Non-Cooperation & Civil Disobedience
National Movement · असहयोग और सविनय अवज्ञा
📋Quick Overview
The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22) was Gandhi's first mass movement against British rule, calling on Indians to boycott councils, courts, schools, and foreign goods. It ended abruptly after the Chauri Chaura violence. The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34) began with the iconic Dandi March and involved mass violation of salt laws, culminating in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the Poona Pact.
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Gandhi walked 241 miles (388 km) in 24 days from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (March 12 – April 6, 1930) to make salt and defy the salt tax — one of the greatest acts of civil disobedience in history.
📖Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch | September 1920, Calcutta Special Session of INC; formally adopted Nagpur December 1920 |
| Immediate Cause | Jallianwala Bagh massacre (April 13, 1919) + Khilafat issue (Ottoman Caliphate abolition) |
| Tilak's Death | Bal Gangadhar Tilak died July 1, 1920 — Gandhi emerged as undisputed Congress leader |
| Programme | Boycott of legislative councils, courts, government schools/colleges, foreign cloth; surrender of titles; non-payment of taxes |
| Chauri Chaura | Feb 5, 1922 — mob burned police station at Chauri Chaura (UP), 22 policemen killed |
| Withdrawal | Gandhi called off movement on February 12, 1922 — believed in non-violence as prerequisite |
| Gandhi Arrested | March 10, 1922 — sentenced to 6 years, released 1924 (appendix operation) |
- •Khadi and charkha became symbols of self-reliance and boycott of foreign cloth
- •Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru all joined the movement
- •Ali Brothers (Muhammad Ali + Shaukat Ali) joined Gandhi — Hindu-Muslim unity at its peak
📖Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34)
| Event | Date / Detail |
|---|---|
| Lahore Congress | December 1929 — Poorna Swaraj (complete independence) declared by Nehru; Jan 26, 1930 first Independence Day |
| Dandi March | March 12 – April 6, 1930 — Gandhi + 78 volunteers walked from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (Navsari, Gujarat) |
| Salt Satyagraha | April 6, 1930 — Gandhi broke salt law at Dandi beach; nationwide law-breaking followed |
| Gandhi-Irwin Pact | March 5, 1931 — Gandhi agreed to suspend CDM; Viceroy Irwin agreed to release political prisoners, allow salt-making near coast |
| 2nd Round Table Conference | September 1931, London — Gandhi attended as sole INC representative; returned unsuccessful |
| Poona Pact | September 26, 1932 — Gandhi (fast unto death) + B.R. Ambedkar agreed on reserved seats for Depressed Classes within general electorate (Communal Award modified) |
| Withdrawal | Movement formally withdrawn 1934; Gandhi resigned from Congress membership |
- •Salt Satyagraha was compared internationally to the Boston Tea Party — symbol of resistance to unjust taxation
- •C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) led Salt March in Tamil Nadu (Vedaranyam March)
- •Sardar Patel arrested before Gandhi started Dandi March; Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan led Khudai Khidmatgars in NWFP