My Science School

          Gandhiji returned from England to India on December 28th, 1931. He addressed a huge gathering in Bombay- “I have come back empty handed, but I have not compromised the honour of my country”.

          The British, intent on preventing any further civil disobedience movements in India, arrested Nehru and some other Congress leaders two days prior to Gandhiji’s arrival. Gandhiji was arrested on a century old regulation of no trial or no fixed term of imprisonment. Once again, he was confined in Yerwada prison.

          Dr. B.R. Ambedkar demanded voting rights for untouchables and also a separate electorate for them, because he believed that otherwise his men would be swayed away by the caste Hindus. Many leaders opposed this view. Gandhiji opposed it for a different reason- he believed that no line of separation should be established between untouchables and the mainstream of the society. Accordingly, Gandhiji started a fast, until death in prison for the voting rights of the Harijans. The steadfast decision and his goodwill were accepted.

          Gandhiji’s appeal and the efforts of the Congress leaders, soon led to a general campaign against untouchability. Many temples and wells throughout India were opened to the untouchables. But, unfortunately this campaign did not last very long. 

               Lancashire was the heart of Britain’s textile industry, which was greatly affected by the boycott of foreign clothes by Indians. Therefore, Gandhiji’s visit to this place was a significant move.

               Gandhiji proclaimed at Springvale Garden Village, “There is no boycott of British cloth, as distinguished from other foreign cloth, since the 5th of March when the truce was signed. As a nation, we have pledged to boycott all foreign cloth, but in case of an honourable settlement between England and India, I should not hesitate to give preference to Lancashire cloth over all other foreign cloth, to the extent that we may need to supplement our cloth and on agreed terms”. He spoke of being the “representative of half-naked, half-starved dumb Indians”. He was pained by the unemployment created in the Lancashire cotton mills as a result of the boycott of foreign cloths in India. He did not fail to meet a single group of workers in the factory. And, he went on to explain the fact that there was no starvation or semi starvation among Lancashire workers. But, he said “we have both”. He told them about the poor standard of living of the Indians compared to the high resources they enjoyed.

               Even the unemployed workers were over-whelmed by Gandhiji’s answers. They were happier because such a mighty person from India came and spoke to them face to face.

              Gandhiji had no faith in creating his country’s happiness at the cost of the happiness of another country.

               The workers of the Lancashire villages understood that their condition was far better than that of the starving crores of people in India. Towards the conclusion of their communication, Gandhiji delivered the hope of an independent India which will be an equal partner for England in the future ahead.

 

          Gandhiji’s attire was, in a way, a potent political weapon for him, at least in the later phase of India’s fight for freedom. He believed that the way one dresses was an act of self expression and the use of Khadi that was spun by him was an act of self reliance.

          We can see the evolution in Gandhiji’s dressing style from the time he was a law student in England, then a barrister in South Africa to the period of our freedom struggle. Gandhiji’s decision to change his attire was a momentous one. This epoch-making decision was taken by Gandhiji in Madurai after he decided to work for and work with, the poor people of India. He believed that they would identify him as one among them only when he wore simple clothes. He stuck to this attire even when he travelled on trips abroad and until his last breath. When he attended the round table conference, Gandhiji was in a dhoti and a shawl.

          Once, when he visited Buckingham Palace, he was asked whether he felt unclothed compared to the King George V. Gandhiji retorted humorously that the King had enough on him for both of them! Gandhiji was appreciated by many, in spite of his dressing style. In short, Gandhiji’s personal habits, his attire, and his diet, fascinated the English people. 

          The Failure of the First Round Table Conference was marked by the absence of the Indian National Congress.

          The Second Round Table Conference was held in a less favourable environment. In India, Lord Irwin had been succeeded by Lord Willingdon. In England, The Labour Government was now replaced by a National Coalition Government. Samuel Hoare was the Secretary of State for the Government of India.

          Meanwhile, there was a robust protest in India against the statement of Winston Churchill who called Gandhi a ‘Naked Seditious Fakir’. The Second Round Table Conference opened on September 7th00, 1931. Gandhiji represented the Indian National Congress and Sarojini Naidu represented Indian women. Madan Mohan Malaviya, Ghanshyam Das Birla, Muhammad lqbal, Sir Mirza Ismail, S.K. Dutta and Sir Syed Ali Imam were among the other people who attended the conference.

          This session witnessed a prodigious number of Indian delegates. These included loyalists, landlords, representatives of the princes etc. Gandhiji put forth many demands being the only official representative of the Congress.

