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The Civil Disobedience Movement & The Dandi March

1. Authorization and Leadership

• The Indian National Congress authorized the launch of the movement at its Lahore Session in 1929.
• The Congress Working Committee met in February 1930 at Sabarmati Ashram and chose Mahatma Gandhi to lead the movement.
• It was launched to protest the British salt tax and laws and marked the official beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

2. The Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha)

• Purpose: To break the Salt Law (violate the government’s salt monopoly) as a central act of civil disobedience. It was a symbolic challenge to British authority, not specifically to make salt free for the poor.
• Start Date: March 12, 1930
• Route:
  • Starting Point: Sabarmati Ashram
  • End Point: The coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat
• Duration & Distance: Lasted 24 days and covered 241 miles (approx. 390 kilometers).
• Climax: On April 6, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi broke the salt law by boiling seawater to make salt at Dandi.
• Nature: An altogether pedestrian march (on foot).
• Initial Participants: Began with approximately 78-80 volunteers.
• Foreign Journalist: American journalist Webb Miller stayed with Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram during the march.

3. Participation and Spread

• The province with the highest number of participants was Gujarat.
• Participants came from all over India, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, and Bengal.
• Women’s participation is considered to have been the maximum compared to other movements.
  • Prominent women participants: Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, and Kamla Devi Chattopadhyay.
• The movement quickly spread across India with similar protests:
  • Vedaranyam March: The second major salt march, led by C. Rajagopalachari on the Tanjore coast (Tamil Nadu) in April 1930. The route was from Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli) to Vedaranyam.
  • Bhagalpur Satyagraha: Led by Mahadev Lal Sarraf.
  • Begusarai: Agitation against the Chaukidari Tax.
  • Manipur: The Jiatrang Movement, led by the Naga tribal woman Gaidinliu.
  • Bihar: Women freedom fighters included Prabhavati Devi (from Patna), Rajvanshi Devi, Suniti Devi, and Radhika Devi.

4. Key Events and Leadership Post-Dandi

• Dharsana Raid: After Gandhi’s arrest, Congress volunteers raided the Dharsana Saltworks.
  • Sarojini Naidu led the attack on the Dharsana Saltworks.
  • The events were reported by American journalist Webb Miller.
• Leadership Succession:
  • Abbas Taiyabji took over leadership after Gandhi’s arrest.
  • Sarojini Naidu led the Dharsana raid after Taiyabji’s arrest.

5. The Khudai Khidmatgars (Red Shirts)

• Founder & Leader: Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).
• Also Known As: ‘Red Shirts’ or ‘Lal Kurti’.
• Objectives:
  • Promote Pathan regional nationalist unity.
  • Struggle against colonialism (to throw out the British).
  • Work for the improvement of low-wage workers.
• Role: Muslims of the NWFP actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement under this banner.
• Publication: Abdul Gaffar Khan started the periodical ‘Dash Roja’.

6. The Peshawar Incident (1930)

• Event: Soldiers of the Garhwal Regiment refused to fire on unarmed demonstrators in Peshawar.
• Leader: This act of defiance was led by Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali.
• Context: The protest was heavily influenced by the activities of the Khudai Khidmatgar (Red Shirts).

7. Aftermath and Arrests

• Gandhi’s Arrest: Arrested on May 5, 1930 (during the Dharsana raid events) and sent to Yerawada Jail.
• Other Arrests: Many prominent leaders were arrested for violating the salt law, including Madan Mohan Malviya, Devdas Gandhi, K.M. Munsi, B.G. Kher, and C. Rajagopalachari.
• Acharya Vinoba Bhave, a close associate of Gandhi, was arrested for the first time in 1930 for participating.
• After the movement’s failure, Gandhi focused on constructive programs and the welfare of Harijans.

8. Significance and Impact

• The immediate goal was the repeal of the salt laws and the curtailment of the government’s power.
• It heavily impacted the poor.
• Subhash Chandra Bose compared its significance to Napoleon’s march from Elba to Paris.

9. Chronological Context

• Simon Commission Arrives: February 3, 1928 (Before)
• Dandi March: March 12 – April 6, 1930
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact: March 5, 1931 (After)
• Quit India Movement: August 9, 1942 (Much Later)

10. Key Personalities Summary

Know More About Civil Disobedience Movement:

• Civil Disobedience Movement -Old Year Questions and Answers
• Civil Disobedience Movement One Liner Questions & Answers