The Civil Disobedience Movement, which was resumed in 1932 after the failure of the London talks, was finally withdrawn completely in:

The Civil Disobedience Movement, which had been resumed in January 1932, was finally withdrawn completely by Gandhi in April 1934 (the decision was confirmed by the Congress in May 1934).

Background:

• The Civil Disobedience Movement began in 1930 with the Salt Satyagraha.
• It was later suspended after an agreement between Gandhi and the Viceroy, so that the Congress could take part in the talks in London.
• After the talks failed, Gandhi returned to India in December 1931.
• The movement was resumed in January 1932.

The second phase:

• The government, under the new Viceroy Lord Willingdon, followed a policy of harsh repression.
• Gandhi and other leaders were arrested immediately.
• The Congress was declared illegal, its offices were seized, and its funds were confiscated.
• Thousands of people were arrested, and many were beaten and fined.
• The movement continued, but gradually lost strength because of the repression.
• In 1933, Gandhi suspended mass civil disobedience and allowed only individual civil disobedience.
• Gandhi turned his attention to the campaign against untouchability.

Final withdrawal:

• In April 1934, Gandhi withdrew the movement completely.
• The Congress then decided to take part in the elections to the Central Legislative Assembly (1934), and later contested the provincial elections of 1937.

Assessment of the movement:

• It involved large numbers of people, including women, peasants, traders and students.
• NCERT notes that the movement involved the breaking of colonial laws, and was different from the Non-Cooperation Movement, which had asked people only to refuse cooperation.
• It weakened British authority, and made it clear that India could not be ruled without the consent of the people.
• However, some groups, such as Dalits and many Muslims, did not participate actively.
• NCERT notes that industrial workers did not participate in large numbers, except in the Nagpur region.

Why not the other options?

• ✗1930 was the year the movement began.
• ✗1933 was the year of individual civil disobedience.
• ✗1936 was not the year of the withdrawal.