Category Mahatma Gandhi

               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.