Civil Disobedience & the Salt Satyagraha (1930–34)
The Purna Swaraj resolution, the Dandi Salt March, the Civil Disobedience Movement, the Round Table Conferences, and the Gandhi-Irwin and Poona Pacts.
Key Takeaways
- The Lahore session (1929) adopted Purna Swaraj (complete independence); 26 January was observed as Independence Day.
- The Dandi Salt March (1930) launched the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the salt law.
- The Poona Pact (1932) between Gandhi and Ambedkar replaced separate electorates with reserved seats for the depressed classes.
Core concept
By 1929, faith in dominion status had collapsed. The Lahore Congress (1929), presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, declared Purna Swaraj (complete independence) as the goal and called for 26 January 1930 to be observed as Independence Day. Gandhi then launched the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) — actively breaking colonial laws, beginning with the salt law.
Static foundation — why salt?
Salt was a government monopoly taxed at every level — used by rich and poor alike. Breaking the salt law was a brilliant symbol: simple, universal, and morally unassailable.
The Dandi March & Civil Disobedience
The march begins (12 March 1930)
Gandhi sets out from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers, walking ~240 miles to the coastal village of Dandi.
Breaking the salt law (6 April 1930)
Gandhi picks up a lump of natural salt, symbolically breaking the law and igniting nationwide defiance.
Movement spreads
No-tax campaigns, boycott of foreign cloth and liquor, defiance of forest laws; women participate in large numbers.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)
The government releases prisoners; Gandhi suspends the CDM and agrees to attend the Second Round Table Conference.
Resumption & withdrawal
After the RTC failed, the CDM resumed but was gradually withdrawn by 1934.
Key Political Milestones
- 1928
Simon Commission & Nehru Report
'Simon Go Back' protests; the Nehru Report demands dominion status.
- 1929
Lahore session
Purna Swaraj adopted; the tricolour unfurled on the Ravi's banks.
- 1930
First Round Table Conference
Held in London; Congress boycotts it.
- 1931
Second Round Table Conference
Gandhi attends as the sole Congress representative; returns empty-handed.
- 1932
Communal Award & Poona Pact
Gandhi's fast-unto-death leads to the Poona Pact with Ambedkar.
The Poona Pact (1932)
The Communal Award (Ramsay MacDonald) granted separate electorates to the depressed classes. Gandhi went on a fast unto death against it, fearing it would divide Hindu society. The resulting Poona Pact between Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar replaced separate electorates with a larger number of reserved seats within the general electorate.
Relevance & legacy
The Dandi March is a global icon of non-violent resistance, inspiring movements from the US Civil Rights struggle to anti-apartheid activism. The Poona Pact shaped the reservation framework later enshrined in the Constitution.
Prelims trap zones
- Purna Swaraj = Lahore session 1929 (Nehru); the first Independence Day was 26 January 1930.
- The Dandi March started 12 March and reached Dandi on 6 April 1930 (~24 days).
- Communal Award = MacDonald; Poona Pact = Gandhi–Ambedkar (reserved seats, not separate electorates).
Prelims Pointers
- The Dandi March (12 March–6 April 1930) covered about 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi.
- The Simon Commission (1928) was all-British — met with 'Simon Go Back'; Lala Lajpat Rai was fatally injured.
- The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) suspended the CDM; Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference.
- The Communal Award (1932) granted separate electorates to the depressed classes — opposed by Gandhi.
Mains Angle
- 'Salt was a masterstroke — it turned an everyday necessity into a symbol of freedom.' Discuss.
- Examine the significance of the Poona Pact in the history of social justice.
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