Civil Disobedience Movement

After the failure of 2nd Round Table Conference , upon his return to India, Gandhi saw JL Nehru, Ghaffar Khan in jail and Congress declared as illegal

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He relaunched Civil Disobedience Movement ​

How participants saw the movement?

​* Rich Peasant communities - Patidars (Guj) & Jats (UP)

* Grew commercial crops

* hard hit by trade depression

* enthusiastic participants of Civil Disobedience Movement

* Disappointed when it was called off in 1931

* Now in 1932 - many refused to participate​

​Countryside :

PT & JT

Poor peasants:

• hit harder

• depression continued, income dwindled

• found it difficult to pay rents to landlords

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Apprehensive of raising issues that may upset rich landlords, Congress unwilling to support NO RENT campaign.​

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Relation between poor peasants & Congress remained uncertain​

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​Business Class

• During WW I - Indian merchants & industrialists made huge profits

• Now, wanted to protect imports, rupee-sterling exchange ratio

• Formed Indian Industrial & Commercial Congress (1920) & Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industries (FICCI - 1927)

• Purushottamdas Thakurdas​ & GD Birla supported Civil Disobedience Movt when 1st launched

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• They gave financial assistance

• Refused to buy / sell imported goods

• Swaraj = trade & industry would flourish without constraints

• After failure of Round Table Conference ​- Apprehensive

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Industrial Working Class

1. did not participate in Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers Except in Nagpur region

2. As industrialists came closer to Congress, workers stayed aloof​

3. Selectively adopted Gandhian progs - boycott of foreign goods, movt against low wages & poor working conditions

4. Railway workers strike (1930), Dockworkers Strike (1932)

5. 1930 - Chotanagpur tin miners wore Gandhi caps & participated in protest rallies & boycott campaigns​

​Congress reluctant to support workers, didn't want to alienate industrialists

Women's Participation

• ​Large scale participation

• Dandi March - 1000s of women came to listen to Gandhi

• participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, picketed foreign cloth & liquor shops

• Many went to jail​

• Women from High caste families, rich peasant families all participated​

Congress on Women's Participation

• ​Gandhi's view: duty of women to look after home & hearth

• be good mothers ^ wives

• Congress reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within Congress

• Wanted only their symbolic presence.​

Limits of Civil Disobedience

Untouchables

• ​Began to call themselves DALIT or oppressed.

• For long Congress ignored dalits for fear of offending Sanatanis (high caste Hindus)

• Gandhi declared swaraj would not come for a 100 yrs if untouchability was not eliminated.

• Gandhi called them HARIJANS​ = children of God

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Gandhi organised satyagrahas to secure their entry into temples, public wells, roads & schools

He cleaned toilets to dignify work of Bhangi (sweeper)

Persuaded upper castes to give up the sin of untouchability

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Dalit leaders - demanded reserved seats in educational institutions, separate electorate & political empowerment

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Their participation was limited particularly in Maharashtra & Nagpur where they were strong. ​

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Dr B R Ambedkar

• ​Organised Dalits into Depressed Classes Association in 1930

• Clashed with Gandhi at 2nd Round table Conference - demanding separate electorates for Dalits

• British agreed to Ambedkar's demands, Gandhi began a fast to death​

• Gandhi felt it would slow down integration of our society

• Ambedkar finally agreed to Gandhi's position & entered into POONA PACT Sep 1932.​

• Dalits got reserved seats in Provincial & Central Legislative Councils but they were to be voted in by general electorate. ​

Depressed Classes later known as Scheduled Castes

Congress & Muslim League

• Made efforts to renegotiate alliance

• 1927 , seemed like unity possible

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah, willing to give up demand for separate electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in Central Assembly& Representation in proportion to population in Muslim dominated areas (Bengal & Punjab)

• Though negotiations on representations continued but all hopes disappeared at resolving issues at ALL PARTIES CONFERENCE 1928 when M R Jayakar of Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed efforts at compromise​

Muslim Concerns

• Atmosphere of suspicion & distrust between communities

• Large sections of Muslims did not respond to call for united struggle

• Muslim leaders expressed concerns about status of Muslims as a minority within India

• They feared that the culture & identity of minorities would be submerged under the domination of a Hindu majority​