π Topic 02 of 6 Β· Chapter 15 Β· Gandhian Era & Independence
Civil Disobedience Movement & Dandi March (1930)
Lahore Session (Purna Swaraj), Dandi March, Salt Satyagraha, Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931), Poona Pact (1932).
ποΈ Lahore Session (December 1929) β Purna Swaraj
- Congress session presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru
- Declared Purna Swaraj (complete independence) as the goal of Congress
- January 26, 1930 declared as Independence Day (later became Republic Day)
- Tricolour flag unfurled
- This was a shift from earlier demands for Dominion Status
π§ Dandi March (March 12 β April 6, 1930)
- Gandhi marched 241 miles from Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad) to Dandi (Gujarat coast)
- Duration: 24 days (March 12 to April 6, 1930)
- On April 6, Gandhi made salt from seawater β defying the Salt Law
- This sparked the Civil Disobedience Movement across India
- 78 volunteers accompanied Gandhi on the march
- The march was covered by international press β worldwide attention
β Why Salt? Gandhi chose salt as the symbol of civil disobedience because: (1) Salt was a basic necessity for all Indians β rich and poor, Hindu and Muslim, (2) The British monopoly on salt was deeply resented, (3) Making salt was a simple act that anyone could do. The Dandi March was a masterstroke of political symbolism.
π« Civil Disobedience Movement (1930β1934)
- Nationwide movement β boycott of British goods; non-payment of taxes; violation of salt law
- Women participated in large numbers for the first time
- Peasants refused to pay land revenue
- Tribal people in NWFP (Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan β “Frontier Gandhi”) participated
- British arrested ~90,000 people
π€ Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 5, 1931)
- Signed between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin
- Gandhi agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement
- British agreed to:
- Release political prisoners (except those convicted of violence)
- Allow salt manufacture near the sea
- Return confiscated properties
- Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference in London (1931) β inconclusive
π€ Poona Pact (September 1932)
- British announced Communal Award β separate electorates for Dalits
- Gandhi fasted unto death against separate electorates for Dalits
- Agreement between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
- Separate electorates for Dalits replaced by reserved seats in general electorates
- Signed at Yerwada Jail, Pune
π Exam Tip:
β’ Lahore Session = December 1929 = Nehru = Purna Swaraj declared
β’ January 26, 1930 = Independence Day (later Republic Day)
β’ Dandi March = March 12 β April 6, 1930 = 241 miles = Sabarmati to Dandi
β’ Gandhi-Irwin Pact = March 5, 1931 = CDM suspended
β’ Poona Pact = September 1932 = Gandhi vs Ambedkar = reserved seats for Dalits
β’ Lahore Session = December 1929 = Nehru = Purna Swaraj declared
β’ January 26, 1930 = Independence Day (later Republic Day)
β’ Dandi March = March 12 β April 6, 1930 = 241 miles = Sabarmati to Dandi
β’ Gandhi-Irwin Pact = March 5, 1931 = CDM suspended
β’ Poona Pact = September 1932 = Gandhi vs Ambedkar = reserved seats for Dalits