Gandhi And Civil Disobedience In India By Mahatma Gandhi

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Civil Disobedience, the act of purposely disobeying and breaking the law based on moral or political principles is a phrase that conjures up images of the American civil rights protests of the 50’s and 60’s, Anti-Vietnam protests of the 70’s, Tiananmen Square protests in China in the late 80’s, and the civil disobedient acts of many peaceful nonviolent protests in colonial India. This non-violent movement lead by Mahatma Gandhi finally took hold after many decades to free India from English rule called the Raj. Gandhi was the predecessor to all for his nationalistic views and believed in an independent and free India, believing that all people should be treated equal. He was able to see his dream of a free India, only to be assassinated 6 …show more content…

He believed that with these four essential elements, India could be free from colonial rule (sangamithra, 2013). From upon his return in 1915 till the independence in 1947, he started a satyagraha, or a devotion to truth, which he developed while in South Africa. His goal was seek out and to reveal truth and confront injustice through non-violence. One of his most famous non-violent marches came in March 12th, 1930 when he lead what started as a small group of followers 240 miles from his home in Ahmedabad to the Arabian Sea coast about a month later on April 6th, 1930. This march was a protest to English tax and monopoly on salt, an essential mineral of the Indian culture and diet. Gandhi and his supporters were to defy British policy by making salt from seawater. Gandhi sends a public letter to the Viceroy of India at that time, Lord Irwin, announcing his intent to break the British salt monopoly at the conclusion of the march to the sea, “... I shall proceed with such co-workers of the Ashram as I can take, to disregard the provisions of the salt laws. I regard this tax to be the most iniquitous of all from the poor man 's standpoint…” (Indian Independence: Nationalism Source 3). At the same time, he implores Indian local officials to resign their posts, to drive a wedge between the raj and the nationalist movement. His letter also advocates for a boycott of imported British goods, including cloth in favor of homespun cotton. This strategy is of added significance for Indians who have been thrown out of work by Britain 's large textile and manufacturing industry. News traveled quickly of the march, and by the time the small group reached the

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