The Civil Disobedience movement began in 1930 (12 March – 6 April 1930). Mahatma Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement after the British Government failed to respond positively to Gandhi’s eleven demands. On March 12, 1930, Gandhi led the famous Dandi March. The three Round Table Conferences of 1930–1932 were a series of peace conferences convened by the British Government and Indian political figures to discuss constitutional reforms in India. These lasted from November 1930 to December 1932.

Events Before Civil Disobedience Movement

Calcutta Congress Session (Dec 1928)

• The Nehru Report was approved by the Congress at its Calcutta session in December 1928, but the younger elements led by Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose, and Satyamurthy expressed their dissatisfaction with dominion status as Congress’s goal.
• Instead, they demanded that the Congress set the goal of purna swaraj, or complete independence.
• The older leaders, such as Gandhi and Motilal Nehru, wished that the dominion status demand not be dropped hastily, as consensus on it had been developed with great difficulty over the years.
• They proposed giving the government a two-year grace period to accept the demand for dominion status. Later, under pressure from the younger generation, this period was reduced to one year.
• Now, the Congress has decided that if the government does not accept a constitution based on dominion status by the end of the year, the Congress will not only demand complete independence, but will also launch a civil disobedience movement to achieve its goal.

Irwin’s Declaration (31st Oct 1929)

• Lord Irwin made his declaration before the Simon Commission report was released.
• It was a joint effort by the Labour government (which was always more sympathetic to Indian aspirations than the Conservatives) and a Conservative viceroy. The declaration’s goal was to “restore faith in the ultimate goal of British policy.”
• On October 31, 1929, the declaration was made in the form of an official communique published in the Indian Gazette. Irwin’s promised dominion status would be unavailable for a long time.
• In reality, the declaration contained nothing new or revolutionary. Lord Irwin also promised a Round Table Conference after the Simon Commission submitted its report.

Delhi Manifesto (Nov 2nd 1929)

• On November 2, 1929, a conference of prominent national leaders issued the ‘Delhi Manifesto,’ which outlined the conditions for attending the Round Table Conference.
• They sought assurances from the viceroy that the round table conference’s purpose was to draft a constitutional scheme for dominion status. That was not the purpose of the conference, according to Irwin.
• Viceroy Irwin rejected the demands outlined in the Delhi Manifesto. The confrontation was about to start.

Lahore Congress Session (Dec 1929)

The 1929 Congress session was held in Lahore. This session was significant because the prominent party Indian National Congress adopted the Poorna Swaraj or complete independence resolution in Lahore. This session was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru with backing from Gandhi. He hoisted the Indian tricolor flag on the bank of the Ravi river.

• The Calcutta Congress session saw a near-split between leaders who desired dominion and leaders who desired complete independence.
• Finally, it was decided that if the British parliament accepted the Nehru report by December 31, 1929, Congress would accept it as is.
• If the report is not accepted by the British parliament, Congress will demand total independence and will organize a non-violent non-cooperation movement.
• The one-year deadline passed with no response from the government. This was followed by the Congress Session in Lahore, presided over by Jawahar Lal Nehru.
• The most significant resolution was that the Nehru Committee Report had now expired and that Dominion status would no longer be acceptable. A Poorna Swaraj Resolution was passed, with Swarajya referring to complete independence.
• According to this resolution, the Central and Provincial Legislatures had to be completely boycotted, as well as all future elections. A Civil Disobedience Program was to be launched.
• The deadline for the Nehru Committee report expired at midnight on December 31, 1929, and on January 1, 1930, Jawahar Lal Nehru unfurled the Flag of India’s Independence on the banks of the River Ravi in Lahore.
• The Congress working committee met on January 2, 1930, and it was decided that January 26, 1930, should be observed as Poorna Swaraj Day, as Mahatma Gandhi drafted a Poorna Swaraj pledge on that day.

Jawaharlal Nehru as President of INC:

• Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was a central figure in India during the mid-twentieth century. He was an anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, diplomat, and author.
• In the 1930s and 1940s, Nehru was a key figure in the Indian nationalist movement. He was India’s prime minister for 17 years after the country’s independence in 1947.
• During the 1950s, Nehru vigorously promoted parliamentary democracy, secularism, and science and technology, profoundly influencing India’s development as a modern nation. In international affairs, he kept India out of the Cold War’s two blocs.
• He joined the Indian National Congress and rose through the ranks to become the leader of a progressive faction and, eventually, the Congress, receiving the support of Mahatma Gandhi, who designated Nehru as his political heir.
• In his capacity as President of the Congress in 1929, Nehru advocated for complete independence from the British Raj.
• He was chosen as the President due to following reasons:
  • Because of the timing (Congress’ acceptance of complete independence as its goal), and
  • To recognize the surge of youth that had made the anti-Simon campaign a huge success.
• During the 1930s, Nehru and Congress dominated Indian politics.

• The Lahore session played a significant role in the Indian national movement for independence.
• Purna Swaraj was declared India’s goal during this session.
• The leaders’ only goal was complete independence. This session was also a significant catalyst for the civil disobedience movement.
• There will be a boycott of the Round Table Conference.
• The aim of the Congress was changed from the earlier demand of dominion status to complete independence/Poorna Swaraj of India.
• The Working Committee of Congress was authorized to start preparations for the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement by initiating the non-payment of taxes and resignation of its members from legislatures.
• The session also proposed to launch a Civil Disobedience Movement at an appropriate time.
• It was declared that January 26, 1930, would be celebrated as Independence Day, with people taking a pledge to fight for complete independence.

Independence Pledge:

• The Congress convention convened in Lahore in December 1929, and Pandit Nehru presided over it.
• During this session, he stated that “there is only one goal ahead of us, and that is full freedom.”
• Purna Swaraj’s declaration was circulated at the INC on December 19, 1929.
• Members agreed in this session that the Congress and Indian nationalists should fight for Purna Swaraj or rule themselves entirely independently.
• Congress passed a motion for complete independence, and the President of Congress hoisted the flag of complete freedom on Ravi’s bank at midnight on December 31, 1929, in front of a large crowd.
• This was the day when nationalists unfurled the tricolor for the first time.
• Jawaharlal Lal Nehru drafted the Poorna Swaraj Resolution, and Mahatma Gandhi drafted the “Declaration of Independence” pledge in 1930.