Nationalism in India 2

 9. Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers 

resigned and lawyers gave up their legal practices. But the effects on noncooperation on the economic front were 

more dramatic. Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires. 

10. The non-cooperation movement could not last for a long time. In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided 

to withdraw this movement as he felt it was turning violent in many places and satyagrahis needed to be properly 

trained before they would be ready for mass struggles. 

11. Within the Congress, some moderate leaders like C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru argued for a return to 

council politics but younger leaders like Nehru and Bose pressed for more radical mass agitation and for full 

independence. 

12. In 1928, the Simon Commission arrived in India to look into the functioning of the constitutional system 

in the country (India) and suggest changes. But the commission was boycotted because it did not have a single 

Indian member. In an effort to win them over, the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, announced in October 1929, a vague offer 

of‘dominion status’ for India. But this did not satisfy the Congress leaders. 

13. In December 1929, under the presidency of J.L. Nehru, the Lahore Congress formalized the demand of 

‘Purna Swaraj’ or full independence for India. It was declared that 26 January 1930, would be celebrated as the Independence Day when people were to take a pledge to struggle for complete independence. But the celebrations

could not attract much attention.

14. In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement when his demand to abolish the

salt tax was not fulfilled. His famous salt march was accompanied by 78 of his trusted volunteers. The march was

over 240 miles, from Gandhiji’s ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. Thousands joined

Mahatma Gandhi. On 6 April, he reached Dandi and violated the law, by manufacturing salt.

15. The movement spread far and wide. Worried by the developments, the colonial government began

arresting the Congress leaders one by one. This led to violent clashes in many places. A frightened government

responded with a policy of brutal repression.

16. Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement and entered into a pact with Irwin on 5 March 1931, which

came to be known as Gandhi-Irwin Pact. As per this Pact Gandhiji went to London in December 1931 for the

Second Round Table Conference, but the negotiations broke down and he returned disappointed.