Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Movement (1919–1947) — Part 12: FAQ

FAQ

Q1. Why did Gandhi choose salt as the symbol for the Civil Disobedience Movement?

Salt was a masterstroke of political symbolism for several reasons. Every Indian household used salt daily, making the salt tax a universal grievance that cut across class, caste, and religion. The colonial government maintained a monopoly over its manufacture and sale, taxing it at more than 1,000% above its actual value and destroying naturally occurring salt deposits to enforce this monopoly — practices Gandhi described as "a fourfold curse." Breaking the salt law was a concrete, visible act of defiance accessible to every Indian. Salt also carried deep emotional connotations in Indian culture — of trust, hospitality, and mutual obligation. Viceroy Irwin himself later acknowledged: "You planned a fine strategy round the issue of salt." The march attracted international media coverage that embarrassed the British Empire globally.

Q2. Why did Gandhi withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri Chaura incident?

Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 because a crowd had attacked and burned a police station at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur district, killing 22 policemen. Gandhi's philosophy of Satyagraha was grounded in absolute non-violence — not as a tactical preference but as a moral imperative. He believed that a movement built on violence would produce a violent, unjust society rather than the just swaraj he sought. He insisted: "No provocation can possibly justify the brutal murder of men who had been rendered defenceless." Many Congress leaders — including C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru — were bitterly disappointed, feeling Gandhi had abandoned a movement on the verge of success. But Gandhi was unyielding: the masses, in his view, had not yet achieved the moral discipline necessary for a true satyagraha.

Q3. What was the Poona Pact (1932), and why does it matter for UPSC?

The Poona Pact was an agreement signed on 24 September 1932 between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, resolving a crisis triggered by the British government's Communal Award. The Award had granted separate electorates for the Depressed Classes (Dalits), with 71 reserved seats in provincial legislatures. Gandhi, in Yeravada Jail, launched a fast unto death opposing the Award. His argument: separate electorates would "perpetuate the stigma" of untouchability and permanently divide Hindus. Ambedkar — himself a Dalit who had experienced caste discrimination personally — agreed to forgo separate electorates but demanded and received an increase in reserved seats within a joint electorate from 71 to 148. The Pact matters for UPSC because it is a key example of the Gandhi-Ambedkar relationship; it illustrates the tension between integrationist and autonomous approaches to Dalit representation; and it is directly relevant to questions on constitutional history, minority rights, and the national movement.

Q4. What were the causes and key outcomes of the Quit India Movement (1942)?

Causes included: the failure of the Cripps Mission (March 1942), which offered only a post-war dominion status — dismissed by Gandhi as a "post-dated cheque on a crashing bank"; the threat of Japanese invasion; deep public anger at colonial rule; and Congress frustration with British intransigence. On 8 August 1942, the AICC passed the Quit India Resolution and Gandhi issued his "Do or Die" call. On 9 August, all leaders were arrested, sparking a spontaneous mass uprising. Key outcomes: the movement demonstrated the irreversibility of the Indian demand for independence; parallel governments in Satara (Maharashtra) and Midnapore (Bengal) showed organisational depth beyond the Congress leadership; the British realised force alone could not sustain the Raj; however, the movement also allowed the Muslim League to consolidate its position while Congress leaders were in jail, contributing to eventual partition.

Q5. How did Gandhi's approach to Indian independence differ from that of Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh?

Gandhi, Bose, and Bhagat Singh all sought India's independence, but differed fundamentally on method. Gandhi insisted on non-violence as both a moral necessity and a political strategy, arguing that the means determine the ends. He was willing to accept slow progress rather than risk violence. Bhagat Singh and the HSRA held that colonial rule could only be overthrown by armed resistance; they believed individual acts of revolutionary violence could inspire mass uprising and shake the colonial state's confidence. Subhas Chandra Bose accepted non-violence as a tactic but not as a principle; he was willing to seek military support from the Axis powers (Germany and Japan) against Britain, forming the INA. Gandhi opposed Bose's re-election as Congress president in 1939 and criticised his alliance with fascist powers. The Gandhi-Bose conflict also reflected a broader tension between charismatic personal leadership and collective institutional decision-making. All three are now celebrated as national heroes, reflecting Indian nationalism's acceptance of multiple paths to a common goal.

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Cross-References

• Prerequisite reading: Socio-Religious Reform Movements of the 19th Century — Essential background on the social reform tradition that shaped Gandhi's political thought
• Related articles:
  • Revolt of 1857 — The first major mass challenge to British rule, providing the historical backdrop for Gandhi's strategy
  • Establishment of British Power in India — The colonial system that Gandhi's movement sought to dismantle
• Linked topics for deeper UPSC preparation:
  • Constitutional History: Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919), Government of India Act (1935), Indian Independence Act (1947)
  • The Partition of India and Two-Nation Theory
  • B.R. Ambedkar, the Dalit Movement, and the making of the Indian Constitution
  • Bhagat Singh and Revolutionary Nationalism
  • The Indian National Army and the INA Trials (1945-46)
  • Women in the Freedom Movement: Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay