Origin and Growth of National Movement in Maharashtra - II | Maharashtra State PSC (MPSC): Preparation - MPSC (Maharastra) PDF Download

 Page 1


 
 
61
6 
 
 
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF NATIONAL 
MOVEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA- II 
 
b)  Gandhi Era 
 
Unit Structure : 
 
6.0 Objectives 
6.1 Introduction 
6.2 The Non-Cooperation Movement 
6.3 The Civil Disobedience Movement  
6.4 The Quit India Movement  
6.5 Conclusion 
6.6 Questions 
 
6.0  OBJECTIVS 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 The third phase of Indian freedom struggle is known as 
Gandhi era. Gandhiji was the leader of Indian National Movement 
from 1920 to 1947. He made the revolutionary changes in the 
freedom movement and it has reached to all sections of society. In 
true sense it has gain the national character. He started number of 
movements and it was participated by majority of people throughout 
the country. The people of Maharashtra participated in Gandhiji’s 
movement in large number. During this era, Maharashtra was the 
important centre of Indian national Movement. 
 
Early Life of Mahatma Gandhi: 
 
 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was rightly called the 
father of the Indian nation, was born on 2 October, 1869 in a small 
ORIGIN	AND	GROWTH	OF	NATIONAL	
MOVEMENT	IN	MAHARASHTRA-	II	
Page 2


 
 
61
6 
 
 
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF NATIONAL 
MOVEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA- II 
 
b)  Gandhi Era 
 
Unit Structure : 
 
6.0 Objectives 
6.1 Introduction 
6.2 The Non-Cooperation Movement 
6.3 The Civil Disobedience Movement  
6.4 The Quit India Movement  
6.5 Conclusion 
6.6 Questions 
 
6.0  OBJECTIVS 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 The third phase of Indian freedom struggle is known as 
Gandhi era. Gandhiji was the leader of Indian National Movement 
from 1920 to 1947. He made the revolutionary changes in the 
freedom movement and it has reached to all sections of society. In 
true sense it has gain the national character. He started number of 
movements and it was participated by majority of people throughout 
the country. The people of Maharashtra participated in Gandhiji’s 
movement in large number. During this era, Maharashtra was the 
important centre of Indian national Movement. 
 
Early Life of Mahatma Gandhi: 
 
 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was rightly called the 
father of the Indian nation, was born on 2 October, 1869 in a small 
ORIGIN	AND	GROWTH	OF	NATIONAL	
MOVEMENT	IN	MAHARASHTRA-	II	
 
 
town known as Porbandar of today’s Gujarat. After his initial 
education, he went to England and completed the degree of 
Barrister at Law. After coming back to India, he started his legal 
practice in the Mumbai High court but very soon he got a chance to 
go to South Africa, where he made a very remarkable mark not as 
a Legal practitioner but as a political leader.  
 
 Gandhiji fought against the unjust regulations and racialism 
in South Africa because all Indians in South Africa were put under 
severe social restrictions and racial discrimination. Even Gandhi 
himself had its taste while he was traveling to Pretoria. He was 
forced to vacate a first class railway compartment and was beaten 
up even if he had been with a bonafied ticket for the same. These 
events led Gandhiji to convert himself from a shy lawyer into a bold 
chapion of rights of his people. In order to fight for the plight of 
Indians in South Africa, Gandhi developed the philosophy of 
Satyagraha over there Satyagraha means insistence of truth by 
way of non-violence. He defined it as soul-force and born out of 
truth and non-violence. He said that Satyagraha was not a meek 
submission to the will of the evildoer, it was the pitting of one’s 
whole soul against the will of the tyrant, which enabled a single 
individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his 
honour and laid foundation for the empire’s fall. Gandhiji taught and 
led the people to resist unjust laws and organised workers strike in 
South Africa which forced the South African Government to agree 
with Gandhiji and made him to succeed in completing his mission in 
South Africa.  
 
