Civil Disobedience Movement

First Round Table Conference (November 1930-january 1931)

The Congress and most business leaders‘ boycotted the First RTC and
continued with CDM
Muslim League, the Hindu Mahasabha, the Liberals and princes
attended

सविनय अिज्ञा आं दोलन...

No taking part in 1st RTC
Civil Disobedience Movement
January 25, 1931
Gandhi and all other members of the CWC were released

Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Meeting between the Viceroy and Gandhi @ Delhi (5 March 1931)
Stop CDM and
सविनय अिज्ञा आं दोलन... Participate in RTC
Okay i’ll stop CDM only if ...pls...
you accept my demands
Okay i’ll accept but
u gotto accept mine
too...

Pehle meri demands dekh

to lo....haahaha
Civil Disobedience Movement
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (Delhi Pact)
Q. Government agreed on ?
Immediate release of all political prisoners not convicted of violence
Remission of all fines not yet collected
Return of all lands not yet sold to third parties
Lenient treatment to those government servants who had resigned
Right to peaceful and non-aggressive picketing Stop CDM...I’ll have to go
to London

The congress agreed to:

Suspend the civil disobedience movement
Participate in the next RTC
Civil Disobedience Movement Yaad karo movements ki
Q. Was Gandhi-Irwin Pact a Retreat? gravy......

No, because:

1. mass movements are necessarily short-lived

2. capacity of the masses to make sacrificeslimited
signs of exhaustion

3. placed the Congress on an equal footing with the Government

Difference
NCM CDM
objective remedying two specific
complete independence
wrongs  Khilafat,
Punjab and a vaguely-
worded swaraj

methods non-cooperation violation of law from

the very beginning

Muslim High Low

participation
In between
Karachi congress session 1931 (26-31 March)
Q. Resolutions at Karachi?

1. While disapproving of and dissociating itself from political violence,

congress admired the bravery and sacrifice of the martyrs
I presided the
2. endorse the Gandhi-Irwin or Delhi Pact Karachi
congress
session...

3. Two resolutions were adopted

Fundamental Rights
National Economic Programme
First time the Congress spelt out what swaraj would mean for the
masses
Its time to go to England for છે લ્ લો કટોરો ઝે હર નો
attending 2nd RTC આ પી જાઓ બાપુ

Even this last cup of

poison, you must
drink, Bapu! –
Jhaverchand Meghani

ઝવેરચંદ મેઘાણી
Its time to go to England for છે લ્ લો કટોરો ઝે હર નો
attending 2nd RTC આ પી જાઓ બાપુ

Even this last cup of

poison, you must
drink, Bapu! –
Jhaverchand Meghani

ઝવેરચંદ મેઘાણી
Civil Disobedience Movement
2nd RTC @ London
In between
सविनय अिज्ञा आं दोलन...
Second RTC, December 1931 भाग२.०
Not much was expected
Gandhi returned to India on December 28, 1931

On December 29,1931
The CWC decided to resume the civil disobedience movement
Phase 2 of CDM
What was government’s response?
Changed Government Attitude
In between
British officials had drawn their own lessons from the Delhi Pact
Government’s response:
हम यहााँ के नएं िाईस
Three main considerations in British policy रॉय हैं ....

1. Gandhi would not be permitted to build up the

tempo No more Gandhi
2. Goodwill of the Congress was not No Congress No
Movement
required
3. National movement would not be allowed
to consolidate
Viceroy Willingdon
In between
Can we No
meet.....?

