Question

After the denial of the eleven point ultimatum by the British government Gandhi began :

• A. Champaran Satyagraha
• B. Non-Cooperation Movement
• C. Civil Disobedience Movement
• D. Quit India Movement

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Civil Disobedience Movement

Context of the Eleven-Point Ultimatum

• The Eleven-Point Ultimatum was presented by Mahatma Gandhi to Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India, on January 31, 1930.
• It was published in Gandhi's newspaper, Young India, and served as a crucial set of demands that, if accepted, could have averted a mass civil disobedience campaign.
• The ultimatum aimed to address various grievances across different sections of Indian society, reflecting the broad-based appeal of the nationalist movement.

Key Demands of the Ultimatum

• The demands covered a range of economic, administrative, and political issues, designed to benefit different segments of the population.
• Some significant demands included:
  • Total prohibition of liquor.
  • Reduction of the Rupee-Sterling exchange ratio to 1s 4d.
  • Reduction of land revenue by 50%.
  • Abolition of the salt tax and the government's salt monopoly.
  • Reduction of military expenditure by 50%.
  • Reduction of civil services salaries by 50%.
  • Protective tariff on foreign cloth.
  • Release of political prisoners.
  • Abolition of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
  • Arms licenses to citizens for self-defence.
  • Reservation of coastal shipping for Indians.

British Government's Response

• Lord Irwin and the British government denied Gandhi's eleven-point ultimatum.
• This denial underscored the British unwillingness to concede significant reforms or address the economic hardships faced by Indians.

Launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement

• The British government's rejection of the ultimatum left Gandhi with no alternative but to launch a widespread civil disobedience campaign.
• On March 12, 1930, Gandhi initiated the Civil Disobedience Movement with the famous Dandi March (Salt March).
• The Dandi March began from his Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat, where he symbolically broke the salt law on April 6, 1930.
• The breaking of the salt law was chosen because it was a tax that affected everyone, particularly the poor, and symbolized the oppressive nature of British rule.

Significance and Impact

• The Civil Disobedience Movement saw widespread participation from various sections of society, including women, students, and peasants.
• It led to massive protests, boycotts of foreign goods, refusal to pay taxes, and resignation from government jobs.
• Key figures like C. Rajagopalachari led salt marches in other parts of India (e.g., Vedaranyam March in Tamil Nadu).
• The movement significantly intensified the Indian freedom struggle and put immense pressure on the British government, ultimately leading to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931 and Gandhi's participation in the Second Round Table Conference.