 After returning from South Africa, in 1915, Gandhiji stayed at 
the servants of India society, Pune for some days and discussed 
about political problems in India with his political guru, Gopal 
Krishna Gokhale. Finally, he settled down at Ahmedabad and 
founded his popular Ashram on the bank of river Sabarmati. In 
order to understand the problems of Indian people, he traveled 
extensively throughout India and concentrated on specific 
grievances of people as indenture system under which Indian 
labourers were taken abroad to work in miserable conditions. 
Gandhiji led the Government to abolish the system completely. 
After this Gandhiji worked for the rights of indigo cultivators in 
Champaran (Bihar), farmers in the district of Kheda (Gujarat) and 
the mill workers of Ahmedabad. These campaigns made him a 
popular leader and helped gather many devoted followers around 
him. His popularity, idealism and his methods enabled him to 
concentrate on the nationwide problems. 
 
 
 
 
Page 3


 
 
61
6 
 
 
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF NATIONAL 
MOVEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA- II 
 
b)  Gandhi Era 
 
Unit Structure : 
 
6.0 Objectives 
6.1 Introduction 
6.2 The Non-Cooperation Movement 
6.3 The Civil Disobedience Movement  
6.4 The Quit India Movement  
6.5 Conclusion 
6.6 Questions 
 
6.0  OBJECTIVS 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 The third phase of Indian freedom struggle is known as 
Gandhi era. Gandhiji was the leader of Indian National Movement 
from 1920 to 1947. He made the revolutionary changes in the 
freedom movement and it has reached to all sections of society. In 
true sense it has gain the national character. He started number of 
movements and it was participated by majority of people throughout 
the country. The people of Maharashtra participated in Gandhiji’s 
movement in large number. During this era, Maharashtra was the 
important centre of Indian national Movement. 
 
Early Life of Mahatma Gandhi: 
 
 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was rightly called the 
father of the Indian nation, was born on 2 October, 1869 in a small 
ORIGIN	AND	GROWTH	OF	NATIONAL	
MOVEMENT	IN	MAHARASHTRA-	II	
 
 
town known as Porbandar of today’s Gujarat. After his initial 
education, he went to England and completed the degree of 
Barrister at Law. After coming back to India, he started his legal 
practice in the Mumbai High court but very soon he got a chance to 
go to South Africa, where he made a very remarkable mark not as 
a Legal practitioner but as a political leader.  
 
 Gandhiji fought against the unjust regulations and racialism 
in South Africa because all Indians in South Africa were put under 
severe social restrictions and racial discrimination. Even Gandhi 
himself had its taste while he was traveling to Pretoria. He was 
forced to vacate a first class railway compartment and was beaten 
up even if he had been with a bonafied ticket for the same. These 
events led Gandhiji to convert himself from a shy lawyer into a bold 
chapion of rights of his people. In order to fight for the plight of 
Indians in South Africa, Gandhi developed the philosophy of 
Satyagraha over there Satyagraha means insistence of truth by 
way of non-violence. He defined it as soul-force and born out of 
truth and non-violence. He said that Satyagraha was not a meek 
submission to the will of the evildoer, it was the pitting of one’s 
whole soul against the will of the tyrant, which enabled a single 
individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his 
honour and laid foundation for the empire’s fall. Gandhiji taught and 
led the people to resist unjust laws and organised workers strike in 
South Africa which forced the South African Government to agree 
with Gandhiji and made him to succeed in completing his mission in 
South Africa.  
 
 After returning from South Africa, in 1915, Gandhiji stayed at 
the servants of India society, Pune for some days and discussed 
about political problems in India with his political guru, Gopal 
Krishna Gokhale. Finally, he settled down at Ahmedabad and 
founded his popular Ashram on the bank of river Sabarmati. In 
order to understand the problems of Indian people, he traveled 
extensively throughout India and concentrated on specific 
grievances of people as indenture system under which Indian 
labourers were taken abroad to work in miserable conditions. 
Gandhiji led the Government to abolish the system completely. 
After this Gandhiji worked for the rights of indigo cultivators in 
Champaran (Bihar), farmers in the district of Kheda (Gujarat) and 
the mill workers of Ahmedabad. These campaigns made him a 
popular leader and helped gather many devoted followers around 
him. His popularity, idealism and his methods enabled him to 
concentrate on the nationwide problems. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT (1920-1922) 
 