December 31,1931

January 4, 1932, Gandhi was arrested

Congress organisations at all levels were banned
Arrests were made of activists, leaders, sympathisers
Press was gagged and nationalist literature, banned
April 1934, Gandhi decided to withdraw the civil disobedience
movement
In between Now...separate
electorates for
Communal award and Poona pact Depressed classes

Announced by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay

MacDonald, in August 1932

Muslims(1909), Sikhs and Christians(1919) Minorities

Depressed classes Minorities Separate Electorates

Effort to separate the depressed classes from the rest of the Hindus
by treating them as separate political entities
In between में an
It’s उपिास
attackपे on
जा
रहा हाँUnity
Indian ।
Communal award and poona pact

Gandhi saw the Communal Award as an attack on

Indian unity
Went on an indefinite fast on September 20, 1932
B.R. Ambedkar, M.C. Rajah and Madan Mohan Malaviya
September 1932, Signing of Pact
मान जाओ दे खो
क्ों..पर ??? बापू उपिास पे हैं ।
In between ये हुई ना बात
Communal award and Poona Pact

Abandoned separate electorates for depressed Class

Seats reserved for the depressed classes were increased from 71 to 147
in provincial legislatures

Poona Pact was accepted by the Government as an amendment to the

Communal Award.
 UPSC Prelims-1997
Q. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer:
List-I List-II
A. Morley Minto Reforms 1. Country-wise agitation
B. Simon Commission Reforms
2. Withdrawal of a movement
C. Chaurie-Chaura 3. Communal electorates
incident 4. Communal outbreaks
D. Dandi March
5. Illegal manufactures of salt
Codes:
A. A-3; B-4; C-5; D-2
B. A-4; B-1; C-2; D-3 Answer:D
C. A-2; B-3; C-4; D-5
D. A-3; B-1; C-2; D-5
 UPSC Prelims-1997
Q. The Poona Pact which was signed between the British Government
and Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 provided for:

A. Creation of dominion status for India

B. Separate electorates for the Muslims
C. Separate electorate for the Harijans
D. Joint electorate with reservation for Harijans Answer: D
 UPSC Prelims-2002
Q. During the Indian freedom struggle, the khudai khidmatgars, also
known as red shirts called for:

A. The union of Pakhtun tribal areas in north-west with the Afghanistan

B. the adoption of terrorist tactics and methods for terrorising and
finally ousting the colonial rulers
C. the adoption of communist revolution ideology for political
and social reform
D. the Pathan regional nationalist unity and a struggle Answer: D
against colonialism Khudai Khidmatgars
Servants of god
In between
Strategic debate
Two-stage debate on the future strategy
अब आं दोलन की वदशा कौनसी
होनी चाइये ?/ What should be
the course of movement?
1st what course the national
movement should take?

participation in elections to the

Central Legislature (due in 1934) or
boycott them
In between
Strategic debate Two-stage debate on the future strategy

participation in elections to the

Central Legislature (due in 1934)
or boycott
New Swarajists
M.A. Ansari,
Asaf Ali,
Bhulabhai Desai,
S. Satyamurthy and
B.C. Roy
In between
Strategic debate क्ा राज्ों में सरकार बननी
चाइये...?/ Should we form the
Two-stage debate on the future government in states??
strategy
Government of India Act 1935

2ndin 1937, over the question of office

acceptance in the context of provincial
elections
Government of India Act of 1935 Ye lo...ek aur
act...Ratta mar
lena...

1. Establishment of an All-India Federation

Provinces and Princely states

2. Divided the powers between the Centre and Units in

terms of three lists Viceroy Willingdon
Federal List Provincial List Concurrent List
Government of India Act of 1935 Ye lo...ek aur
act...Ratta mar
lena...
3.Abolished Dyarchy in the provinces
Introduced ‘provincial autonomy’
The Governor was required to act with the advice of
ministers responsible to the provincial legislature

4.Adoption of Dyarchy at the Centre Viceroy Willingdon

Federal subjects
Reserved Transferred
5.Introduced bicameralism in 6/11 provinces
Government of India Act of 1935

6.Establishment of a Reserve Bank of India

7.Establishment of a Federal Court,

which was set up in 1937

8.Establishment of Federal Public

Service Commission
Government of India Act of 1935
Q. Evaluation of the Act??
Process of constitutional advance in India
Governor still had extensive powers
Act enfranchised 14 per cent of British Indian population
Provided a rigid Constitution with no possibility of
internal growth
Ye lo...ek aur
act...Gajar
Government of India Act of 1935
Q. Evaluation of the Act?? Kisi ko batana
mat...
The Long-Term British Strategy

