Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

FREEDOM MOVEMENT

the British Government inaugurated the First Round Table Conference under the chairman- ship of the Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald. It was boycotted by the Congress. But it was attended by Sapru, Jinnah and Muhammad Ali representing all other important political groups in India. It adjourned sine die on January 19,1931. Soon after, members of the Congress Working Committee who were in prison were released. Tej Bahadur Sapru met Gandhiji and prevailed on him to meet Lord Irwin and negotiate a settlement in the name of the Con- gress. Meanwhile, in December 1930, the Muslim League in its Allahabad session had openly opposed the civil disobedience cam- paign. Gandhi-Irwin Pact Gandhiji negotiated with the Viceroy in Delhi for a settlement from 17th February to 5th March. Gandhiji agreed that the Congress would open discussions on the basis of agree- ments reached at the First Round Table Conference. The civil disobedience cam- paign would be called off with some assurance by the government that indemnities would be paid to those who had suffered in it. The Working Committee met on 5th March 1931. Many people hailed the talks as a victory because the Viceroy had to negotiate a settle- ment. But others were disappointed. On 5th March 1931, an aggreement was signed by the two parties which came to be known as the Gandhi-Irwin pact. In his talks with the Vice- roy, Gandhi raised the question of amnesty to prisoners convicted under the special ordi- nances. He also asked for the end of the government salt monopoly. Irwin remained adamant to these suggestions of Gandhi. On the major issue of Gandhiji's request for remitting the death sentence on Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru he not only firmly refused, but would not agree even to hold up the matter. They were executed on 23rd March. repressive ordinances, while the Congress agreed to withdraw the agitation and take part in the 2nd session of the Round Table Conference. Gandhi had scored an important psychological victory, causing an outraged Winston Churchill to make one of his most biting comments. Thus this pact failed to fully satisfy Gandhi and the other leaders. However the Government withdrew the

...In two or three minutes the ground was covered with bodies... when everyone of the first column had been knocked down, stretcher - bearers rushed up... and carried off the injured... Then another column formed....the police rushed out and.... mechanically beat down the second column.... The government inaugurated a veritable reign of terror and employed both police and military to cow down the people. The atroci- ties committed by the agents of the govern- ment beggar all description. The heads of unarmed men and women satyagrahis were the target of blows from heavy sticks, either iron-shod or covered with leather, which could, and often did, split skulls. In many localities the Congress agencies had to set up hospitals and organize ambulance corps for the victims of such brutal assault. Non-violent organization broke down several times. The leaders had to exhort the' intensely excited men to remember Gandhiji’s instruction. In defiance of fresh laws people began to cut down timber in Central Provinces and Bombay. A campaign for non-payment of taxes and land revenue was started in Gujarat, UP and Midnapur district in Bengal. Demonstrations were organized through- out India against Gandhiji’s arrest. In the meantime, at the other end of India, in Pesh- war, a dedicated group of social reformers calling themselves the ‘Khudai Khilmatgars' (Servants of God) had become prominent. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan also known as Fron- tier Gandhi because of his devotion to Gandhian non-violence was the leader of the Khudai Khilmatgars. He was arrested by the government. This led to riots, which the army could quell in no time. Hundreds were killed in the process but the operation ended in an anticlimax when Garwali soldiers - all Hin- dus-refused to fire on their Muslim brethren. including Gandhi, were arrested. On 7th May, two days after Gandhi's arrest, the 50,000 textile work- ers of Sholapur went on a rampage, attacking and burning government establishments. Many Congress leaders,

into the sea water returned to the beach and packed up some salt left by the waves. On the 6th April, Gandhi stood in the surf holding a small hump of salt while Sarojini Naicfu, shouted ''Hail, law-breaker'. This led many ‘ salt-satyagrahis’ to follow the foot- steps of Gandhi and within days, civil disobe- dience was extended to all parts of India which included boycott of British banks, insurance companies and shipping concerns. At first the British looked upon the whole thing with ridicule and contempt and the editor of an Anglo-Indian daily, the Statesman made the taunting remark that "the Mahatma could go on boiling sea water till Dominion status was attained ". Before long this scoffing atti- tude changed to a nervous apprehension. The defince of salt law led to wholesale arrests. According to official figures more than 60,000 were put behind bars. The Con- gress Working Committee estimated the number of those imprisoned as 75,000. Most of the leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, were in prison and finally Gandhiji was ar- rested on May 4,1930. On the 18th April, a group of revolution- aries led by Surya Sen created a sensation by raiding the armoury at Chittagong and carry- ing away all the guns and rifles. Gandhiji was arrested before he could offer satyagraha and make salt at the govern- ment depot at Dharasana. His place was taken as leader of the movement by Abbas Tayabji, scion of the great Bombay family of national- ist Muslims. He too was arrested. Sarojini Naidu was arrested next. Her attempt to raid Dharasana on 21 May, has been described by an American journalist, Webb Miller: Mrs. Naidu called for prayer before the march started and the entire assemblage knelt. She exhorted them : ‘ India's prestige is in our hands... you will be beaten but you must not resist; you must not even raise a hand to ward off blows'. Shrill cheers terminated her speech. Slowly in silence the throng commenced the half-mile march to the salt depots.... The salt deposits were surrounded by ditches filled with water and guarded by four hundred na- tive Surat police.... Haifa dozen British offi- cials commanded them. Police officials or- dered the marchers to disperse... A picked col- umn silently ignored the warning and walked forward.... scores of native police rushed upon the advancing marchers and rained blows on their heads with their steel-shod lathis. Not one of the marchers raised an arm to fend off the blows.... I heard the sickening whacks of the clubs on unprotected skulls.

The agitators were fired upon or lathi-

charged, leaving hundreds dead.

THE FIRST ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE

It is alarming and also nauseating to see

In mid-1930, the Simon Commission

Mr. Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple law-

submitted its report. On November 12,1930