 There were several circumstances responsible for Gandhiji’s 
non-cooperation movement as the disappointing and unsatisfactory 
montague- Chemsford Reroms, passage of Rawlatt Act of March, 
1919 and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April, 1919 were 
prominent events among them. The Hindu-Muslim cooperation 
during and after the Khilafat movement, the Hunter committee 
inquiry report and the void created by the death of Lokmanya Tilak  
stimulated him to adopt the non-cooperation proposal in a special 
session of the Congress convened in Calcutta in the month of 
September, 1920. The non-cooperation programme of Gandhiji was 
consisted of 1) Surrender of British titles and honours. 2) Boycott of 
British legislatures, courts and educational institutions 3) Boycott of 
foreign made goods. 4) Promotion of Swadeshi goods especially 
Khadi 5) removal of untouchability 6) promotion of Hindu – muslim 
unity 7) abstention from alcoholic beverages 8) attainment of self 
rule or Swaraj by peaceful and legitimate means 9) refusal to serve 
in Mesopotamia by soldiers, clerks and workers. 10) non-payment 
of taxes 11) establishment of national educational institutions 12) 
establishment of panchayat courts 13) popularizations of charkha 
 
 The programme of the non-cooperation movement was 
relified at the Nagpur session of Congress except Jinnah all 
supported Gandhiji for the same. The same session threw open the 
Congress membership for all people above eighteen years to age 
which transformed the Congress from a debating society into a 
non-violent revolutionary movement.  
 
Non-cooperation Movement in Action : 
 
 After the declaration of the programme of the movement 
people from all walks of life, communities and classes participated 
in it whole heartedly. Schools, colleges and all Government 
institutions were closed and national educational institutions were 
opened to cater educational needs like the Jamia Millia Islamia and 
Kalshi Vidyapeeth. Boycott of foreign made goods, their bonfies 
and hartals were observed every where enthusiasfically. The whole 
atmosphere was charged spontaneously with nationalism and 
patriotism. A total hartal was observed on the days when the 
members of the English royal family, the Duke of Connaught and 
the Prince of Wales visited Indian cities.  
 
 The British Government began to repress the movement and 
declared the Congress and Khilaphat and their organizations 
unlawful, which led the Ahmedabad session of Congress in 
December, 1921 to authorize Gandhiji to intensify the movement. 
Gandhiji selected Bardoli a Tahsil in Gujarat to start mass civil 
Page 4


 
 
61
6 
 
 
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF NATIONAL 
MOVEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA- II 
 
b)  Gandhi Era 
 
Unit Structure : 
 
6.0 Objectives 
6.1 Introduction 
6.2 The Non-Cooperation Movement 
6.3 The Civil Disobedience Movement  
6.4 The Quit India Movement  
6.5 Conclusion 
6.6 Questions 
 
6.0  OBJECTIVS 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 The third phase of Indian freedom struggle is known as 
Gandhi era. Gandhiji was the leader of Indian National Movement 
from 1920 to 1947. He made the revolutionary changes in the 
freedom movement and it has reached to all sections of society. In 
true sense it has gain the national character. He started number of 
movements and it was participated by majority of people throughout 
the country. The people of Maharashtra participated in Gandhiji’s 
movement in large number. During this era, Maharashtra was the 
important centre of Indian national Movement. 
 
Early Life of Mahatma Gandhi: 
 
 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was rightly called the 
father of the Indian nation, was born on 2 October, 1869 in a small 
ORIGIN	AND	GROWTH	OF	NATIONAL	
MOVEMENT	IN	MAHARASHTRA-	II	
 
 
town known as Porbandar of today’s Gujarat. After his initial 
education, he went to England and completed the degree of 
Barrister at Law. After coming back to India, he started his legal 
practice in the Mumbai High court but very soon he got a chance to 
go to South Africa, where he made a very remarkable mark not as 
a Legal practitioner but as a political leader.  
 
 Gandhiji fought against the unjust regulations and racialism 
in South Africa because all Indians in South Africa were put under 
severe social restrictions and racial discrimination. Even Gandhi 
himself had its taste while he was traveling to Pretoria. He was 
forced to vacate a first class railway compartment and was beaten 
up even if he had been with a bonafied ticket for the same. These 
events led Gandhiji to convert himself from a shy lawyer into a bold 
chapion of rights of his people. In order to fight for the plight of 
Indians in South Africa, Gandhi developed the philosophy of 
Satyagraha over there Satyagraha means insistence of truth by 
way of non-violence. He defined it as soul-force and born out of 
truth and non-violence. He said that Satyagraha was not a meek 
submission to the will of the evildoer, it was the pitting of one’s 
whole soul against the will of the tyrant, which enabled a single 
individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his 
honour and laid foundation for the empire’s fall. Gandhiji taught and 
led the people to resist unjust laws and organised workers strike in 
South Africa which forced the South African Government to agree 
with Gandhiji and made him to succeed in completing his mission in 
South Africa.  
 
 After returning from South Africa, in 1915, Gandhiji stayed at 
the servants of India society, Pune for some days and discussed 
about political problems in India with his political guru, Gopal 
Krishna Gokhale. Finally, he settled down at Ahmedabad and 
founded his popular Ashram on the bank of river Sabarmati. In 
order to understand the problems of Indian people, he traveled 
extensively throughout India and concentrated on specific 
grievances of people as indenture system under which Indian 
labourers were taken abroad to work in miserable conditions. 
Gandhiji led the Government to abolish the system completely. 
After this Gandhiji worked for the rights of indigo cultivators in 
Champaran (Bihar), farmers in the district of Kheda (Gujarat) and 
the mill workers of Ahmedabad. These campaigns made him a 
popular leader and helped gather many devoted followers around 
him. His popularity, idealism and his methods enabled him to 
concentrate on the nationwide problems. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT (1920-1922) 
 
 There were several circumstances responsible for Gandhiji’s 
non-cooperation movement as the disappointing and unsatisfactory 
montague- Chemsford Reroms, passage of Rawlatt Act of March, 
1919 and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April, 1919 were 
prominent events among them. The Hindu-Muslim cooperation 
during and after the Khilafat movement, the Hunter committee 
inquiry report and the void created by the death of Lokmanya Tilak  
stimulated him to adopt the non-cooperation proposal in a special 
session of the Congress convened in Calcutta in the month of 
September, 1920. The non-cooperation programme of Gandhiji was 
consisted of 1) Surrender of British titles and honours. 2) Boycott of 
British legislatures, courts and educational institutions 3) Boycott of 
foreign made goods. 4) Promotion of Swadeshi goods especially 
Khadi 5) removal of untouchability 6) promotion of Hindu – muslim 
unity 7) abstention from alcoholic beverages 8) attainment of self 
rule or Swaraj by peaceful and legitimate means 9) refusal to serve 
in Mesopotamia by soldiers, clerks and workers. 10) non-payment 
of taxes 11) establishment of national educational institutions 12) 
establishment of panchayat courts 13) popularizations of charkha 
 
 The programme of the non-cooperation movement was 
relified at the Nagpur session of Congress except Jinnah all 
supported Gandhiji for the same. The same session threw open the 
Congress membership for all people above eighteen years to age 
which transformed the Congress from a debating society into a 
non-violent revolutionary movement.  
 
Non-cooperation Movement in Action : 
 
 After the declaration of the programme of the movement 
people from all walks of life, communities and classes participated 
in it whole heartedly. Schools, colleges and all Government 
institutions were closed and national educational institutions were 
opened to cater educational needs like the Jamia Millia Islamia and 
Kalshi Vidyapeeth. Boycott of foreign made goods, their bonfies 
and hartals were observed every where enthusiasfically. The whole 
atmosphere was charged spontaneously with nationalism and 
patriotism. A total hartal was observed on the days when the 
members of the English royal family, the Duke of Connaught and 
the Prince of Wales visited Indian cities.  
 
