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Question 58 of 69 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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In September 1932, Mahatma Gandhi went on a fast unto death in protest against a provision of the Communal Award, while he was imprisoned at:

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Answer: Option A — Yerwada Jail (Poona)

Detailed Solution

In September 1932, Mahatma Gandhi went on a fast unto death in his cell at Yerwada (Yerawada) Central Jail in Poona (Pune), in protest against a provision of the Communal Award.

Background:

  • After the failure of the London talks, Gandhi returned to India and was arrested in January 1932, when the Civil Disobedience Movement was resumed.
  • He was imprisoned in the Yerwada Central Jail.

The fast:

  • Gandhi objected to the provision of the award that treated a section of Hindu society as a separate electorate.
  • He believed that this would divide Hindu society permanently.
  • He began his fast on 20 September 1932, in his prison cell.
  • The fast created great anxiety across the country; leaders of different groups held urgent meetings to find a solution.
  • An agreement was reached after a few days, and the British government accepted it.
  • Gandhi broke his fast on 26 September 1932, in the presence of Rabindranath Tagore, who had come to see him.

After the fast:

  • Gandhi devoted himself to the campaign against untouchability.
  • He started a weekly paper and an organisation for this cause, and later went on a long tour across India.
  • In 1933, he went on another fast in Yerwada jail for self-purification, and was released by the government.

About Yerwada Jail:

  • It is one of the largest prisons in India, built by the British in 1871.
  • Many freedom fighters were imprisoned there, including Gandhi (several times), Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Subhas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarojini Naidu.
  • Gandhi called it "Yerwada Mandir" (Yerwada Temple); his letters from there were published as "From Yeravda Mandir".

Other famous prisons:

  • Mandalay Jail (Burma), where Tilak was imprisoned (1908-1914).
  • The Cellular Jail ("Kala Pani") in Port Blair, Andaman Islands.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Naini Jail held other leaders, such as the Nehrus.
  • ✗Sabarmati was the site of Gandhi's ashram.
  • ✗Mandalay Jail was where Tilak was imprisoned.

Quick tip

Remember: Gandhi's fast of September 1932 (20-26 September) against a provision of the Communal Award = Yerwada Jail, Poona ("Yerwada Mandir"); broken in Tagore's presence.

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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