After the August Offer (1940) the British government had taken the adamant position that no constitutional advance could be made till the Congress came to an agreement with the Muslim leaders. It issued ordinance after ordinance taking away the freedom of speech and that of the press and the right to organise associations.
Must read: Non-cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement – the strategic shifters
Towards the end of 1940, the Congress once again asked Gandhi to take command. Gandhi now began taking steps which would lead to a mass struggle within his broad strategic perspective. He decided to initiate a limited satyagraha on an individual basis by a few selected individuals in every locality.
Must read: Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase
Unlike in the past, where Gandhi’s campaign had assumed a mass character, Gandhi decided on the strategy of individual Satyagraha so that the war against fascism was not hampered.
What were the aims behind launching individual satyagraha?
The aims of launching individual satyagraha were:
(i) to show that nationalist patience was not due to weakness;
(ii) to express people’s feeling that they were not interested in the war and that they made no distinction between Nazism and the double autocracy that ruled India; and
(iii) to give another opportunity to the government to accept Congress’ demands peacefully.
Must read: August Offer – Proposals, Responses and Evaluation
The demand of the satyagrahi would be the freedom of speech against the war through an anti-war declaration. If the government did not arrest the satyagrahi, he or she would not only repeat it but move into villages and start a march towards Delhi, thus precipitating a movement which came to be known as the ‘Delhi Chalo Movement’.
When was the individual satyagraha launched?
The programme began on October 17, 1940 with Vinobha Bhave offering Satyagraha near his Paunar ashram in Maharashtra. Nehru was the second to offer satyagraha.
Gandhi suspended the Satyagraha in December 1940. It was revived with some changes and groups
offered satyagrahas from January 1941. By May 1941, 25,000 people had been convicted for individual civil disobedience. Individual satyagraha was eventually withdrawn in August 1941.
External link: https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/icp01/chapter/individual-satyagraha-and-quit-india-movement/
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . In the ‘Individual Satyagraha’, Vinoba Bhave was chosen as the first Satyagrahi. Who was the second? UPSC 2009
(a) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(b) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
(c) Rajagopalachari
(d) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Ans (b)