          Introduction of a responsible government in India was one of the many demands. But, it remained a dream till our independence. Gandhiji opposed the demand to treat the Dalits as a minority separate from the Hindu community and on this issue he had a clash with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The conference was concluded on December 11th, 1931 and Gandhiji returned almost empty handed.

            The rising intensity of the civil disobedience movement worried the British. Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India, initiated negotiations with Gandhiji, which led to the signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact on 5th March in 1931 before the Second Round Table Conference in London. There were many provisions in the pact.

            One of the main provisions was to stop the civil disobedience movement. Another proposal was the participation of the Indian National Congress in the Round Table Conference. The pact also stated that the British government was also ready to lift the ban on the Indian National Congress. Peaceful picketing was allowed, but picketing for the boycott of foreign goods was not to be allowed beyond a limit permitted by law.

            The Congress agreed to join the Second Round Table Conference to sketch the constitutional reforms. Some of the other conditions were that the British would retract all orders imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress. They also agreed to withdraw trials except those involving violence and to release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil dis-obedience movement. It was also agreed that the British would remove the tax on salt, and allow Indians to produce, trade and sell salt legally and for their own use.

 

       The Round Table Conferences were a series of conferences aimed to discuss the future of India.

            Demands for Swaraj or self-rule had been growing across India. By the 1930s, many British politicians believed that India needed to move towards a dominion status. In order to make decisions regarding this, they conducted three Round Table Conferences in London. 

   The first one among these was organized in England on November 12th, 1930. There were 89 delegates from India who attended the conference. Indian delegates also made their presence felt in the conference, but no member of the Indian National Congress was invited. It was also true that many of the Indian leaders were imprisoned for their participation in the civil disobedience movement.

          Later, the British realized that they would have to work with the Congress as it was India’s most prominent party. As a gesture of goodwill, Gandhiji and other Congress leaders were released. 

        The participation of women in the freedom fight was not notable, until the Dandi March. But the Salt Satyagraha changed the whole scenario. Thousands of women, from urban to rural areas began to actively participate in Satyagraha. Gandhiji had asked only men to be part of Dandi March. But the radical action inspired the women of the country as well.

          Sarojini Naidu, the nightingale of India, led 2500 volunteers in a march to Dharasana salt works on 21st May. The salt work was guarded by the police. They attacked the satyagrahis with lathis. Not a single person raised his hand against the police. Sarojini Naidu was arrested, and sent to jail.

          The participation of women in Salt Satyagraha was rapidly growing day by day. The Salt Satyagraha earned glory because of the massive participation from all walks of society.

 

          Civil Disobedience spread like fire all around India. The new visible spirit strengthened the minds of millions of Indians. Members of the public dared to make salt by themselves by breaking the Salt Law of the British.

          Salt was sold illegally all over the coastal regions of India. About eighty thousand people were arrested in response to the aggressive violation of the Salt Law by the end of the month.

          The Civil Disobedience had its beginning in Salt Satyagraha. It grew into mass Satyagraha later. This movement included actions like boycotting British clothes and goods.

          Peasants refused to pay taxes at the cost of losing their crops and land. The British used every means to suppress all forms of rebellion against the government and even declared the Congress and its associate organizations as unlawful.

          None of these measures weakened the Movement. On the other hand, the British government was shaken by Satyagraha. The non-violent activism of Gandhiji left the British confused whether or not to arrest him.

            The Dandi March was indeed a march towards India’s Independence. It was covered extensively through newspapers and documentaries. This historic event grabbed the attention of newspapers internationally and they wrote editorials about it. It gave momentum to the nationwide civil disobedience. This march was an organized challenge to the British authority and in a way, a blow to their esteem.

            The Dandi March, which was followed by the Non-cooperation movement and the declaration of Purna Swaraj, also occupied a significant place in the pages of India’s history.

            Do you know what happened on that day? Gandhiji started a march from his ashram in Sabarmati, to Dandi Beach in Gujarat. The march lasted for 24 days. It began on 12th March, 1930, and ended on 6th April, 1930. About 79 people accompanied Gandhiji for the march of 390 Km to the Dandi beach. Many people gathered and joined them on the way and the small group had grown into a huge procession as they reached Dandi. When Gandhi broke the Salt Law at 6:30 am on 6th April 1930, by making salt, it ignited large scale acts of civil disobedience against the British Salt Law by millions of Indians.

