The civil disobedience movement which began in 1930, was an important movement in the history of national movement. The Indian leaders were disgruntled by the rejection of the Nehru report, and the refusal of British government to accord dominion status to India. After the declaration of complete independence in December 1929 congress convention at Lahore, a feeling of hope and exhilaration pervaded the Indian people.

Mahatma Gandhi put his 11 – point demands before the Viceroy Lard Irwin, through his newspaper ‘young India’ When the British government refused to accept these demands, it was decided to begin the Civil Disobedience movement. These demands included reduction in Lagaan (Land Tax), reduction in military expenditure, abolition of salt tax, reduction of the exchange rate of the rupee, controlling the import of foreign clothes, cases sale of intoxicants, release of political prisoners etc.

When Viceroy Irwin ignore these demands, the path of civil disobedience was adopted. The congress executive committee handed over the task of launching the Civil Disobedience movement to Mahatma Gandhi. On March 12, 1930, Gandhi ji began a march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi with his selected 78 followers. Walking 240 miles in 24 days, Gandhi ji reached Dandi with his followers.

On April 6th, 1930 Gandhi ji picked up a fistful of salt from the sea coast and broke the Salt law. Breaking the salt law was a symbol that indicated India’s refusal to obey British laws hence forth. Salt law was broken at many places in the country. Subhash Chandra Bose compared Gandhi ji’s march on foot, with Nepolean March from Elba to Paris.

Launch of civil Disobedience movement and Dandi March The following were the main programmes of this movement Breaking the salt law and making salt one self, women staging dharnas at liquor, opium and foreign garment shops, spinning yarn, lighting bonfires of foreign clothes, boycott of schools, colleges by students, resigning from government jobs, giving up untouchability.

In this public movement, a very large number of youngsters, women, farmers and workers played active role in demonstrations, strikes, boycott and dharnas etc. The prominent leaders Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Jawahar Lal Nehru and thousands of satyagrahis were arrested and imprisoned.

Forest laws were broken in Maharashtra, Karantaka and Central India. People refused to pay. chaukidari tax in Bihar far from the sea coast. Chaukidars guarded the villages. They also acted as spies for the government. A movement was started in Uttar Pradesh refusing to pay lagaan. On the appeal of Chandra Singh Gahwali, Garhuwali soldiers refused to open fire on revolutionaries at Peshawar, thus displaying patriotism.

In Sholapur, the revolutionaries burnt down many British institutions and unfurled the national flag, Here the revolutionaries removed the British administration, and took on the administration in their own hands, thus setting up a parallel goverment. Sholapur city remained under revolutionaries control for one week. In north – east frontier region, the Nagas carried out a movement against British government under Yadunang’s leadership.

Yadunang was sentenced to death by hanging. After Yadunang, the revolt continued under the leadership of Naga queen Gendinleiu. At a very young age, the queen was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British. This brave daughter of the country could be released only after Indian independence. Muslim participation in this movement was less as compared to the non – cooperation movement of 1920.

Nevertheless, Abdul Ghaffar khan’s organisation ‘Khudai Khidmatgar’ played an important role in this movement in the north – west frontier province. In spite of the extreme oppression of the British government, this public movement spread out rapidly. In the meantime, the first round-table conference began in London in November 1930, in order to discuss Indian constitutional reforms. The British government released the leaders of congress including Gandhi ji, on January 26, 1931, with the purpose of talking to the congress.

Gandhi – Irwin Pact (March 1931) – After prolonged talks, the Gandhi-Irwin pact was reached on march 5, 1931. For the first time, the government and the congress were kept at par, on equal terms. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact is also called the ‘Delhi pact.’ Under GandhiIrwin Pact, the British government released all political prisoners from prison, except those who had indulged in violent acts, and also agreed to return their confiscated property. The government allowed the people living on sea coasts the right to make salt for their domestic use. The Indians were given the right to stage peaceful ‘Dharnas’. In return for these assurances, the congress agreed to end the civil disobedience movement.

IInd Round – table conference: 

Gandhi ji went to London to take part in the second round table conference. No proposal of the British government was deemed worth accepting in this conference. Due to this, Gandhi ji returned to India in December 1931. When the second round table Conference was in progress in London, the goverment’s oppressive policies continued to be implemented in contradiction of the Gandhi – Irwin Pact.

Resumption of civil disobedience movement: 

Gandhi ji tried to hold talks with the new Viceroy Lord Willington, who had replaced lord Irwin, but his attempts failed. In such circumstances, Gandhi ji, re – startecd the civil disobedience movement on January 3, 1932. The Congress boycotted third round – table conference held in London in 1932. The British government imprisoned Gandhi ji for launching the movement again.

Gandhi ji started hungerstrike in the jail. Seeing Gandhi’s deteriorating condition, the government released him from jail on 23rd August, 1933. Gandhi ji stayed away from politics after his release from jail, and engaged himself in the task of emancipation of the untouchables. The civil disobedience movement was discontinued without any pre-condition at the Patna congress session on 18th May, 1934.

This movement created political awareness among a very large social class of people. Women, youngsters, workers, farmers and less educated rural people also participated in this movement. This surprised the British too. The IG of police of Bengal said, “I had no idea that congress would recieve the support of illiterate and uncultured people in such manner.”

The way in which the farmers of Awadh, tribals of Maharashtra, central India and Karnataka, and workers of Maharashtra displayed active support in this movement, it was wonderful. The economic effect of this movement was significant. The quantity of imported cloth decreased to one-third during the movement.