Chapter 4: Civil Disobedience

Pudumai landed on a street. There was commotion all over the place. An announcer had a tandora in his hands. He announced, “It is the order from the Her Highness, that no one should produce salt from the sea on their own. Also, a ‘salt tax’ is now imposed. All common man has to pay taxes to get their salt. Anyone overriding this rule will face the wrath of the Crown – Her Majesty.”

I felt a twinge of pain when I heard it.

In the crowd, a fisherman yelled, “How dare the British? They are looting us.”

Another woman cried, “Hey, sussshh! Don’t be so loud. You could be killed.”The fisherman replied, “Yak! To live a life of a slave, it’s better to die.” The woman suggested, “Let us go to Bapu and ask for a solution.” With a scorn the fisherman responded, “Ha, your Bapu will just stay quiet. I am going to Bhagat Singh and we will seek justice. Inquilab Zindabad!”

After a jerk, Pudumai had arrived at an ashram.

There were about 80 people preparing themselves for a long walk and the one leading them was Mahatma Gandhi!!! Wow, I am blessed to witness our beloved Father of our nation in action! Mahatma Gandhi, full name - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India. In the eyes of millions of fellow Indians and trusted followers, Gandhiji was the Mahatma (great soul). The adoration and faithfulness of the huge crowds that gathered to see him all along the route of his tours showcased the encouragement and support of the people towards Gandhiji.

“Hey Ram” uttered the Mahatma. “Let no living be harmed. Remember, we are here to show our protest silently and not violently”. Saying so, he started walking with a stick in his hand. Civil Disobedience was launched after the observance of Independence Day in 1930.

I looked around to figure out where we were. Ah, the Dandi March, when Gandhi was leaving the Sabarmati Ashram at Ahmedabad leading on foot, followed by 78 other members of the Ashram for Dandi. The British Salt Act of 1882 prohibited Indians from collecting or selling salt, a very commonly used commodity across India. Indian citizens were forced to buy all of their salt from the predominant British East India Company. The Britishers charged a heavy tax and locals found it very difficult to buy salt. Although the poor people suffered the prevalent overbearing tax, all Indians required salt and therefore they had to pay tax and procure salt!

First, Gandhi sent a letter on March 2, 1930, to inform Viceroy Lord Irwin that he and the united citizens of India would start breaking the Salt Laws in 10 days. The Dandi March was started to emphasize that Indians won’t pay the salt tax. It was a twenty-four day march lasting from 12 March 1930 to 5 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance, promoting India, and a non-violent protest against the British salt monopoly. The March spanned about 390 km, from Sabarmati Ashram to the seashore of Dandi. All along the way, Gandhi preached to large crowds, and with each passing day, there was a substantial increase in the number of supporters who voluntarily joined hands for the Salt Satyagraha to break the Salt Law. Gandhi defied the British Raj Salt Laws at 6:30 am on 6 April 1930, by picking up a small lump of natural salt out of the mud. I could see people rejoicing when Gandhi reached down and British law had been defied. He was arrested on May 5, but the Satyagraha prospered even without him. Many more Indians followed his lead, and in the coastal cities including Bombay and Karachi, Indian nationalists and Protestants led crowds of citizens in making the salt. All people irrespective of caste and creed followed the pursuit of a single identity – that of an Indian.

Even C. Rajgopalchari in Tamil Nadu led a similar march from Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirapalli) to Vedaranyam. Sarojini Naidu led 2,500 marchers of the Dharasana Salt Works on May 21, from the cities of Bombay to the coast.

British-led Indian policemen were all over the place crying “lathi charge”! While the protestors preached, “Fellow Indians, remember Bapu’s preaching, we are protesting for our rights in a non-violent manner. Do not retaliate.”

Policemen hit the people viciously yet the non-violent protestors kept calm and focused on their goal — the March. The British government organized the first round table conference in London in November 1930, to put into force the reforms proposed by the Simon Commission. The Congress, fighting for the independence of the country, had boycotted it. But it was attended by the representatives of Indian princes, the Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha and some others. Yet, nothing came out of it.