To weaken the movement and integrate large

segments of the movement into colonial,
constitutional and administrative structure

Once Congressmen tasted power, they would be reluctant to go back to

politics of sacrifice
Government of India Act of 1935
Q. What was Congress reaction to this act?
Rejected by the Congress
Congress demanded, convening of a Constituent Assembly elected on
the basis of adult franchise हम नहीं मानेंगे...Reject.....
Constituent Assembly
Other group’s proposal banao abhi k abhi
Enter councils to create Its like full time
deadlocks Hello responsibility without
Nehruji...ab power...!!!
maan bhi jaie na
Government of India Act of 1935
Power corrupts...
Q. Gandhi's Position??
Initally, opposed office acceptance
Later on, willing to give a trial

Issue accepted @ Congress sessions at Lucknow (1936)

Faizpur (1937)

1937elections to provincial assemblies

Congress should fight/contest these elections on the basis of a detailed

political and economic programme
Question UPSC Pre 2004
2. Consider the following statements
Some of the main features of the Government of India Act, 1935 were
the
1. abolition of diarchy in the Governor’s provinces
2. power of the Governors to veto legislative action and to legislate on
their own
3. abolition of the principle of communal representation

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 Answer: B
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
Question UPSC Pre 2004
2. Consider the following statements
Some of the main features of the Government of India Act, 1935 were
the
1. abolition of diarchy in the Governor’s provinces
2. power of the Governors to veto legislative action and to legislate on
their own
3. abolition of the principle of communal representation

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 Answer: B
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
28 Months of Congress Rule
February 1937 Elections to the provincial assemblies
Congress contested 716 out of 1161 seats
got a majority in all provinces, except
Bengal, Assam, Punjab, Sindh and NWFP
Emerged as the largest party in Bengal, Assam and NWFP

Congress ministries were formed in Bombay,

Madras, Central Provinces,
Orissa,
United Provinces, Bihar and
later in NWFP and Assam
28 Months Of Congress Rule In Provinces
28 Months of Congress Rule
Q. Work Under Congress Ministries?

1. Law & Order reforms

1. Ease curbs on civil liberties lifting restrictions from emergency

organisations

2. Press restrictions were lifted

3.Police powers were curbed and CID stopped shadowing politicians
4.Political prisoners, and revolutionaries were released
28 Months of Congress Rule
Q. Work Under Congress Ministries?
2.Agrarian & Labour reforms
1.land reforms, debt relief,
forest grazing fee, arrears of rent, Laws passed
land tenures, etc

2.@ Labour reducing strikes as far as possible, advocating compulsory

arbitration prior to striking
When strike occurred, ministries took recourse to Section 144 and
arrested the leaders
28 Months of Congress Rule
Q. Work Under Congress Ministries?
5.Economic reforms
1.Encouragement given to indigenous enterprises
2.Develop planning through National Planning Committee
set up under Congress President Subhash Bose in 1938

Ministries did not have adequate powers

inadequate financial resources
28 Months of Congress Rule
Q.Work Under Congress Ministries?
3. Social Reform
1.Prohibition imposed in certain areas

2.Measures for welfare of Harijans taken—temple entry, use of public

facilities
3.Attention given to primary, technical and higher education

Congress ministries resigned in October 1939 after the outbreak of the

Second World War
28 Months of Congress Rule
Q. Assessment?? Positive
1. Indian self-government was necessary for radical social
transformation got confirmed
2. Demonstrated that a movement could use state power to further its
ends without being co-opted
3. Weakening of myth  Indians were not fit to rule
4. Good work with minimum financial resources.

Negative
Internal strife's, opportunism and hunger for power
 UPSC Prelims-2005
Q. In which one of the following provinces was a Congress ministry
not formed under the Act of 1935 ?

(a) Bihar (b) Madras

(c) Orissa (d) Punjab Answer: D