What is the Importance of Civil Disobedience

Meta Description: The Civil Disobedience Movement was a very crucial movement that played
a significant role in the freedom struggle of India. In this article, we will discuss some of the
important aspects of Gandhi’s Dandi March and its limitations.

The Civil Disobedience Movement began in the year 1930, under the leadership and guidance
of Mahatma Gandhi. The heart of the Civil Disobedience Movement was avoiding the British
Legislation. Gandhi started his famed Dandi March from his ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati
seashore town of Dandi. He came to Dandi on April 6 and broke the law by boiling sea water to
manufacture salt.

Important Features of the Gandhi’s Dandi March

In reaction to the British government's salt tax in India, Mahatma Gandhi conducted a huge civil
disobedience movement known as the Salt Satyagraha or Dandi March. Gandhi led a large
group of people from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a Gujarat coastal village, to break the salt law
by making salt from seawater. There are a few key features of the Gandhi Dandi March are as
follows:

1. Resistance Against British Oppression

The citizens of the country could not collect or sell salt due to restrictions imposed by the
Britishers. This in turn led to Indians purchasing a significant item of their households from the
Britishers. Since they were the only providers of the commodity, they controlled the prices and
charged high rates of tax on salt. Gandhi’s Dandi March was the start of massive anti-British
resistance movement.

2. Non-violent March
The Salt March began on March 12, 1930, and finished on April 6, 1930. A nonviolent 24-day
March was organized by Mahatma Gandhi.

3. Brought Fame to the Indian Independence Struggle

The Salt March's nonviolent aspect, as well as its nonviolent nature, received national and
international recognition. It drew a lot of press attention and helped to bring the Indian
Independence Movement to the attention of the rest of the world.

4. Breaching of Salt Law

The leader of the movement, Gandhi showed his resistance against the salt law by production
of salt at the Dandi seashore. Millions of Indians disobeyed salt restrictions by manufacturing or
purchasing illegal salt, resulting in a nationwide Gandhi movement.

5. Participation in Gandhi’s Dandi March

The Salt March which marked the beginning of the civil disobedience movement started with
less than a hundred people, but led to massive mobilization as the Indian population against the
protest grew in numbers.

Limits of the Civil Disobedience Movement

Limits of the Civil Disobedience Movement are listed in the below mentioned points:

1. Limited Involvement of Dalit Members:

Dalit engagement in Gandhiji's movement was quite restricted, particularly in
Maharashtra. The organization had a substantial presence in these places.

2. Conflicts between Indian Leaders:

At the convention in 1930, there was a confrontation between two national leaders, Dr. B
R Ambedkar and Gandhiji, who demanded a separate electorate for the dalit population.

3. Strong Influence of Hindus Belonging to High Caste:

The Hindu Mahasabhas played a significant part in the salt march. The Dalits were
suppressed as a result of this, as the Congress did not place a high value on them.
Allies were the Mahasabha and the Congress.

4. No Participation by the Muslims:

Some Muslim political organisations in India reacted similarly to the Civil Disobedience
Movement. The fundamental reason for this was the lack of cooperation in the Khilafat
movement.

5. Diverse Aspirations of the Followers:

Each participant in the march had their own set of goals. The desires of the working
class and the top industrialists, as well as the impoverished and wealthy peasants, were
vastly different. As a result, there was no unity in the salt march.

Conclusion
The civil disobedience movement had a wide-ranging impact. It created discontent with the
British government, laid the groundwork for independence, and popularized new propaganda
techniques. After disobedience of several laws in many states, as well as unwillingness to pay
taxes in Eastern India, the government eliminated the onerous salt tax.

FAQs
1. What is “civil disobedience” meaning ?
 The term 'civil disobedience' refers to active and intentional refusal by an individual or
group of individuals against regulatory norms and compliances. Such movement is
usually against the government as a means of showcasing resistance towards a law, or
order. The key feature of a civil disobedience movement is non violence and use of
peaceful ways to protest.

2. What was the effect of Gandhi's Dandi March?

Gandhi’s Dandi March brought citizens of the country to action against the salt law
through the civil disobedience movement. This was the fight against illegal sales of salt
in India. Gandhi prepared a pinch of salt, which he later sold in the market which
indicated his resistance against the salt laws. This event mobilized the crowd and many
people joined the struggle against the Britishers. Following this, the clothes made by the
British were burned. The farmers and peasants in different parts of the country including
Maharashtra and Central Provinces resisted the forest laws by not paying tax. This led to
unification against the fight for Britishers.

3. What was the main spark behind the civil disobedience movement?
Mahatma Gandhi led a huge civil disobedience action against the British government's
salt tariff in India, which he called the Salt Satyagraha. A huge group of people was
influenced by Gandhiji from Sabarmati Ashram on March 12, 1930. Salt water was used
to harvest salt which led to the disobedience of the laws in Dandi.

4. List down the key aspects of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

The key aspects of the Civil Disobedience Movement are as follows:
1. First National Movement that comprised the rural population, who now had the
opportunity to participate in it.
2. Motto behind the movement was non-violence
3. Strong involvement of the women leaders including Kamladevi Chattopadhyay, and
Hansaben Mehta

5. What was the response of the Britishers towards Gandhi's Dandi March?
The Britishers suppressed the civil disobedience movement by arresting, imprisoning
and open firing across various different parts of the country. About 95000 people were
imprisoned, and this was followed by the arrest of one of the prominent leaders of the
country, Jawaharlal Nehru. Furthermore, the government opened fired the population in
Calcutta. There was massive violence in this period.

Reference:
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/the-importance-and-significance-of-civil-
disobedience-history-essay.php#:~:text=Civil%20disobedience%20is%20an
%20important,unjust%20government%20and%20its%20laws.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/civil-disobedience/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disobedience
https://libreriasiglo.com/narrativa/36635-on-the-importance-of-civil-disobedience.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_March
https://mycbseguide.com/questions/599433/
https://www.studyrankers.com/2021/07/the-limits-of-the-civil-disobdience-movement-class10-
history.html