resistance¹ Civil disobedience has also been a major tactic in other movements around the world, including the American civil rights movement and various anti-war and labor movements³. These movements often aim to bring about change through peaceful forms of protest, highlighting the power of collective action and moral resistance to unjust laws.

1. THE CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE
MOVEMENT

2. Introduction
+ The movement -- second major Gandhian mass movement, popularly
labelled as the Salt Satyagraha, made a distinct advance in
broadening the social reach of the anti-imperialist struggle compared
to the Non-cooperation Movement, launched during the early 1920s.
+ New set of weapons to fight foreign rule –civil disobedience based on
truth, non-violence, and mass participation in peaceful, political action
against colonialism.

3. Introduction
+ Difference between the Non-Cooperation movement and the
Civil Disobedience Movement.
+ The Civil Disobedience Movement was more radical than the
Non-Cooperation Movement.

4. Background
+ Congress was not in a position to launch another round of mass
movement.
+ Gandhi remained aloof from direct politics. Involved in constructive
programme. The colonial government considered him to be a spent
force, politically.
+ Breakdown of national consensus. “Crisis of unity.”

5. Background
+ “Pro-changers” and “No-changers”. Congress Socialists.
+ Emergence of a strong capitalist class. Organized themselves under
the banner of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industries (FICCI).
+ Conflict of Indian bourgeoisie with the colonial government. Support
of the Congress.

6. Reasons for the starting of the movement
(1) Economic crisis
 Prices of exportable agricultural cash crops went down. Affected the
rich peasantry. Land revenue remained high.
 The flow of rural credit dried up and the peasants were forced to sell
parts of their land.
 Congress mobilised the rich peasants.
 Peasantry and the working class -– worst victims -– willing to lend
their shoulders for the national struggle.

7. Reasons for the starting of the movement
(2) Protest against the imprisonment of social revolutionaries
 Arrest of Dr. Satyapal of Punjab, Annapurnayya of Andhra.
 Bhagat Singh and his comrades had been sentenced to life. Death of
Jatin Das.
 Arrest of 31 trade union leaders of mostly communist ideology.
 The political environment in the country was getting overheated.

8. Reasons for the starting of the movement
(3) Simon Commission
 Tory Government-- statutory Commission under Sir John Simon--
tasked with the responsibility to decide and recommend whether
India was ready for further measures of constitutional progress or
not.
 Non-inclusion of Indians – boycott by both the Congress and the
Muslim League.

9. Reasons for the starting of the movement
(4) The question of Dominion Status
 Lord Irwin – statement about granting dominant status to India. For
that reason, holding of Round Table Conference in England after the
Simon Commission Report.
 Madras session of 1927: Two resolutions—Boycott of Simon
Commission & creed of Congress was defined as “complete
independence.”

10. Reasons for the starting of the movement
 Throughout 1928 and 1929, Gandhi acted as a break on mounting
pressure for another round of All India mass struggle, aimed this time
explicitly at complete independence. Unhappy about the Madras
resolution of – Complete independence.
 Calcutta session (1928)– Gandhi pushed the Congress to adopt the
resolution of Dominion Status. If the dominion status was not granted
by the British by 31 Dec 1929, Congress would start CDM to gain
complete independence.

11. Reasons for the starting of the movement
 The British Government was interested in granting the
dominion status to India in the future and not immediately.
 Led to anger and resentment.
 Gandhi– Round Table Conference would be attended if the
discussion on granting dominion status would be discussed.
That is, not ‘when’ but ‘how.’
 Lord Irwin refused to make any promises.

12. Reasons for the starting of the movement
+ Politically charged background. Lahore session of the Congress
(1929): adoption of the resolution of ‘Purna Swaraj’– complete
freedom.
+ Further, authorised the AICC to launch a program of Civil
Disobedience including non-payment of taxes.
+ Negotiation of Gandhi through his Young India article: Eleven-point
program. No response from the British government.

13. Issue of the movement
+ Wait for Gandhi to decide on the precise methods of non-violent
struggle for Purna Swaraj.
+ Issue of salt tax to begin the CDM.
+ “Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life…
The salt tax constitutes the most inhuman toll tax that ingenuity of
man can device.” Unjust tax on an essential commodity.

14. Issue of the movement
+ Access to salt -- to all, everyone has a natural right to consume it.
Salt was linked with Swaraj as the most concrete and universal
grievance of the poor.
+ The issue would affect all– both rich and poor.

15. Strategy of the movement
+ Information to Lord Irwin given.
+ Brilliantly conceived plan though a few could grasp its significance
when it was announced.
+ With seventy-eight members, among whom were men belonging to
almost every region and religion of India, on 12 March 1930, Gandhi
marched from Ahmedabad to Dandi.
+ Generated a great deal of fervor and patriotic sentiments. Enormous
publicity and attention not only from the entire country but also from
the world over.

16. Strategy of the movement
+ 6 April 1930: the movement officially began.

17. Programmes of the movement
+ Other programs of civil disobedience included:
(a)Boycott of educational institutions by the students and officers by
public servants,
(b)picketing of shops dealing in liquor, opium, and foreign goods,
(c) bonfire of foreign cloth and,
(d) non-payment of taxes.

18. Programmes of the movement
+ Everyone was free to disobey any civil law so long as
he/she remained non-violent.

19. The Movement (1930-31)
+ Different phases:
+ First Phase– From April to September – October 1930
 As Gandhi broke the salt law, the rank-and-file volunteers
began defying the salt law. Salt making, salt peddling, courting
arrest, suffering brutal attacks, going to jails handcuffed or
bound with ropes, forcible breaking of meetings, etc became the
order of the day.

20. The Movement
 Successful boycott of foreign cloth and liquor as well as
educational institutions.
 Active participation by the bourgeoisie and controlled peasant
mobilization on issues selected by the Gandhian leadership.
 Movement of other types – Chittagong raid on police armoury,
clashes between the crowds and the police at Sholapur.
Soldiers belonging to the 18th Royal Garhwali Rifles refused to
fire on the crowd.

21. The Movement
 On 5 May 1930, the authorities arrested Gandhi. The arrest led
to demonstrations and strikes all over the country.
+ Second Phase: From September- October 1930 onwards
 Decline in enthusiasm and support from urban merchants.
 Urban areas witnessed a ‘second wave’ taking less
manageable and socially dangerous forms like no-rent
campaigns or tribal rebellions.
 Sporadic incidents of violence.

22. Withdrawal of Civil Disobedience
Movement (1930-31)
+ Simultaneous decline and radicalization of the movement.
+ Unenthusiastic support from the middle class, now the educated
youth more attracted to revolutionary terrorists.
+ Rich peasantry lost enthusiasm due to confiscation and sale of
properties.
+ An important reason for the withdrawal of the movement was the
appearance of radicalism and violence among certain lower classes
who refused to remain under the control of the local Congress
leaders.

23. Withdrawal of Civil Disobedience
Movement (1930-31)
+ The movement was moving in wayward directions -- or going
against the Gandhian creed of non-violence and was tearing
apart the fragile unity of the political nation.
+ Compromise settlement was only natural -- both for the
Gandhian leadership with its faith in controlled mass
participation as well as for business leaders with their counting-
house mentality and fear of peasant radicalism.

24. Withdrawal of Civil Disobedience
Movement (1930-31)
+ Increase of government’s repressive measures.
+ Congress and all its branches were banned.
+ Round Table Conference created an opportunity for
compromise.

25. The First Round Table Conference and the
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
+ During the Civil Disobedience Movement, the First Round Table
Conference was held without the Congress.
+ The Indian delegates to the Conference were chosen to create the
impression that India was fully represented without the Congress
representatives.
+ No conclusion reached.
+ The British Prime Minister expressed the hope that the Congress
would participate in the next round of deliberations to be held in the
later part of the year.

26. The First Round Table Conference and the
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
+ On 26 January 1931 , the Viceroy announced the unconditional
release of Gandhi and other members of the Congress Working
Committee.
+ On 5 March 1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact was concluded.
+ The Congress would take part in the Second Round Table
Conference and suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement.
+ The government would release all political prisoners
immediately.

27. The First Round Table Conference and the
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
+ The positive side of the Pact was that despite the major
concessions, the Viceroy was forced to treat Gandhi on the
basis of courtesy and equality. This was later resented by the
British officials in India as well as in Britain.
+ Criticism by the Indians regarding the Pact.

28. The Second Round Table Conference
+ Gandhi was the sole representative from the Congress to attend
the Second Round Table Conference.
+ Change in the British political scene.
+ Absence of any united front. A frustrated Gandhi came back
empty-handed by the end of December 1931.

