Why this matters now
The CDM is examined for the Dandi March, the distinction from Non-Cooperation (here, actively breaking laws), the Round Table Conferences, the Gandhi-Irwin and Poona Pacts, and the Government of India Act 1935.
Background — Purna Swaraj
The Simon Commission boycott and the failure to win dominion status led the Congress, at its Lahore session (1929), to declare Purna Swaraj (complete independence) as its goal, and to observe 26 January 1930 as the first Independence Day. Gandhi then chose the salt tax — a tax on a daily necessity — as the symbolic issue to defy.
The Dandi Salt March
From 12 March to 6 April 1930, Gandhi led a 240-mile march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the coast, where he made salt in violation of the law. This launched nationwide civil disobedience — making salt, picketing liquor and foreign-cloth shops, refusing taxes — drawing in women in large numbers and spreading across the country.
Round Table Conferences and pacts
- Round Table Conferences (London, 1930-32) discussed constitutional reform; the Congress boycotted the first;
- The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) suspended the movement and brought Gandhi to the Second RTC;
- After the British announced the Communal Award (separate electorates for the depressed classes), Gandhi’s fast led to the Poona Pact (1932) with B.R. Ambedkar, replacing separate electorates with reserved seats.
Government of India Act 1935
The constitutional process culminated in the Government of India Act 1935 — the longest Act of the British Parliament — which provided for provincial autonomy (ending dyarchy in the provinces), an (unrealised) all-India federation, and dyarchy at the Centre. Its provincial scheme shaped the 1937 elections, and much of it was later inherited by the Constitution of independent India.
UPSC angle
Sequence it: Purna Swaraj (1929) → Dandi March (1930) → RTCs → Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) → Communal Award/Poona Pact (1932) → GoI Act 1935. Note CDM actively broke laws (vs NCM’s withdrawal of cooperation).
Frequently asked questions
What was the Dandi March?
Gandhi’s 240-mile march (12 March-6 April 1930) from Sabarmati to Dandi, where he made salt in defiance of the salt law — launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.
How did Civil Disobedience differ from Non-Cooperation?
Civil Disobedience involved actively breaking unjust laws (making salt, refusing taxes), whereas Non-Cooperation involved withdrawing cooperation (boycotts) from the state.
What was the Poona Pact?
A 1932 agreement between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar that replaced separate electorates for the depressed classes (under the Communal Award) with reserved seats in the general electorate.
What did the Government of India Act 1935 provide?
Provincial autonomy (ending provincial dyarchy), a proposed all-India federation (never implemented), and dyarchy at the Centre.