According to Gandhiji, satyagraha stressed on the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It advocated that for the struggle against injustice and right cause, the use of physical force cannot be the right way. One can win the oppressor even by appealing to his conscience. Rather than using violence against him it is important is the most effective method of protest. It is certain that the truth always wins.

(i) When the colonial government began arresting the Congress leaders one by one, there were violent clashes in many places.
(ii) When Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a devout disciple of Gandhi was arrested in Peshawar, angry crowds demonstrated in the streets of Peshawar.
(iii) When Mahatma Gandhi himself was arrested, industrial workers in Sholapur attacked police posts, municipal buildings, law courts, railway station, all that symbolised British rule. The frightened government responded with a policy of brutal repression.
(iv) Peaceful Satyagrahis were attacked, women and children were beaten, and about one lakh of people were arrested. In such a situation Mahatma Gandhi once again decided to call off the movement in 1931.

(a) The rich peasant communities were very hard hit by the trade depression and falling prices.
(b) Their cash income disappeared and found it difficult to pay the revenue demanded by the British government.
(c) When the government refused to reduce the revenue demand there was wide spread resentment among the rich peasants who supported this movement.

(i) Mahatma Gandhi placed his demands in the form of a letter to Viceroy Irwin. If the demands were not fulfilled by 11^th March, the letter stated, the Congress would launch a Civil Disobedience campaign. Irwin was unwilling to negotiate. So Mahatma Gandhi started his famous salt march accompanied by 78 of his trusted volunteers.
(ii) The march was over 240 miles from Gandhiji's ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. Thousand came to hear Mahatma Gandhi wherever he stopped and he told them what he meant by swaraj. Gandhiji urged them to peacefully defy the British. On 6^th April he reached Dandi and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling sea water. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

(i) Gandhiji chose salt as the medium for protesting against the British rule.
(ii) 31^st January 1930, Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin starting eleven demands ranging from industrialists to peasants.
(iii) The most important of the demands was the abolition of salt tax as salt was the most essential commodity for the common man.
(iv) The government was asked to accept the demand by 11^th march, failing which a civil disobedience movement would be started.
(v) On refusal of demands, salt march started from Gandhi's ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarat coastal town of Dandi, spanning a distance of 240 miles.
(vi) On 6^th April 1930, Gandhi reached dandi with thousands of followers and ceremonially violated the law by manufacturing salt from sea water.
(vii) This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

(i) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930 demanded separate electorates for dalits in the Second Round Table Conference organised in London.
(ii) When British accepted this demand in the name of Communal Award, Gandhiji started s fast into death. He believed that separate electorates for dalits would slow down the process of their integration into the society.
(iii) Ambedkar and Gandhi came to an agreement with Ambedkar accepting Gandhi's position and the result was the Poona Pact of September, 1932.
(a) It gave the depressed classes reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils.
(b) But, they were to be voted in by the general electorate.

(i) Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass produced mill cloth and poor people could not afford to but it.
(ii) The boycott of British institutions posed s problem.
(iii) So, the students and teaches began trickling back to government schools and lawyers joined back work in government courts.

Some workers did participate in the civil disobedience movement, selectively adopting some of the ideas of the Gandhian programme, like boycott of foreign goods as a part of their own movement against low wages and poor working conditions.
There were strikes by railway workers in 1930 and dock workers in 1932. Thousands of workers in Chotangpur tin mines wore Gandhi caps and participated in protest rallies and boycott campaigns. The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of workers as part of it's programmed of struggle. It felt that this would alienate industries and divide the imperial forces.

The Civil Disobedience Movement was called off without the fulfilment of the demand of the rich peasant communities. Many rich peasant communities decided not to join the restarted Civil Disobedience Movement. The Congress was unwilling to support the "no rent" campaigns due to the fear of upsetting the rich peasants and landlords. The spread of militant activities, worries of prolonged business disruptions, growing influences of socialism amongst the young Congress members and the failure of the Round Table Conference led to the withdrawal of support to the movement by the business class. Industrial workers did not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement except in Nagpur. The dalits (untouchables) did not participate as the Congress sided with the conservative high-caste Hindus. Muslim organizations and communities also sparsely participated in the movement. The Muslims alienated from the movement due to the fear of the dominance of the Hindu majority. During the course of the civil- disobedience movement, many dalit leaders separately demanded reservation of seats in the educational institutions and separate electorate for the legislative council elections. Dr B.R. Ambedkar organised the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for dalits. Gandhiji began a fast unto death for opposing the. demand of separate electorates for dalits because he believed that this would disunite the Indian masses.

(a) A sense of unity and nationalism was inspired by history and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols.
(b) Abanindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata. In this painting Bharat Mata is portrayed as an ascetic figure; she is calm, composed, divine and spiritual.
(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's song Vande Mataram united many people and communities.
(d) During the Swadeshi Movement, a tri-colour (red, green and yellow) flag was designed.
(e) It had eight lotuses representing eight provinces of British India and a crescent moon, representing Hindus and Muslims.
(f) In 1921, Gandhiji had designed the tri-colour Swaraj flag (red, green and yellow) with the spinning wheel at the centre. This flag represented the Gandhian ideal of self-help.
(g) The glorious developments in the ancient times when art and architecture, science and mathematics, religion and culture, law and philosophy, and crafts trade flourished were discovered with the help of history. This installed pride and united the Indians.

Political leaders differed sharply over the question of Separate electorates because
(i) The Muslim leaders thought that their interest could only be protected in a Muslim state, and in a Hindu majority state they would be at the mercy of the Hindus. They wanted reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation in proportion to population in the Muslim- dominated provinces, viz, Bengal and Punjab.
(ii) Dr BR Ambedkar, the leader of the depressed classes, was in favour of separate electorates for his community but Gandhiji believed that separate electorate for Dalits would slow down the process of their integration into society. Later Ambedkar accepted Gandhiji's position and signed 'Poona Pact'.

I was very happy to participate in Civil Disobedience Movement because I understood chat I had to serve the nation in whatever capacity I could. I had heard Gandhiji speaking and asking us to participate in this movement. Inspired by him, I also offered Satyagraha, picketed liquor shops and shops selling foreign cloth and also courted arrest. I felt empowered by these activities and felt that women also could help the men actively in the ultimate goal of achieving independence from the British. The experience has made me realise that women also have an important role to play in realising our freedom.