Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34)

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT (1930-34)

1929: LAHORE CONGRESS SESSION

• December 1929
• Congress authorized to start CDM.

1930: GANDHI'S ELEVEN POINTS

• Gandhi placed 'Eleven Points' of administrative reforms before Lord Irwin & tried to negotiate with the government once again before launching the CDM.

1930: CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE BEGINS

• Gandhi started his historic 'Dandi March' from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (240 miles, 24 days), accompanied by 78 followers & thus began CDM.

1930: GANDHI BREAKS SALT LAW

• 6th April 1930
• Gandhi reached Dandi, picked up a handful of salt & broke the salt law as a symbol of defiance to British Laws.
• C Rajagopalachari led a slat march from Trichinopoly to Vedaranyam on the Tanjore coast.
• Forms of protest included salt manufacture & resignations on a wide scale, boycott of foreign cloth & liquor, non-payment of land revenue in Ryotwari areas, anti-Chowkidari tax movement in Zamindari areas (Bihar), & Forest Satyagraha, i.e. peaceful violation of forest laws.

1930: CHITTAGONG ARMOURY RAID

• 18th April 1930
• Carried out by the Bengal revolutionaries led by Surya Sen.

• ROLE OF KHAN ABDUL GAFFAR KHAN:
• Khan had been active in NWFP for several years & had set up a band of non-violent revolutionaries, the Khudai Khidmatgars (Servants of God) or the Red Shirts (because of the color of their shirts) who played an active role in the CDM.

• ANTI-CUNNINGHAM CIRCULAR AGITATION:
• In Assam, a powerful agitation by students the infamous 'Cunningham Circular' was launched which prohibited students from participating in political activities associated with the national movement.

• NON-REVENUE NO-RENT CAMPAIGN:
• Was started in UP, Agra & Rae-Bareilly emerged as important centers.
• The participation of women was the most remarkable feature of CDM.

1930-31: FIRST RTC (LONDON)

• Chaired by British PM Ramsay MacDonald of the labor party.
• First conference between the Indians & the British as equals.
• Boycotted by Congress as it had launched the CDM, its proceedings proved to be quite meaningless & the British government grew anxious to secure Congress participation.
• It recommended- 1.) Formation of an All India Federation of British Indian Provinces & the Indian States. 2.) A responsible government at the center with certain 'reservations & safeguards' for the transitional period.
• In all, three RTCs were held in London to discuss the Indian constitutional question.
• INC participated only in the 2nd RTC.
• Ambedkar attended all the three RTCs.

1931: GANDHI RELEASED

• 25th January 1931
• The truce period begins.

1931: GANDHI-IRWIN TALK INITIATED

• 14th February 1931
• By the efforts of Sir TB Sapru & Sir MR Jayakar.

1931: GANDHI-IRWIN PACT (DELHI PACT)

• End of First Phase of CDM
• The fortnight-long talks culminated in the Delhi Pact.
• In context to the pact, Sarojini Naidu termed as 'The Two Mahatmas'.
• The pact was signed by Gandi on behalf of the Congress & by Irwin on behalf of the government on an equal footing.
• As per the Pact, the Congress agreed to withdraw the CDM immediately & participate in the next RTC.

1931: SPECIAL CONGRESS SESSION AT KARACHI

• 29th March 1931
• It was called to ratify the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
• It was presided by Sardar Patel.
• Adopted resolutions on Fundamental Rights (Jawaharlal Nehru with the help of M.N.Roy) & National Economic Programme.

1931: CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT

• April-August 1931
• Lord Irwin replaced by Lord Willingdon as Viceroy
• MacDonald's Labour Cabinet was replaced by a new coalition government dominated by the Conservatives.
• Sir Samuel Hoare:  he became Secretary of State for India.
• The changed government adopted a hardened stand, saw the Delhi pact as a mistake.

1931: SECOND RTC (LONDON)

• September-December 1931
• Congress participated & was represented by Gandhi.
• Gandhi gave a create Blanche to Jinnah, yet the communal problem could not be resolved.

1931: GOVERNMENT REPRESSION

• September 1931
• While India was away to London, Willingdon decided to launch a hard & immediate blow to the revival of the national movement.
• The policy of 'Civil martial law' was launched & involved the passing of sweeping ordinances banning all Congress organizations.
• Gandhi was arrested as soon as he returned from the RTC (4th January 1932).

1931: GANDHI RETURNED FROM LONDON

• 28th December 1931
• Gandhi returned to a changed political situation.

1931: SECOND CDM LAUNCHED

• 4th January 1932
• Gandhi was arrested & the movement was effectively crushed within a few months.
• Afterward, it just lingered on.

1932: COMMUNAL AWARD

• MacDonald announced the proposal on minority representation, known as the Communal Awards.
• It declared depressed classes as the minority & entitled them to separate electorate.
• Congress strongly disagreed with the communal award, yet it decided neither to accept nor reject it.
• 20th Septemeber 1932, Gandhi (in Yerwada jail) sat on a fast unto death to oppose the Communal Award.

1932: POONA PACT

• 24th September 1932
• It was concluded betweenh Gandi & Ambedkar with the efforts of Ambedkar, MC Rajah & Madan Mohan Malviya.

1932: THIRD RTC

• November-December 1932
• It was attended by only 46 delegates & boycotted by the INC as well as the Labour Party in Britain.
• In March 1933, a White Paper was published & contained four major proposals-Federation, Provincial Autonomy, dyarchy at the center & safeguards.
• White Paper later became the basis of the Govt. of India Act, 1935.

1934: CDM WITHDRAWN

• April 1934
• In May 1933, Gandhi temporarily suspended the movement & formally withdrew it in April 1934.