Civil Disobedience Movement [1930] | Notes for UPSC State PSC

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Civil Disobedience Movement

The Civil Disobedience Movement was a significant phase in India’s struggle for independence against British rule.
It was characterized by nonviolent resistance and mass mobilization against unjust British laws and policies.
The participants of the Civil Disobedience Movement intentionally violated various British colonial laws and regulations. This included-
- refusal to pay taxes,
- boycott of British goods, and
- noncooperation with British authorities.
It was inspired by the principles of nonviolence advocated by Mahatma Gandhi.
People from all walks of life, including men and women from urban and rural areas, participated in large numbers.
The Civil Disobedience Movement saw significant participation from women, who played active roles in protests, and marches.

March 12, 1930: Gandhi’s Salt March:
- The Civil Disobedience Movement gained momentum with Gandhi’s Salt March, also known as the Dandi March. Gandhi, along with 78 followers.
- It was a 387 km journey from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi to break the British Salt Act, of 1882.
- On reaching Dandi, Gandhiji along with his volunteers broke the government’s salt law and prepared salt from sea water.
April 6, 1930: Salt Satyagraha Begins:
- After the Salt March, thousands of Indians across the country began manufacturing and selling salt illegally, defying British salt laws.
- This mass defiance, known as the Salt Satyagraha, symbolized the power of nonviolent resistance.
- The act of making salt despite the government ban was only symbolic.
- Its purpose was to convey to the British government that Indians were no longer willing to abide by British-made laws.

Mahatma Gandhi:
- The most prominent figure of the Civil Disobedience Movement, Mahatma Gandhi, advocated for nonviolent civil disobedience as a potent tool against British oppression.
- His philosophy of Satyagraha inspired millions to peacefully resist unjust laws.
Jawaharlal Nehru:
- Jawaharlal Nehru played a crucial role in organizing the Civil Disobedience Movement.
- His fiery speeches and commitment to India’s independence energized the masses, particularly the youth.
Sarojini Naidu:
- Known as the “Nightingale of India,” Sarojini Naidu was a prominent leader in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
- Her speeches mobilized women across the country to participate actively in the struggle for freedom.

Under British colonial rule, the British government established a monopoly over the production and sale of salt in India.
The British Salt Act of 1882 granted the British government exclusive rights to manufacture and sell salt, prohibiting Indians from producing or selling salt independently.
Indians were forced to purchase salt from the British government at inflated prices, despite the abundance of natural salt deposits in India.

C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji):
- One of the foremost leaders of the Civil Disobedience Movement in South India, C. Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji.
- He led a march with around 150 volunteers, most of whom were members of the Indian National Congress.
- It started in Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirappalli) on April 13, 1930, and went for about 240 kms until it reached Vedaranyam, a small town by the coast in the Tanjore District.
- They broke the law by collecting salt directly from the sea.
- Rajagopalachari raised awareness among people about the importance of Khadi and social issues like caste discrimination.
- The participants were arrested by the British police.
- Rajagopalachari was put in jail for six months.
S. Satyamurti:
- A prominent lawyer and freedom fighter from Tamil Nadu.
K. Kamaraj:
- K. Kamaraj emerged as a prominent leader in the Civil Disobedience Movement, among the youth and working-class communities.
- He went to jail for two years in June 1930 for participating in the salt satyagraha.