 The British Government began to repress the movement and 
declared the Congress and Khilaphat and their organizations 
unlawful, which led the Ahmedabad session of Congress in 
December, 1921 to authorize Gandhiji to intensify the movement. 
Gandhiji selected Bardoli a Tahsil in Gujarat to start mass civil 
 
 
disobedience movement. But before the movement was launched 
at Bardoli, a case of mob violence took place on 5
th
 February, 1922 
to out wit the Government repression. It was sohappened that on 
5
th
 February, 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the district of Gorakhpur of 
present U. P. a group of infuriated people being fired upon by the 
police turn violent and set on fire to the police station in which 
twenty two policemen were burnt alive, which dismayed Gandhiji. 
He suspended the movement immediately to avoid further violene. 
The call of decision of the movement disappointed almost all 
Congress leaders and people in general all over the country. The 
Government took full advantage of this situation, arrested Gandhiji 
and sentenced him for six years imprisonment but he was released 
after tow years of jail on the ground of his ill health. Although, the 
non-cooperation movement was suspended the nationalism 
continued to burn brighter. The prisons lost their terror and became 
the places of pilgrimage for the purpose of liberations of our 
country.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT (1930)  
 
This was one more important movement, which Gandhiji 
started and challenged the British Government to sanction the 
demands of Indian people. The Indian National Congress accepted 
the Nehru Report in its Calcutta session held on 31
st
 December, 
1928 and informed Government to accept it on or before 31
st
 
December, 1929, otherwise the Congress prepared to organize a 
nationwide movement. Although, the declaration of Viceroy Irwin 
disappointed, Gandhiji met him on 23
rd
 December, 1929 and tried 
to understand the plan of action of the British Government. But the 
Viceroy did not commit anything more them his declaration. This 
led Gandhiji to start the Civil Disobedience movement. The 
Congress session held at Lahor in December, 1929, authorized the 
Congress working Committee to launch the movement. The 
Congress working Committee in turn assigned full rights to Gandhiji 
to start the movement in February, 1930. Gandhiji announced the 
Page 5


 
 
61
6 
 
 
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF NATIONAL 
MOVEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA- II 
 
b)  Gandhi Era 
 
Unit Structure : 
 
6.0 Objectives 
6.1 Introduction 
6.2 The Non-Cooperation Movement 
6.3 The Civil Disobedience Movement  
6.4 The Quit India Movement  
6.5 Conclusion 
6.6 Questions 
 
6.0  OBJECTIVS 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 The third phase of Indian freedom struggle is known as 
Gandhi era. Gandhiji was the leader of Indian National Movement 
from 1920 to 1947. He made the revolutionary changes in the 
freedom movement and it has reached to all sections of society. In 
true sense it has gain the national character. He started number of 
movements and it was participated by majority of people throughout 
the country. The people of Maharashtra participated in Gandhiji’s 
movement in large number. During this era, Maharashtra was the 
important centre of Indian national Movement. 
 
Early Life of Mahatma Gandhi: 
 
 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was rightly called the 
father of the Indian nation, was born on 2 October, 1869 in a small 
ORIGIN	AND	GROWTH	OF	NATIONAL	
MOVEMENT	IN	MAHARASHTRA-	II	
 
 
town known as Porbandar of today’s Gujarat. After his initial 
education, he went to England and completed the degree of 
Barrister at Law. After coming back to India, he started his legal 
practice in the Mumbai High court but very soon he got a chance to 
go to South Africa, where he made a very remarkable mark not as 
a Legal practitioner but as a political leader.  
 
 Gandhiji fought against the unjust regulations and racialism 
in South Africa because all Indians in South Africa were put under 
severe social restrictions and racial discrimination. Even Gandhi 
himself had its taste while he was traveling to Pretoria. He was 
forced to vacate a first class railway compartment and was beaten 
up even if he had been with a bonafied ticket for the same. These 
events led Gandhiji to convert himself from a shy lawyer into a bold 
chapion of rights of his people. In order to fight for the plight of 
Indians in South Africa, Gandhi developed the philosophy of 
Satyagraha over there Satyagraha means insistence of truth by 
way of non-violence. He defined it as soul-force and born out of 
truth and non-violence. He said that Satyagraha was not a meek 
submission to the will of the evildoer, it was the pitting of one’s 
whole soul against the will of the tyrant, which enabled a single 
individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his 
honour and laid foundation for the empire’s fall. Gandhiji taught and 
led the people to resist unjust laws and organised workers strike in 
South Africa which forced the South African Government to agree 
with Gandhiji and made him to succeed in completing his mission in 
South Africa.  
 
