Question

How the civil disobedience movement raised the feeling of nationalism in indians

Answer 1

The day on which the Commission reached India was observed as day of total hartal all over India. National movement again acquired strength (1928), In 1927 the Congress in its Madras session adopted independence as its ultimate goal. After an all-party conference, Motilal Nehru who was entrusted with the task of drawing a constitution for India, the Nehru Report was submitted which recommended Dominion Status for India, that is, a constitutional status as was being enjoyed by the then British Dominions of Canada New Zealand, Australia etc. (1928).

In the same year in the Calcutta session of the Congress Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Basu put; up demand for full independence instead of Dominion Status. Younger section of the Congress sup­ported Nehru and Subhas Chandra. Mahatma Gandhi made a com­promise by taking a decision that if the British Parliament would grant Dominion Status to India by December 31, 1929, it would be accepted or else the Congress would launch a movement and begin a no tax campaign. In the situation Lord Irwin announced that granting of Dominion Status was the aim of the British government and for a discussion on this matter a Round Table Conference would be summoned in London after the submission of Simon Commission report.

But it was abundantly clear to the people of India that the British public opinion was not in favour of even granting Dominion Status to India. Lord Irwin’s announcement was therefore severely criticized in India. The Congress realized that to expect any reason­able reforms from the British government would be foolish. In the Lahore session in 1929, the Congress demanded full independence, and decided not to attend the Round Table Conference mentioned in the announcement by Lord Irwin. Need-less to say that the British government did not care to grant Dominion Status to India by Decem­ber 31, 1929.

Answer 2

Civil Disobedience Movement was the mass movement against the oppressive policies of the British. During the Civil Disobedience people from all communities participated in the Movement. Women for the first time participated in the nationalist movement.

So there was increasing nationalist feeling among the masses. The chief reason of rising national felling among the masses was the method adopted by Gandhi in Civil Disobedience Movement. He marched to break the salt law and thus the Civil Disobedience Movement started. He had chosen salt as symbol of protest because salt was consumed by all classes and communities.Gandhi tried to make them aware about the oppressive policies of British.So all classes and communities became aware about the oppressive policies of British as the Indians were banned to manufacture salt and there was salt tax as well.

So the people turned against the British and there were protests throughout the country. People began to break the government laws and boycotted courts and resigned from services. So the symbol of salt in Civil Disobedience Movement created unity and raised the feeling of nationalism among people.