29. Revival of CDM (1932-34)
+ Gandhi's absence – Viceroy Willingdon prepared a plan for a
showdown with the nationalist forces.
+ Realization of the mistake by the British officials in negotiating
with Gandhi on equal terms. Churchill’s view about Gandhi–
“seditious fakir”.
+ Stern measures of repression by the Government.
+ Gandhi should not be allowed to revive the CDM.

30. Revival of CDM (1932-34)
+ India saddled with the rule of ordinances and all the important
leaders behind bars.
+ The Congress Working Committee met on 2 January 1932 and
had no option but to “resume Civil Disobedience Movement
including non-payment of taxes.”
+ 4 January 1932 – Gandhi arrested.

31. Revival of CDM (1932-34)
+ Wide range of activities during the second Civil Disobedience
Movement.
+ Many things had now become illegal and civil liberties were
almost totally suppressed.
+ By the second half of 1932 – decline in the movement in rural
areas.
+ Release of Gandhi and withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience
Movement. Individual Civil Disobedience was allowed.

32. Drawbacks of CDM
o Criticism of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, opposition to the Communal
Award, conversion of the mass Civil Disobedience Movement to
an individual satyagraha.
The main points of criticism have been twofold:
 Criticism of Gandhi‘s ‘inner voice’ and its role in making most of
his decisions which impacted the whole country.
 Decisions by Gandhi were undemocratic and autocratic with no
choice left to the other members of the Congress.

33. Drawbacks of CDM
o The Left criticised Gandhi for his rejection of the theory of class
struggle which he replaced with the theory of class conciliation.
 Gandhi supported the existing economic structure of the Indian
society based on capitalist private property and the zamindari
system.
 The Congress disapproved of the independent actions of the
workers and peasants. Fear of radicalism creeping into
Congress and jeopardizing the interests of the capitalist class.

34. Drawbacks of CDM
 Therefore, the Indian working class mostly remained away from
the Civil Disobedience Movement.
o The problem of Hindu-Muslim unity became prominent.
 The Non-Cooperation movement was the highest watermark of
Hindu-Muslim bonhomie.
 Revival of the Indian Muslim League, communal riots, and the
Muslim intransigence on the issue of separate electorates had
reached a point of no return.

35. Drawbacks of CDM
 Also, communal unity remained on a weak foundation.
 The movement was criticised by the Muslim League, the Sikhs,
and even the non-Congress Hindus like the Hindu Mahasabha
and the Justice Party in Madras declared their opposition to
Civil Disobedience Movement.
o Criticism by Subhas Bose and Vitthalbhai Patel.
 Failure of Gandhi as a political leader. Demanded change in the
principles, methods, and leadership of the Congress.

36. Drawbacks of CDM
o Feeling of despondency. Reduction of Congress membership to
about half of ten lakh at the end of 1936.

37. Achievements of CDM
(1) By no means, a failure. Congress was able to mobilize greater
political support than it had done during the Non-Cooperation
movement.
 Prestige among the masses remained high despite the withdrawal of
the movement.
(2) Exposure to the brutal face of the British Empire. Also, in front of the
international community.
(3) Took the battle of Swaraj to the doorsteps of the most dispossessed
sections of the Indian people --- tribals, depressed classes, and the
poor peasantry.

38. Achievements of CDM
(4) Large-scale women’s participation.
 In any procession, around one to two thousand women
participated.
 Astonishment of the whole country and it also bewildered the
authorities.
 Women's respectability was not jeopardized as Gandhi's name
legitimized such actions as sacred duties to the nation.

39. Achievements of CDM
(5) Massive business support.
 Two fruitful ways of participation: (a) they provided the finance
and (b) supported the boycott movement, particularly that of
foreign cloth.
(6) Change the quality of the will of the people.
 Made people courageous and assertive enough to stand up
against the British government by inviting suffering without
raising even their own hands in self-defense.

40. Achievements of CDM
(7) Forced the British to rethink their governance policy in India.
 Realization that they would have to delegate and transfer some
authority to the Indians.
(8) The Gandhian method of civil disobedience has its continuing
legacy in contemporary times.
 Meaningful and powerful tool to raise public grievances against
the unjust authority.

41. Conclusion