 After returning from South Africa, in 1915, Gandhiji stayed at 
the servants of India society, Pune for some days and discussed 
about political problems in India with his political guru, Gopal 
Krishna Gokhale. Finally, he settled down at Ahmedabad and 
founded his popular Ashram on the bank of river Sabarmati. In 
order to understand the problems of Indian people, he traveled 
extensively throughout India and concentrated on specific 
grievances of people as indenture system under which Indian 
labourers were taken abroad to work in miserable conditions. 
Gandhiji led the Government to abolish the system completely. 
After this Gandhiji worked for the rights of indigo cultivators in 
Champaran (Bihar), farmers in the district of Kheda (Gujarat) and 
the mill workers of Ahmedabad. These campaigns made him a 
popular leader and helped gather many devoted followers around 
him. His popularity, idealism and his methods enabled him to 
concentrate on the nationwide problems. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT (1920-1922) 
 
 There were several circumstances responsible for Gandhiji’s 
non-cooperation movement as the disappointing and unsatisfactory 
montague- Chemsford Reroms, passage of Rawlatt Act of March, 
1919 and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April, 1919 were 
prominent events among them. The Hindu-Muslim cooperation 
during and after the Khilafat movement, the Hunter committee 
inquiry report and the void created by the death of Lokmanya Tilak  
stimulated him to adopt the non-cooperation proposal in a special 
session of the Congress convened in Calcutta in the month of 
September, 1920. The non-cooperation programme of Gandhiji was 
consisted of 1) Surrender of British titles and honours. 2) Boycott of 
British legislatures, courts and educational institutions 3) Boycott of 
foreign made goods. 4) Promotion of Swadeshi goods especially 
Khadi 5) removal of untouchability 6) promotion of Hindu – muslim 
unity 7) abstention from alcoholic beverages 8) attainment of self 
rule or Swaraj by peaceful and legitimate means 9) refusal to serve 
in Mesopotamia by soldiers, clerks and workers. 10) non-payment 
of taxes 11) establishment of national educational institutions 12) 
establishment of panchayat courts 13) popularizations of charkha 
 
 The programme of the non-cooperation movement was 
relified at the Nagpur session of Congress except Jinnah all 
supported Gandhiji for the same. The same session threw open the 
Congress membership for all people above eighteen years to age 
which transformed the Congress from a debating society into a 
non-violent revolutionary movement.  
 
Non-cooperation Movement in Action : 
 
 After the declaration of the programme of the movement 
people from all walks of life, communities and classes participated 
in it whole heartedly. Schools, colleges and all Government 
institutions were closed and national educational institutions were 
opened to cater educational needs like the Jamia Millia Islamia and 
Kalshi Vidyapeeth. Boycott of foreign made goods, their bonfies 
and hartals were observed every where enthusiasfically. The whole 
atmosphere was charged spontaneously with nationalism and 
patriotism. A total hartal was observed on the days when the 
members of the English royal family, the Duke of Connaught and 
the Prince of Wales visited Indian cities.  
 
 The British Government began to repress the movement and 
declared the Congress and Khilaphat and their organizations 
unlawful, which led the Ahmedabad session of Congress in 
December, 1921 to authorize Gandhiji to intensify the movement. 
Gandhiji selected Bardoli a Tahsil in Gujarat to start mass civil 
 
 
disobedience movement. But before the movement was launched 
at Bardoli, a case of mob violence took place on 5
th
 February, 1922 
to out wit the Government repression. It was sohappened that on 
5
th
 February, 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the district of Gorakhpur of 
present U. P. a group of infuriated people being fired upon by the 
police turn violent and set on fire to the police station in which 
twenty two policemen were burnt alive, which dismayed Gandhiji. 
He suspended the movement immediately to avoid further violene. 
The call of decision of the movement disappointed almost all 
Congress leaders and people in general all over the country. The 
Government took full advantage of this situation, arrested Gandhiji 
and sentenced him for six years imprisonment but he was released 
after tow years of jail on the ground of his ill health. Although, the 
non-cooperation movement was suspended the nationalism 
continued to burn brighter. The prisons lost their terror and became 
the places of pilgrimage for the purpose of liberations of our 
country.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT (1930)  
 
