January 26, 1930: the Independence Pledge

Public meetings were organised all over the country in villages and towns and the independence pledge was read out in local languages and the national flag was hoisted. This pledge, which is supposed to have been drafted by Gandhi, made the following points:

● It is the inalienable right of Indians to have freedom.

● The British Government in India has not only deprived

us of freedom and exploited us, but has also ruined us economically, politically, culturally and spiritually. India must therefore sever the British connection and attain purna swaraj or complete independence.

● We are being economically ruined by high revenue, destruction of village industries with no substitutions made, while customs, currency and exchange rate are manipulated to our disadvantage.

● No real political powers are given—rights of free association are denied to us and all administrative talent in us is killed.

● Culturally, the system of education has torn us from our moorings.

● Spiritually, compulsory disarmament has made us unmanly.

● We hold it a crime against man and God to submit any longer to British rule.

● We will prepare for complete independence by withdrawing, as far as possible, all voluntary association from the British government and will prepare for civil disobedience through non-payment of taxes. By this an end of this inhuman rule is assured.

● We will carry out the Congress instructions for purpose of establishing purna swaraj.