Gandhi’s arrest

Gandhi then informed the Viceroy that he was going to raid the government –run Dharasana Salt Works in Gujarat. Lord Irwin decided to act. Two English officers with pistols, accompanied by many Indian policemen armed with rifles, arrived at Gandhi’s camp in the middle of the night.

They woke up Gandhi and said, “You are under arrest.” Gandhi was taken to Yerawada Central Jail.

So Gandhi was not there at the time of raid on the Dharasana Salt Works.

The salt deposits were surrounded by barbed-wire fencing and protected by about 400 Indian policemen armed with steel-short lathis. A few British officers were in command of them.

 Gandhi’s volunteers halted some distance away from the fencing. Then a selected group of them advanced towards the barbed-wire fence. Police officials ordered the volunteers to disperse but they ignored the warning.

Suddenly the police rushed at them and rained blow after blow on the defenseless men. Not one of the volunteers even raised an arm to stop the blows. They fell down, some with broken skulls, some with broken shoulders, arms, or legs. The waiting crowd groaned.

When the entire first batch had been knocked down and carried off on stretchers, another batch advanced to meet the same fate. The campaign went on for hours. Finally, as the heat of the day increased, the volunteers stopped their activities for that day. Among the volunteers two had died and 320 were injured.

Gandhi’s arrest had created a great sensation in India and abroad. Representations were sent from all parts of the world to the British Prime Minister asking the government to release Gandhi and make peace with India.

Even those who were supporters of the British demanded the release of Gandhi. Gandhi proved to be more dangerous inside the jail than outside. While he sat quietly in Yerawada Jail, countrywide outbreaks of civil disobedience were greatly taxing the British. The jails were filled to over flowing. The government was in distress and finally in 1931 they released Gandhi, Nehru and other leaders.

As soon as Gandhi was out of prison he asked for an interview with the Viceroy, Lord Irwin. The interview was immediately given. Gandhi and Irwin met, but the two men seemed to have come from two different worlds.

Gandhi did not go to seek any favours. He wanted to negotiate on terms of equality. The meeting went on for many days and finally the talks culminated in a treaty, the Gandhi –Irwin Pact. It embodied compromises made by both sides. Irwin agreed to release all the political prisoners, and Gandhi promised to suspended civil disobedience and sends a Congress representative to the Round Table Conference. For at that time, in London, the British Government was holding a Round Table Conference on the future of India.

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a victory for non-violent resistance. But some of Gandhi’s Congress followers thought he had not gained much as a result of the pact.

Gandhi was designated as the sole representative of the Congress to the Round Table Conference. In August 1931 he sailed for London with a small party.

Gandhi went to England with the object of reaching an agreement with the British on a fair Constitution for India and also of winning the hearts of the British people. In his first object he failed, but in the second he met with great success. Gandhi spent 84 days in England and most of the time he was meeting and talking to people. Winston Churchill refused to see him but Gandhi captivated the hearts of many. He had tea with the king and Queen. When a reporter asked him if he thought he had been dressed well enough for such an august tea party. Gandhi replied, “The King had on enough for both of us.”

At the Round Table Conference nothing was conceded to India towards her goal of Swaraj. The Conference played up the differences between Hindus and Muslims, and this only served to worsen communal tension in India.

Gandhi returned with nothing except warm goodwill for India from the hearts of many English people.