Civil Disobedience Movement

Towards Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)

• After withdrawal of the Non Cooperation Movement, nation and Congress were not in position to launch another mass movement too soon.
• India witnessed “crisis of unity”
  • Congress divided into “no-changers” and “pro-changers”
  • “No-Changers” wanted to stick to Gandhian ways
  • “Pro-Changers” wanted to revert to constitutional politics. Gradually, pro changers became more powerful under leadership of C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru and launched Swaraj Party within the Congress.
  • There was a growing influence of Congress Socialists under the young leaders like J.L. Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.
  • The Hindu- Muslim unity was also not to be seen after fall of Khilafat movement.
  • Harijans were also not happy with the efforts towards amelioration of their problems
• Great Depression
  • The prices of exportable agricultural cash crops plummeted
  • Revenue was not adjusted accordingly, as British thought that it would be a short lived phenomena.
  • The situation helped Congress to mobilise the rich peasants and small holders
  • Congress was able to project itself as a party of emerging capitalist and workers at same time
• Simon Commission (late 1927)
  • Non inclusion of Indians in the commission provoked nationwide protests
• Nehru Report (August, 1928)
  • It contained a constitutional scheme that contained dominion status for India
  • But, Nehru and Bose were in favour of complete independence.
  • Calcutta congress accepted Nehru report but said that if government didn’t accept it by 31^st Dec, 1930, the Congress would go for full independence.
  • Under pressure from young section of Congress, time line was cut down to 1929.
• Irwin Offer (31^st October, 1929)
  • Irwin said that Dominion status was a natural issue of Indian constitutional progress
  • He proposed a round table conference after Simon Commission report
  • As British were reluctant to give immediate dominion status, talks broke down.
• Lahore Session ( Dec, 1929)
  • Round table conference was to be boycotted
  • Purna-Swaraj to be main aim of Congress
  • Launch of CDM
  • January 26^th 1930 fixed as first independence day celebration
• Gandhiji 11 Point Ultimatum
  • Gandhiji placed 11 demands for administrative and other reforms and stated that if the demands were met, CDM would not be launched
  • Viceroy Irwin was in no mood to compromise

During Civil Disobedience Movement

• Started on 12^th March 1930 with start of Dandi March by Gandhiji
• CDM was to consist of:
  • Non payment of taxes / No revenue
  • Forest Satyagrahs
  • Refusal of Chowkidari Tax
  • Picketing of liquor shops
  • Large scale resignation of rural officials
• Soon CDM, began to take a less disciplined form
  • 18 Apr, 1930 – Chittagong Armoury was raided by Surya Sen
  • May, 1930 – Textile workers strike at Sholapur
• 1^st Round Table Conference ( Jan, 1931)
  • Congress kept away
• With incidents of rising violence and with majority of Congress leaders behind bars, Gandhiji called for rather sudden retreat. He initiated a talk with Irwin, which resulted in Gandhi-Irwin pact
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5^th march, 1931)
  • Irwin agreed to release all political prisoners except Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev
  • Right to make salt in coastal villages was allowed
  • Gandhi agreed to suspend CDM and participate in 2^nd Round Table Conference
• 2^nd Round Table Conference (September 1931)
  • Gandhiji demanded control over defence and foreign affairs
  • Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for Dalits which was opposed by Gandhiji
• Gandhiji returned and launched CDM again
  • But this time the movement was brutally suppressed by force.
  • Jan, 1932: Gandhiji and Sardar Patel were arrested
  • Protests included picketing of shops selling liquor and foreign cloths, non violent demonstration, forest law violation and installation of secret radio near Bombay.
  • Gandhiji suspended CDM temporarily in May 1933 and formally withdrew it one year later.

Impacts of Civil Disobedience Movement

• Large scale participation of women
• Kisan Sabhas with anti-zamindar programmes developed rapidly in provinces like UP, Bihar and Andhra
• At the level of leadership, Nehru and Bose voiced the new mood, emphasizing their socialistic approach
• Congress swept the polls in most of the provinces in 1937 elections
• Poona Pact was signed in between
• Round Table Conference for the first time, gave equal negotiating status to Indians viz a viz British.
• Hanging of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev was seen as a setback of this movement and many criticize Gandhiji for that.