This was one more important movement, which Gandhiji 
started and challenged the British Government to sanction the 
demands of Indian people. The Indian National Congress accepted 
the Nehru Report in its Calcutta session held on 31
st
 December, 
1928 and informed Government to accept it on or before 31
st
 
December, 1929, otherwise the Congress prepared to organize a 
nationwide movement. Although, the declaration of Viceroy Irwin 
disappointed, Gandhiji met him on 23
rd
 December, 1929 and tried 
to understand the plan of action of the British Government. But the 
Viceroy did not commit anything more them his declaration. This 
led Gandhiji to start the Civil Disobedience movement. The 
Congress session held at Lahor in December, 1929, authorized the 
Congress working Committee to launch the movement. The 
Congress working Committee in turn assigned full rights to Gandhiji 
to start the movement in February, 1930. Gandhiji announced the 
 
 
movement and informed the Viceroy regarding the same on 2
nd
 
March, 1930. Pandit Nehru, President of the Congress, hoisted the 
Tricolour flag at Lahore after the grace period given to the British 
Government to accept the Nehru Report came to an end. The 
Congress also called the people to celebrate 26 January as Full 
Independence Day and asked them to take an aoth to oppose the 
British Government to gain freedom by way of non-violence. 
 
The Dandi March : 
 Gandhiji planned to start his march from his Sabarmati 
Ashram, Ahmedabad to Dandi a sea shore village, 240 miles away 
from the Ashram. Gandhiji trained every one about the non-
violence and the programme of the March, which came to be 
known ad Dandi March. The programme of Dandhi March included 
1) breaking of salt laws after reaching Dandi 2) Picketina shops 
selling foreign cloth and liquor 3) refusing payment of taxes 4) boy 
cotting courts and 5) resigning from Government posts. Gandhiji left 
his Ashram with trained seventy eight volunteers. He walked from 
village to village, held meetings with the villagers, halted at several 
villages and covered the distance of 240 miles within twenty four 
days. Gandhiji reached Dandi on 5
th
 April, 1930, spent the whole 
night in prayer and guiding people over there. He inaugurated the 
disobedience movement on 6
th
 April, 1930 by picking up a handful 
of salt lying on the beach of Dandi. 
 
Spread of the Movement :  
 Gandhiji’s act was a symbolic action and signal the country 
had been waiting for. Once he cleared the way by his symbolic 
defiance of the salt Laws at Dandi the people throughout the 
country followed him and the disobedience movement spread every 
where. Although today’s Maharashtra and Gujarat were together 
under the Bombay state then Mumbai played very important role in 
the freedom struggle of India. In order to carry out the programme 
of the movement, people in Mumbai established four major 
committees as 1) The Maharashtra Civil Disobedience Committee 
2) The War Council 3) Supervisory Committee for salt 
manufacturing centres and sub-centre 4) The Desh Sevika Sangh.  
 
 Mahatma Gandhiji appointed Jemnalal Bajaj to carry on the 
disobedience movement at Vile Parle a suburb of Bombay. There 
were K. F. Nariman, Gokulbhai Bhatt, Kishorlal Mashruwala, 
Shankarao Dev, G. V. Ketkar, and Vasudev Sahasrabudhe to 
assist him in the movement. People from western Maharashtra, 
Ahmednagar, Thane Satara and Pune flocked together at Vile 
Parle. On 6
th
 April, 1930, the croud brought sea water in groups 
and manufactured salt in cement pans symbolically to announce 
the breakage of salt laws. The scene was very spectacular in which 
men, women, children, young and old had participated with the zeal 
of patriotism. As the result of this disobedience movement Jamnalal