Independence was passed in the Lahore
session, Mahatma Gandhi decided to
launch the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Before beginning this movement, Gandhiji
put up various demands in front of the
British Government. One of the important
demand was to cancel the salt tax and
monopoly of British Government for
manufacture of salt. But because the
demands of Gandhiji were rejected by the
Government he decided to launch
Satyagraha all over India by breaking the
salt act.
Salt is an important ingredient in the
food of common people. Hence it was
unjust to impose tax on an essential
commodity like salt. Therefore Gandhiji
started the Salt Satyagraha. Salt Satyagraha
was symbolic. The extensive objective
behind it was to break the oppressive and
unjust laws of the British Government
through peace and Satyagraha.
Gandhiji chose Dandi, a seashore, in
Gujarat to begin the Salt Satyagraha. On
12 March 1930 Gandhiji set out from
Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers for
launching the Salt Satyagraha. A distance
of approximately 385 km was covered on
foot and Gandhiji delivered speeches in the
villages on the way. Through the speeches
Gandhiji appealed to the people to be fearless and join the Civil Disobedience
Movement. Due to Gandhiji’s speeches
message of Civil Disobedience Movement
spread everywhere and a favourable
atmosphere was created. On 5 April 1930,
Gandhiji reached Dandi. On 6 April
Gandhiji broke the salt act by picking up
the salt laying on the sea shore of Dandi
and the Civil Disobedience Movement
started all over the country.
The Peshawar Satyagraha : In the
North West Frontier, Khan Abdul Gafar
Khan was the most loyal follower of
Mahatma Gandhi. He was also known as
‘Frontier Gandhi’. He had founded the
organisation called ‘Khuda-i-Khidmatgar’.
On 23 April 1930, he started satyagraha at
Peshawar. The town was in the hands of
the satyagrahis nearly for a week. The
British Government
gave orders to the
Garhwal regiment to
carry out open firing
on the Satyagrahis,
but Chandrasing
Thakur, an officer of
Garhwal Regiment,
refused to open fire.
He was court
martialled and was
given a severe punishment.
The British Government found itself in
a difficult situation due to the satyagraha
launched by Mahatma Gandhi. On 4 May
1930 Gandhiji was arrested. Supressive
measures were undertaken all over the
country. There was protest all over the
country due to the arrest of Mahatma
Gandhi.
Solapur Satyagraha : The mill
workers were on the forefront in the Solapur
satyagraha. On 6 May 1930, hartal was
observed in Solapur. A huge procession was organised in Solapur. The District
Collector gave orders of firing on the
procession.
Many volunteers along with Shankar
Shivdare died in the firing. As a result,
people started attacking police stations,
railway station, courts, municipal buildings
etc. The Government declared Martial Law
and the agitation was supressed. Those
who took lead in this movement, such as
Mallappa Dhanshetti, Shrikrishna Sarda,
Qurban Hussain and Jagannath Shinde
were hanged to death.Dharasana Satyagraha : The
satyagraha at Dharasana in Gujarat was led
by Sarojini Naidu.
The police lathi
charged on the
satyagrahis who came
forward to break the
Salt Act. The
satyagrahis silently
tolerated the blows
of the lathi. When
they were taken away
for medical aid, another batch of satyagrahis
came forward to replace them. This continued endlessly. In Maharashtra, salt
satyagraha took place at Wadala, Malvan
and Shiroda.
Where there were no salt-pans, the
forest laws were broken. There were jungle
satyagrahas at Bilashi, Sangamner,
Kalavan, Chirner and Pusad in Maharashtra.
The tribal people also took part in the
satyagraha in large numbers.
Sacrifice of Babu Genu : In Mumbai,
there was agitation against foreign goods.
The vehicles transporting foreign goods
were obstructed. Babu Genu Said, a mill
worker, from Mumbai was in the forefront
in this movement. A truck carrying foreign
goods, safeguarded by
the police, came in
front of Babu Genu.