The English man spoke. “So there is nothing we could achieve, without the support of Bapu – Mr. Gandhi! Damn!”

“Yes, Sir! Our decisions on the implementation of the constitutional changes in India would not be accepted by the Indian people without the help of Congress”.

“Congress! My foot!”

“Can we go ahead and release the goddamn Mr.Gandhi?”

“But, I don’t understand what the hell is ‘non-violence’. They have to answer to our guns.”

I was stupefied listening to this conversation in an English hall, which was full of English officials.

Gandhi was released from prison in January 1931. Upon his release, he met with Lord Irwin who was the viceroy of India and accepted the proposal to call off the Satyagraha in exchange for an unbiased negotiating role at a London conference organized in the future for India.

Pudumai jerked. I knew that we were now traveling to another scene.

“No more Videshi goods. Only Swadeshi”.

People were burning foreign goods in masses all over the country. My heart swells with pride. Indians had the guts to fight against the British in all possible ways they could. Throughout India, British-based goods were being boycotted and burnt, and the manufacturing and usage of Indian-based materials was encouraged.

Pudumai quavered again. Time for yet another scene. It was Lahore –then still a part of India.

“Simon – down down”

We saw an angry mob of people with black flags pinned to their chest. The slogans were all the one and the same.

We could hear the conversation of the angry mobsters.

“Simon – down down”

“Get out Simon”

“Ravi Anna, when is this Simon guy coming?”

“That guy will be here anytime now.”

“But Anna, I don’t understand, why the ‘Simon Commision’ which is organized for the welfare of Indians does not have one of us in it?”

“True Raju. All goras are forming the group and they will help Bharat!”

“Here comes our Punjab Kesari – Lala Lajpat Rai”

I looked at the direction the man pointed out. Punjab Kesari – Punjab Da Sher, Lala Lajpat Rai.

The Simon Commission was a group of seven members of Parliament under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon. The Commission arrived in British India in 1928 to constitutionally reform India. The Simon Commission was put in place for the submission of India’s constitutional progress for introducing newer and stronger constitutional reforms. But due to its orders of the non-acceptance of any Indian member, it was strongly opposed by the Indians. Its members were immediately confronted by throngs of protesters. Strikes were organized and many people turned out to express their denial of the Commission with black flags. Similar protests occurred in most of the major Indian cities that the seven British MPs visited to record.

One of the most prominent protests was on 30 October 1928, when the Commission arrived in Lahore where it was met by protesters waving black flags. The protest was led by the Indian nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai, who had moved a resolution against the Commission in the Legislative Assembly of Punjab in February 1928.

“Lathi charge”

“Leave way for the Simon Commission team, else you will be beaten to death”

I could hear these words over and again. I witnessed Lala Lajpat Rai being beaten to death by the local police. I remembered from my history books that Punjab Da Sher died a fortnight later.

A majority of the Indian citizens were unanimously enraged and insulted that the Simon Commission, which was made for the betterment of the future of India, did not even include a single Indian member. The Indian National Congress agreed to boycott the Commission and challenged Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State for India, to draft a constitution that would be acceptable to the Indian populace and modernize the future of their motherland. Members of the Muslim League and many Muslims, led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, made the decision of boycotting the Commission.

Educated Indians were opposing the Commission, so the British government was forced to opt for another method of dealing with the constitutional problems and fissures of India. Before the publications commenced, the British government stated that Indian opinion would have to be taken into account and that the natural outcome of the constitutional process would be dominion status for India.

The outcome of the Simon Commission was the making of the Government of India Act 1935, which proposed to bring a government at a provincial level in India but not at the national administration. It is the root source of many parts of the Indian Constitution. The first elections were held in the Provinces in January 1931, resulting in Congress Governments taking the reins in almost all Provinces.

It was an exhilarating experience!! According to me, history should have only one purpose——enjoyment.

Aunty clicked the button “H” and it was time to go home.