Social Studies LONG ANS. QUESTIONS(5 Mark)

Civil Disobedience Movement : Violation of Salt Law by manufacturing salt from seawater by Gandhiji marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The peasants joined the Civil Disobedience Movement due to the following reasons :
a. In the countryside, the rich peasant communities like Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of Uttar Pradesh took an active part in the movement. They were hard hit by trade depression and falling prices and were unable to pay the government's revenue demand.
b. For the rich peasants, the fight for Swaraj was a struggle against high revenue.
c. As the depression continued poor peasantry found it difficult to pay the rent. They joined a variety of radical movements often led by socialists and communists.
d. Poor peasants wanted the unpaid rent to the landlord be remitted so they joined the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Gandhi launched a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act of 1919 for the following reasons :
i. Violation of Civil Liberties: The Rowlatt Act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities, and allowed the detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. Gandhi saw this as a grave violation of individual rights and an assault on the principles of justice.
ii. Betrayal of Promises: The British government had promised self-governance and reforms during World War I, but the Act went against that promise. Gandhi said that the Act showed a lack of sincere intention to provide Indians their constitutional rights.
iii. Peaceful Protest: Gandhi believed in the efficacy of nonviolent resistance, or Satyagraha, as a powerful tool against unjust laws. He saw the Rowlatt Act as an opportunity to mobilize the masses and channel their frustrations into a peaceful movement for change.
iv. Unity and Solidarity: The Act posed a threat to communal harmony, and Gandhi aimed to forge Hindu-Muslim unity through the Satyagraha, fostering a broader sense of solidarity against British oppression.
v. National Awakening: By launching a nationwide protest, Gandhi sought to awaken a sense of national consciousness among Indians, instilling a spirit of self-reliance and self-governance in the face of colonial repression.