Image: Gandhi during the Salt March, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
The Civil Disobedience Movement began in 1930 as the Indian National Congress moved toward a nationwide campaign against British rule. Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha became its most famous opening episode.
From Purna Swaraj to civil disobedience
The Lahore Congress of December 1929 adopted the Purna Swaraj resolution. The Gandhi Heritage Portal records Gandhi’s decision to launch the civil disobedience campaign in February 1930.
The salt law became the starting point
Gandhi selected salt as a simple and widely understood issue. His march to Dandi provided a visible beginning to the campaign.
Beyond Dandi
After the salt law was challenged, civil disobedience spread through different parts of India. Participants challenged selected colonial laws, boycotted goods and institutions and faced arrests.
Mass arrests
Gandhi himself was arrested on 5 May 1930 and sent to Yeravda Prison, according to the Gandhi Heritage Portal chronology.
Negotiations with the government
The campaign eventually led to negotiations between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin. Gandhi was released in January 1931 and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5 March 1931.
Historical significance
The movement demonstrated the ability of civil resistance to mobilise people around a common political objective while keeping nonviolence as its stated discipline.
Read the Gandhi Heritage Portal background to the Salt Satyagraha and our Dandi March article.
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