 

 

 

               Salt has enormous significance as it is an indispensable ingredient in our food. Ever since the East India Company established its power, it became a criminal offence for Indians to produce and sell salt.

               Gandhiji disobeyed this law laid down by the British. The ruling government imposed tax even on salt and earned a large profit from that too. Not surprisingly, the salt tax represented 8.2 per cent of the British Raj tax revenue. The British believed that they would be able to establish their full control over natural resources by manufacturing salt. Indians found this hard to digest.

               Many were sceptical of Gandhiji’s choice of salt as a means of civil disobedience. But some leaders like C. Rajagopalachari understood Gandhiji’s viewpoint. After the protest gathered momentum, leaders recognized the value of salt as a symbol and appreciated Gandhiji’s genius in choosing salt. 

            The civil disobedience movement of the year 1930 was a landmark in the history of Indian nationalism. Disobeying British laws was the core of this movement.

            Indians had lost faith in the British and their government because of their continuous neglect of the local people. The Congress had no option other than to launch the civil disobedience movement.

            It was then that Gandhiji wrote a letter to Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India narrating the many injustices of British rule. The decision to launch the ‘satyagraha’ campaign by producing salt at Dandi was also conveyed through the letter. The British ignored the letter. Therefore, Gandhiji and the Congress decided to launch the massive civil disobedience movement to defy the British.

            Gandhiji inaugurated the movement in 1930, by violating the salt law. Salt was produced everywhere. Indians dared to do anything, even at the cost of their lives, for their dream of a free India. The Dandi Salt March with its spirit united Indian and had an immense effect on the whole nation.

            Indians dreamt of a free nation. But the Simon Commission instigated a difference of opinion among Indians regarding self-government.

            Only Gandhiji was capable of mending this gap. Despite the fact that Indians were suspicious of the intentions of the British, they were unified in their desire for the making of a free India. Thus, the Congress decided to celebrate the Purna Swaraj declaration, or the announcement of the Indian Independence. Gandhiji hoisted the Indian flag on 31st December 1929, in Lahore.

            The Indian flag was hoisted publicly everywhere by the congress volunteers. People were asked to celebrate Independence Day on 26th January.

            Gandhiji and other Indian leaders began to plan for a massive non-violent campaign to encourage the common people to embrace peace, even if they were attacked by the British. 

            Everywhere, the Simon Commission was received by angry protesters waving black flags and shouting the slogan, ‘Simon Go Back!’ The conditions in Punjab were even worse, where Lala Lajpat Rai, the prominent leader, died during the protests.

            Simon Commission had arrived in Lahore on 30th October 1928 and the protest there was headed by Lala Lajpat Rai. He had risen to fame through his resolution against the Commission in the Legislative Assembly of Punjab in February 1928. In order to make way for the Commission, the local police force began to beat protesters in which Lala Lajpat Rai was killed. This made the Commission even more infamous.

               The commission published its two volume report in May 1930. But the report was not accepted by the Indians. 

            The British Government decided that a commission should be sent to India to examine the effects and operations of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms and also to suggest more reforms in India. The commission was a group of seven Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom, under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon, assisted by Clement Attlee.

            The Simon Commission arrived India, in 1928. They came to study the constitutional reforms in India, but the Indian political parties were completely ignored in this process. They were neither approached, nor asked to participate in the discussions.

            The Indians felt insulted and took a decision to boycott the Simon Commission. This decision was taken at the meeting of the Indian National Congress in Madras.

           They also challenged Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State for India, to draft a constitution that would be satisfactory to the Indian masses.

            Gandhiji was frustrated by the approach of the Simon Commission towards Indians. 

          The British authorities were worried about the consequences of arresting Gandhiji. However, when the unhappy incident occurred at Chauri Chaura, they seized the opportunity to arrest him. Gandhiji was taken into custody in the evening of March 10th, 1922 from his ashram. He was accused of revolting against the government and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

          Gandhiji spent his prison days in a fruitful way. He got acquainted with many books, and he found time also to spin his charka. Some of the books that dominated his reading time were Bernard Shaw’s ‘Man and Superman’, Buckle’s ‘History of Civilization in England’, H. G. Wells’ ‘Outline of History’, Goethe’s ‘Faust’ and Kipling’s ‘The Barrack-Room Ballads’.

          His interest in literary studies that had been neglected due to his busy schedule was revived during these prison days. He was released in 1924 for an operation for severe appendicitis.