To stop the truck he
lied down on the road.
Police threatened him,
but he did not move
from his place. Finally
he was crushed under
the truck. Babu Genu
gained martyrdom. Thissacrifice of Babu Genu gave inspiration to
the national movement.
Round Table Conference : In the
opinion of British Prime Minister Ramsay
Mac Donald, while the Civil Disobedience
Movement was going on , the constitutional
issues regarding India should be thought
over. For this purpose he organised a
conference at London. This conference is
known as ‘Round Table Conference’. In
the period between 1930 to 1932, three
round table conferences were organised.
First Round Table Conference :
Ramsay MacDonald was the chairman of
the Round Table Conference.
Representatives of England and India
participated in the Conference. These
included Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sir
Tej Bahadur Sapru, Barrister Jinnah etc. In
the conference there were discussions on
various topics such as Responsible
Government at central level, establishment
of federal State in India etc. Representatives
of different political parties in India and
rulers of Princely states participated in the
conference. However, the Indian National
Congress did not participate in it. The
Indian National Congress was a body that
represented the country. Without its
participation, the deliberations in the Round
Table Conference were indeed meaningless.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact : The British
Prime Minister expressed his hope of
participation of Indian National Congress
in the Second Round Table Conference. In
view of the appeal made by the Prime
Minister, the Viceroy released Mahatma
Gandhi and other leaders from prison.
Thus, a conducive atmosphere was created
for the Congress to discuss the issues
freely. A pact was signed between Mahatma
Gandhi and Viceroy Irwin which is known
as the ‘Gandhi-Irwin Pact’. According to
this pact, the British Government assured
that the system of Responsible Governemt
would be added in the proposed constitutionof India. Consequently Indian National
Congress withdrew the Civil Disobedience
Movement and agreed to attend the Round
Table Conference.
Second Round Table Conference : In
1931, the second round table conference
was organised. Mahatma Gandhi attended
this conference as a representative of the
Indian National Congress. Along with the
Indian National Congress, representatives
of various castes and communities, political
parties as well as princely states were
invited. The Government put forth the issue
of minorities in the Round Table Conference.
There were differences regarding this issue
and also regarding the nature of the
prospective Federal constitution. Gandhiji
tried to bring unanimity in the opinion but
was unsuccessful. Finally Gandhiji became
disappointed and returned back to India.
Poona Pact : Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
represented the
Dalits in the Round
Table Conference.
He demanded
seperate electorates
for the Dalits. After
the Second Round
Table Conference
the British Prime
Minister Ramsay
MacDonald declared
‘Communal Awards’. According to it, Dalits
were given seperate electorates. Gandhiji
went on fast unto death at Yerwada jail
protesting against the granting of seperate
electorate on the basis of caste. The leaders
of Indian National Congress requested Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar to reconsider the
demand for seperate electorates. Keeping
in mind the interest of the nation
Dr.Ambedkar was ready to accept this
request. In 1932 Mahatma Gandhi and
Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar signed the
famous Poona Pact. According to this pact
seperate electorates for the Dalits wacancelled and a provision for reserved
seats was made.
Third Round Table Conference : In
November 1932 the Third Round Table
Conference was organised in England. The
Indian National Congress boycotted the
conference. Thus this conference proved to
be futile.
Second Phase of Civil Disobedience
Movement : Gandhiji returned to India
from the Second Round Table Conference
with a dejected mind. He decided to restart
the Civil Disobedience Movement. Gandhiji
was immediately arrested. Hence there was
discontent among the people.
Government responded to this
movement by using inhuman oppressive
methods. There was strangling of civic
rights everywhere. The Indian National
Congress and its associated institutions
were declared illegal. Restrictions were
levied on national newspaper and literature.
Finally in April 1934 Gandhiji withdrew
the movement and the historic phase of
Civil Disobedience Movement came to an
end.
0 Comments