Civil Disobedient Movement

(CDM)

Back Ground of the CDM

 Anti Simon Commission Movement of 1927 – 28 did not immediately lead to wider political
struggle, so INC soon reflected Gandhi’s mass movement view to consolidate the nationalist
movement.
 The 1st to reconcile the militant left wings of the congress, J.L. Nehru was now made the president
of congress at Lahore session 1929.
 The Lahore session of congress stated with a new militant spirit and decleared ‘Purna Swajaj’ to be
the objective of congress observed 1 stindependence day on 26 Jan. 1930.
 Gandhi wrote Viceroy once again a last minute effort to see if the situation still could be sent.
 But discouragement was in store for him and congress working committee to start Gandhi Permited to
start Satyagraha.
 On March 11, 1930 Gandhi again addressed a communication of viceroy through English from
Regnal Reynold to help and avoid desperate action but in vain.

Gandhi in his letter to viceroy urged the Govt. the followings

Prohibit intoxicant.
Abolishion of salt tax and Govt. salt monopoly.
Reservation for coastal shipping for Indian.
50% reduction in Land Revenue.
Lowering of Rupee – sterling exchange ratio.
Protection of indigenous textile Industry.
50% cut on military expenditure
50% reduction on expenditure in civil administration.
Release of all political prisoners.
Changes in central intelligence department.
Changes in arms act enabling citizen to bear arms for self protection.

Of the demands many of them were rejected and Govt responded very harsely and Gandhiji stated
his famous Dandi March on March 12, 1930 form Sabarmati Ashram.

Dandi March and begining of CDM

On 12th March, 1930, Gandhi started Dandi March together with 78 choosen followers and walked
nearly 200 miles.
This act was a symbolic of Indian people refusal to live under British ….. And therefore under
British rule.
Gandhi then declear – ‘The British rule in India was brought about moral, cultural and spiritual
ruin of this great country. I regarded this rule as a carse, ours is a no-violent battle. We are not to
kill any body but it is our dharna to see that the cars of this Government are blotted out.”
Bombay chronical supported Dandi March and told it “A mighty current of patriotism and love
for country.”
On 5th April, reach Dandi and next morning they picked up salt breaking the slat laws.
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 The salt Satyagraha lasted another two month and due to monsoon it stops.

Phases of CDM
Phase – I (March – September, 1930) – The high classes, Zaminders as well as present
participated, people stopped paying chaukedari tax.
Phase – II (October 1930 – March 1931) – Urban high class stops participating and tried to
compromise between Govt. and Congress.
Phase – III (January 1932 – April, 1934) – During this phase India saw ruthless repression by the
Govt. forced congress to withdraw the movement.

GANDHI – IRWIN PACT

The effort of congress leader Tej Behadur Sapru and Jayakar brought about a compromise between Govt
and congress resulted in the signig of a pact by Gandhi and Lord Irwin in March 1931.
The Following matters Govt. agreed to –
Withdrawl of all ordinances and end prosecusation.
Release of all political prisoners , except those are guilty of violence.
Restore the confiscated Poperty of Satyagrahees.
Permit peaceful picketing against the liqure and foreign cloth shop.
Permit the free collection and manufacture of salt to person residing within a specific distance from the
sea coast.

As a result congress took the following steps

 Suspended CDM
 Participated in the 2 nd RTC (Round Table Conference)
 Not to press for investigation into police excesses.
Finally Gandhi attended in the 2 nd RTC in London but no result came in and Gandhi again
launch CDM in January, 1932 to 1934.

Spread of CDM
In the North-Western region Pathan were participated in CDM under the leadership of Abdul Gaffar
Khan and his organization ‘Khudai-e-khidmatgar’ means servant of God started.They were Popularly
Known as Red shirt ,widely participated in CDM.
Two platoons of Garwali troops refused to fire on Indians and thus in this way nationalism entered the
British army made of Indian solder.
In the North-Eastern part in India like in Manipur and Nagaland the nationalist were leaded by a 13
years old girl named Rani Gaidinliu.

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 End of the CDM
After returning from the second Round Table Conference empty handed, Gandhi restarted the Civil
Disobedience Movement in 1932.
However, it was too late by then. Government imposed sweeping ordinances banning all Congress
organisations on January 4, 1932 and Congress leaders including Gandhi and Sardar Patel were
arrested.
Out manoeuvered and facing repressive measures on an entirely unprecedented scale, the national
movement still fought on valiantly for about a year and a half. 120,000 people were jailed in the first
three months. The mass movement gradually declined in the face of ruthless repression.
A section of Congressmen preferred to go back to Council politics, and so the scenario of the mid 1920s
reappeared to be repeating itself.
The 1935 Government of India Act was considerably more retrogressive than earlier, drafts, for it was
drawn up at a point when the British seemed triumphant.
Gandhi in jail began to think in terms of an honourable retreat.
He suspended Civil Disobedience temporarily in May 1933, and formally withdrew it in April 1934.
The Mahatma decided to make Harijan work the central -plank of his new rural constructive
programme.

In 1933, Gandhiji confessed failure of the movement and resigned his membership of the
congress and started work for the uplift of the harizans.
All India Anti Untouchability League was establish by him in September, 1932 and published a
weekly paper ‘Harizan’ from January, 1933
Finally CDM was withdrawn in April, 1934.

Aftermath of CDM
• That the Government’s sense of ‘victory’ had been largely illusory was quickly revealed, when the
Congress swept the polls in most provinces in 1937.
• The Congress had been defeated by superior brute force, but its mass prestige was as high as ever.
• The Left alternative emerged from the logic of Civil Disobedience itself, for the Movement had aroused
expectations, which Gandhian strategy could not fulfill.
• At the level of leadership, Nehru and Bose voiced the new mood, emphasising the need to combine
nationalism with radical social and economic programmes.
• Some Congress activists formed a socialist group within the party in 1934.
Kisan Sabhas with anti-zamindar programmes developed rapidly in provinces like Bihar and Andhra.
• In this changed situation, the dominant groups within the Congress were able to retain control only by a
series of adjustments and openings towards the left.
• Thus land reforms directed official Congress programmes by the mid-1930s.
• An early indication of such a shift was the Karachi Declaration (March 1931).
• Living wages and trade union rights also entered the Congress programme.
• Peasant upsurge which had constituted so much of the real strength of Civil Disobedience like the labour
unrest of the late 1920s had not been entirely futile.
Comparative study on NCM and CDM
NCM was just to fight against ‘wrongs’ but CDM for Complete Independents.
The NCM violated the rules of law but CDM had no militant nationalism.
In NCM participation of women were greater compare to CDM.
The NCM was and example of Hindu Muslim unity but CDM Muslim was not participated.
In NCM labour class participated but CDM this few.

HARIJAN CAMPAIGN
Gandhiji withdrew from the Civil Disobedience Movement to focus on Harijan welfare. Mahatma
Gandhi began ‘a fast unto death' on December 20, in 1932 for the abolition of separate electorates for
untouchables.
After the Poona Pact Gandhi started an All India Anti- Untouchability League and the weekly
newspaper (Harijan).
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 He went out on a 12,500 mile ‘Harijan Tour’ between November 1933 and August 1934.
The Harijan Movement was formally withdrawn in April 1934.
Harijan welfare work by Gandhians indirectly helped to spread the message of nationalism down to the
most oppressed sections of rural society.
Harijans also came to develop traditional loyalty towards the Congress.
Gandhi confined the Harijan Campaign to limited social reform (opening of wells, roads, and
particularly temple entry and humanitarian work) delinking it from any economic demands (though
many Harijans were agricultural labourers), and also refusing to attack caste as a whole.

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