Gandhi and Mass Movements — Definition

Definition

Gandhi's mass movements were nationwide campaigns that connected opposition to colonial rule with forms of action accessible to large and varied groups. Non-Cooperation from 1920, Civil Disobedience from 1930 and Quit India in 1942 belonged to different political settings and used different immediate programmes.

Gandhi sought to combine mobilisation with nonviolence and discipline, but participants interpreted national calls through local grievances and aspirations. These movements therefore cannot be understood as a single repeated event directed uniformly from the centre.

Their significance lies in widening participation, challenging the practical foundations of imperial authority and revealing the difficulties of coordinating a diverse national struggle.