The Run-up to Civil Disobedience Movement

Calcutta Session of Congress (1928)
- The Congress approved the Nehru Report at Calcutta (Dec 1928), but younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose and Satya Murthy rejected dominion status and demanded Purna Swaraj.
- Senior leaders like Gandhi and Motilal Nehru preferred giving the British government two years to accept dominion status due to years of consensus-building.
- Under youth pressure, the grace period was reduced to one year.
- The Congress resolved that failure of the British to accept dominion status within a year would push Congress to demand complete independence and launch a civil disobedience movement.

Political Activity during 1929
- Throughout 1929, Gandhi travelled vigorously preparing people for direct action.
- Youth mobilisation intensified; constructive work in villages was strengthened.
- A Foreign Cloth Boycott Committee was set up to aggressively promote boycott and public burning of foreign cloth.
- Gandhi kickstarted the boycott campaign by publicly burning foreign cloth in Calcutta (March 1929), leading to nationwide bonfires.
- Key events of 1929: Meerut Conspiracy Case (March), bomb explosion in Central Legislative Assembly by Bhagat Singh & B.K. Dutt (April), formation of Labour government in England under Ramsay MacDonald (May).
- Wedgewood Benn became Secretary of State for India.

Irwin’s Declaration (31 October 1929)
- Joint Labour Government–Viceroy initiative to “restore faith” in British intentions.
- Declaration stated that dominion status was the ultimate goal of British policy (implicit in 1917), but gave no timeline.
- Promised a Round Table Conference after Simon Commission submitted its report.
- However, dominion status remained a distant, undefined promise.

Delhi Manifesto (2 November 1929)
Conditions placed by national leaders for attending the Round Table Conference:
1. Objective of the RTC should be to frame a constitution for implementing dominion status, not to decide if/when it will be granted.
2. Congress should have majority representation.
3. Amnesty for political prisoners and a conciliatory political environment.
- Viceroy Irwin rejected these conditions.

Lahore Congress & Declaration of Purna Swaraj (Dec 1929)
- Jawaharlal Nehru was elected Congress President for the Lahore session with Gandhi’s backing, despite opposition from 15 of 18 provincial committees.
- Decisions taken:
  * Boycott of the Round Table Conference.
  * Adoption of complete independence (Purna Swaraj) as the ultimate goal.
  * Congress Working Committee authorised to launch civil disobedience including non-payment of taxes.
  * All legislators asked to resign.
  * January 26, 1930 declared as the first Independence Day.
- On 31 December 1929, the tricolour was hoisted by Nehru on the banks of the Ravi with slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad”.

Independence Day, 26 January 1930 – The Independence Pledge
Key points of the pledge:
- Independence is the inalienable right of Indians.
- British rule has economically, politically, culturally and spiritually destroyed India.
- Economic exploitation through high taxation, ruin of village industries, and manipulation of currency.
- Politically, India lacks fundamental rights and administrative opportunities.
- Culturally, education has uprooted Indians from their heritage.
- Spiritually, compulsory disarmament has weakened India.
- It is a crime to submit to British rule.
- Resolve to withdraw all voluntary cooperation from the British government and prepare for civil disobedience.

Gandhi’s Eleven Demands (Ultimatum of 31 January 1930)
Gandhi presented 11 national demands with a deadline for acceptance:
1. Reduce Army and civil service expenditure by 50%.
2. Total prohibition of liquor.
3. Reform the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
4. Modify Arms Act to allow Indians to possess arms under popular control.
5. Release political prisoners.
6. Accept Postal Reservation Bill.
7. Reduce rupee-sterling exchange ratio to 1s 4d.
8. Provide textile protection.
9. Reserve coastal shipping for Indians.
10. Reduce land revenue by 50%.
11. Abolish salt tax and end government salt monopoly.

- The British refused to respond positively.
- Congress authorised Gandhi to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement at a time and place of his choosing.
- By February-end 1930, Gandhi identified **salt** as the symbolic and strategic centre of the movement—leading to the iconic Dandi March.

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Subject: Modern History

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