Civil Disobedience - How Gandhiji turned the national movement into a mass movement
The Civil Disobedience Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, in the year 1930 was an important milestone in the history of Indian Nationalism. It had a more visible impact than the non-cooperation movement ten years earlier.
Why Gandhi started Civil disobedience movement?
In March 1930, Gandhiji wrote in the newspaper, Young India, that he might suspend his civil disobedience or law-breaking movement if the government accepted his eleven-point demands. But Lord Irwin's government did not respond. So, Gandhiji started the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The Launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement
On the historic day of 12th March 1930, Gandhi inaugurated The Civil Disobedience Movement by conducting the historic Dandi Salt March, where he broke the Salt Laws imposed by the British Government.
Followed
by
an
entourage
of
seventy
nine
ashramites,
Gandhi
embarked
on
his
march
from
his
Sabarmati
Ashram
to
Dandi
that
is
located
on
the
shores
of
the
Arabian
Sea.
On
6th
April
1930,
Gandhi
with
the
accompaniment
of
seventy
nine
satyagrahis,
violated
the
Salt
Law
by
picking
up
a
fistful
of
salt
lying
on
the
sea
shore.
They
manually
made
salt
on
the
shores
of
Dandi.
A mass approach
Dandi Salt March had an immense impact on the entire nation. Each and every corner of the country was gripped in a unique fervor of nationalism. Soon this act of violation of the Salt Laws assumed an all India character.
The Dandi March aroused great enthusiasm among the people. Everywhere the people began to break the law by selling banned political pamphlets, by showing defiance of section 144 and by with holding rents. Gandhiji called upon the women to begin spinning. In response to his call women took to spinning they also started picketing at the door of Government offices and foreign-goods shops. This participation of the women was a new thing in the freedom struggle.
The movement was very tense in Bengal and the north-west. Sarojini Naidu came to the forefront during this movement. In the north-west the most famous leader was Abdul Gaffar Khan, knick-named as "Frontier Gandhi".
Significance
•
The
movement
marked
an
important
state
in
the
progress
of
the
freedom
struggle.
•
The
movement
received
global
attention.
•
Imports
from
Britain
had
fallen
considerably.
•
The
participation
of
the
Muslims
was
significant.
•
Even
middle
and
upper
class
Muslim
women
were
active.
The Civil Disobedience Movement was not successful. But it prepared the people of India for great sacrifice. It was a good training for the people. Unlike the Non-cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement increased the popularity of the Congress.