Introduction to Civil Disobedience

Movement
Mahatma Gandhi gave the call for the
Civil Disobedience movement in 1930.
This movement was different from the
Non Cooperation movement in the
sense that the Non-Cooperation
movement sought to bring the
government to a standstill by not
cooperating with the administration,
whereas the Civil Disobedience
Movement aimed at paralysing the
administration by breaking some
specific rules and regulations.
Factors leading to Civil
Disobedience Movement
1.Simon Commission

In November 1927, the British

government appointed the Indian
Statutory Commission, popularly
known as the Simon Commission
(after the name of its Chairman Sir
John Simon) to investigate the need
for further constitutional reforms. The
commission was composed of seven
British members of Parliament. It had
no Indian member. This was seen as a
violation of the principle of self-
determination and a deliberate insult
to the self-respect of the Indians. The
league and the Congress decided to
boycott the Commission. As a result,
the Simon Commission floundered at
every step. The people boycotted the
Commission and met with black
flags, shouting Simon go back!. It
was in this demonstration in Lahore
that Lala Lajpat Rai was fatally
wounded in a lathi charge. However,
the Commission did submit its report
which clearly stated that the system of
Dyarchy was faulty and needed to be
replaced. The Government of India
Act of 1935 was based on the
Commissions report.
Recommendations of the Simon
Commission:
Abolish the system of Dyarchy
and give autonomy to the
provinces
Provincial Councils to be
enlarged
 Federal government at the
Centre, should embrace not only
British India but also the Princely
states.
The Governor-General should
select his cabinet
Communal representation should
continue
The British officers and the
British troops were to stay in the
India regiments.
The provinces were to be given
full autonomy in the control of
law and order.
High courts should be under the
British administrative control of
the Government of India.

2.Nehru Report
As a challenge to the Secretary of
State, Lord Birkenheads comment
that the Simon Commission did not
have a single Indian member because
Indians were not united and could not
come to an agreement on the kind of
reforms required, Motilal Nehru, in
May 1928, chaired an all-parties meet
where the framework of the future
Constitution of India was planned.
This committees report is known as
the Nehru report. The Nehru Report
proposed:
i. Dominion Status for India
ii. That the Parliament of India
should consist of (a) the
Senate elected for 7 years
containing 200 members
elected by the Provincial
Councils and (b) the House
of Representation with 500
members elected for 5 years
through universal adult
franchise.
iii. Joint electorates with
reservation of seats for
minorities (except in the
Punjab and Bengal) on
population basis with the
right to contest additional
seats;
iv. Creation of new provinces
on linguistic basis.
v. Nineteen Fundamental
Rights including the right to
vote, freedom from arbitrary
 arrest, searches and seizures
and freedom of conscience.
However, the growing
differences b/w the Muslim
League and the Congress meant
that many differences cropped up
over the report. The report
therefore increased the level of
political tension and
communalism in the country.
3.Lahore Session
The Calcutta session of the Congress
had served an ultimatum to the British
Government to accept the Nehru report
by the end of 1929 or face a mass
movement. Since the one year time-
limit set at the Calcutta session passed
without any positive response from the
British Government, the Nehru Report
was declared to have lapsed at the
Lahore Session of the Congress in 1929.
Jawaharlal Nehru was made the
President of Congress at the historic
Lahore session of 1929. It passed a
resolution declaring Poorna Swaraj to
be the objective of the Congress.
It was decided to observe January 26, as
the Day of Independence every year. A
pledge was drawn up, which was to be
read and solemnly taken, while
celebrating the day.