CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · History: Nationalism in IndiaAnalyze the Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930. Discuss the significance of the Salt March and evaluate the reasons why different social groups joined or stayed away from the movement.

Introduction

The Civil Disobedience Movement, initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, marked a crucial phase in the Indian freedom struggle. Unlike the Non-Cooperation Movement, it involved not just non-cooperation with British rule, but actively breaking colonial laws.

The Salt March and the Beginning of the Movement

1. Selection of Salt as a Symbol: Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful bond that could unite the nation. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.
2. The Dandi March: On 12 March 1930, Gandhiji started his famous salt march accompanied by 78 trusted volunteers. They walked 240 miles from Gandhiji's ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. On 6 April, they reached Dandi, and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling seawater.
3. Spread of the Movement: This marked the formal beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Thousands of people broke the salt law, manufactured salt, and demonstrated in front of government salt depots. Foreign cloth was boycotted, peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes, and village officials resigned.

Participation of Social Groups

• Rich Peasant Communities: Communities like the Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of Uttar Pradesh were active in the movement. Being producers of commercial crops, they were hard hit by the trade depression and falling prices. For them, fight for swaraj was a struggle against high revenues.
• Poor Peasants: Small tenants found it difficult to pay their rent due to the Depression. They wanted the unpaid rent to the landlords to be remitted. They joined radical movements led by the Socialists and Communists.
• Business Class: Indian merchants and industrialists were keen on business expansion and supported the movement when colonial restrictions on business were introduced. They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods.
• Industrial Working Class: Workers did not participate in large numbers, except in Nagpur, as industrialists were closer to the Congress. However, some workers adopted Gandhian ideas, such as boycott of foreign goods, as part of their own movements against low wages and poor working conditions.
• Women: A large-scale participation of women was a distinct feature of the Civil Disobedience Movement. During Gandhiji's salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him. They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.

Limits of the Movement

• Untouchables (Dalits): For a long time, Congress had ignored Dalits, for fear of conservative high-caste Hindus (Sanatanis). Gandhiji called them 'Harijan' and organized satyagraha to secure them entry into temples, but many Dalit leaders were keen on a different political solution to their community's problems, demanding separate electorates.
• Muslim Participation: After the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat movement, a large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. Amidst communal clashes and atmosphere of suspicion between Hindus and Muslims, the prospect of a united struggle became difficult.

Conclusion

Despite its limitations and eventual suppression by the British, the Civil Disobedience Movement demonstrated immense national unity and laid down the foundation for future struggles leading to India's independence.