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Daily Answer Writing Challenge-29th August

Q1. The Civil Disobedience Movement was a step ahead of the Non-Cooperation movement in  many respects. Discuss. (150 Words, 15 Marks) 

Answer: 

Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) was launched by Gandhiji in 1930 on the issue of defiance  of repressive salt law. It continued till 1934 and left an indelible mark on the Indian National  Movement. 

CDM was a step ahead of the Non-Cooperation movement (NCM) in the following way:

  • The philosophy behind CDM was not just non-cooperation with the British government, but  active defiance of unjust laws. NCM’s underlying philosophy was just non-cooperation with the  British government. 
  • CDM saw unprecedented participation of women, they took out processions, picketed liquor  shops etc. In other words, the movement brought them out of the private sphere into the  public sphere. 
  • The participation of masses in rural areas was far ahead than in NCM, illegal making of salt and  its distribution became a national activity. 
  • CDM put forward the demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ or complete independence from British rule,  NCM was vague in its definition of self-rule. 
  • CDM gave birth to many other movements like anti-chowkidara tax agitation, anti-Union Board  movement, defiance of forest laws in Central India, Karnataka etc. 
  • Though these movements were based on local and regional issues, the essence and strategy  behind these movements were based on CDM. These movements helped to link local problems  with national issues and thus made CDM hugely popular. 
  • The number of people who went to jail was around 90,000 which was 3 times that of NCM.
  • The Hindu – Muslim cooperation was not so much visible in CDM which was there during Non Cooperation Movement. 

CDM marked an important stage in the national fight for freedom from British rule. It put forward  the demand of Poorna Swaraj on the national plane, which meant that there could be no retreat  now. Though both the Non-cooperation movement and civil disobedience movement had many  differences, they helped break the myth of benevolent despotism of the British raj and unified  masses for future movements for independence.