AP8 Q2W8D3: Mahatma Gandhi and Passive Resistance -The Salt March and Ahimsa

Day 3: Mahatma Gandhi and Passive Resistance — The Salt March and Ahimsa

Today you will study how Mahatma Gandhi organized a powerful nonviolent movement that challenged empire using truth, discipline, and mass participation. We will connect satyagraha, ahimsa, civil disobedience, boycott, and the Salt March to daily choices people made under colonial rule. You will examine how ordinary citizens—workers, students, farmers, and women—turned small actions into national pressure. By the end, you will evaluate when nonviolent strategies work, why they require preparation, and how to apply them responsibly in school and community life.

• Subject: Social Studies (Araling Panlipunan 8)
• Grade: 8
• Day: 3 of 4

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

1. Explain the core ideas of satyagraha and ahimsa and how Gandhi used them in mass campaigns, including the Salt March.
2. Analyze benefits, risks, and requirements of nonviolent action for different groups (workers, women, students, rural communities).
3. Design a realistic, ethical school-level action plan that applies nonviolent principles to address one local issue.

• Satyagraha — “Truth-force”; nonviolent resistance grounded in truth, self-discipline, and willingness to suffer for justice.
• Ahimsa — Non-harm; commitment to avoid violence in word and deed.
• Civil Disobedience — Public, nonviolent refusal to obey unjust laws, accepting legal consequences.
• Boycott/Swadeshi — Withholding cooperation and favoring local goods to reduce dependence on colonial systems.
• Salt March (1930) — 240-mile march to the sea to break the salt tax, sparking nationwide civil disobedience.

Warm up by connecting yesterday’s lesson to nonviolent resistance.

1. Name one way imperial policies affected everyday life in India.
Show Answer
Taxes on basic goods (e.g., salt), control of trade, and limits on political participation.
2. Give one reason people might choose nonviolence over violent revolt.
Show Answer
It lowers harm, invites wider participation, and can win moral support at home and abroad.
3. What is a risk of nonviolent protest?
Show Answer
Repression by authorities; need for strict discipline; possible misunderstandings if goals are unclear.

How to use this section: Work through 6 checkpoints. Each includes a mini-goal, guided discussion, real-life tie-in, mini-summary, and guiding questions with hidden answers.

Checkpoint 1 — Roots of Satyagraha

Mini-goal: Understand how Gandhi’s experiences shaped his philosophy.

Guided discussion: Gandhi trained as a lawyer and encountered racial discrimination in South Africa. There, he saw that ordinary people could resist unjust systems without weapons—if they were united, truthful, and disciplined. He blended legal strategy, moral teaching, and community organization into satyagraha. Volunteers took pledges, learned how to face insults without retaliation, and kept careful records. True power came from refusing to cooperate with injustice—boycotting unfair passes, courts, or taxes—while remaining peaceful. The method demanded courage because participants accepted arrest and hardship to expose cruelty and awaken conscience.

Real-life tie-in: When rules are unfair at school, a respectful petition, data, and calm persistence often win more allies than anger alone.

Mini-summary: Satyagraha combined truth, unity, and disciplined noncooperation learned through struggle in South Africa.

1. Why did Gandhi require pledges from volunteers?
Show Answer
Pledges built discipline and trust so actions remained peaceful under stress.
2. What made noncooperation powerful?
Show Answer
Systems depend on public cooperation; withdrawing it exposes injustice and creates pressure.
3. Why accept arrest?
Show Answer
Accepting consequences highlights the law’s unfairness and keeps protests nonviolent.

Checkpoint 2 — Ahimsa: Non-harm in Practice

Mini-goal: See how moral principles shape tactics.

Guided discussion: Ahimsa was not passivity; it was active restraint. Protesters trained to avoid insults, damaging property, or harming opponents. Leaders prepared codes of conduct: no weapons, no taunting, protect bystanders, and help the injured—including opponents. Spokespersons explained goals clearly to prevent rumors. Volunteers rotated to avoid exhaustion. Women organized food, first aid, and communications—expanding leadership beyond the frontline. Because ahimsa respected life and dignity, it opened space for negotiation and reduced fear among undecided citizens who might otherwise reject protest.

Real-life tie-in: In a heated class debate, clear rules and respectful language prevent conflict and keep attention on the issue.

Mini-summary: Ahimsa turned crowds into disciplined teams whose conduct strengthened their message.

1. How do rules protect a nonviolent action?
Show Answer
They prevent escalation, protect people, and increase credibility.
2. Why include support teams?
Show Answer
Logistics (food, first aid, communication) keep actions safe and sustainable.
3. How does respect for opponents help?
Show Answer
It reduces fear and invites dialogue, gaining neutral observers’ sympathy.

Checkpoint 3 — The Salt March: A Small Grain, A Big Spark

Mini-goal: Explain why salt became a national issue and how the march worked.

Guided discussion: Salt was essential to life, yet colonial law taxed and controlled it. Gandhi chose salt because every family needed it—rich or poor—making the injustice visible. In 1930 he and chosen volunteers walked about 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi, stopping in villages to teach self-rule and discipline. Newspapers followed daily; photographs spread globally. At the shore, Gandhi lifted salt from the sea, symbolically breaking the law; thousands did the same, accepting arrest. The genius was simplicity: an unjust law, a clear act, and a crowd prepared to remain peaceful.

Real-life tie-in: Choosing an issue that touches everyone—like safe water in school—can unite many different groups.

Mini-summary: The Salt March turned a basic need into a moral question and a nationwide campaign.

1. Why was salt a smart target?
Show Answer
It affected all households, exposing unfair control in daily life.
2. How did media shape the campaign?
Show Answer
Reports and photos spread the story worldwide, pressuring authorities.
3. Why walk instead of drive?
Show Answer
Walking built momentum, trained volunteers, and engaged villages along the route.

Checkpoint 4 — Civil Disobedience Nationwide

Mini-goal: See how a symbol becomes a movement.

Guided discussion: After Dandi, communities across India launched boycotts of British cloth, picketed liquor shops, and refused certain taxes. Students left colonial schools to join national colleges; workers staged strikes; women made salt and led marches. Local committees tracked arrests and trained new leaders. Because actions were decentralized yet guided by shared principles, the movement survived repression. Noncooperation also had limits: some businesses and families feared economic loss; a few protests turned unruly, forcing leaders to pause and retrain volunteers. The lesson: growth requires structure—clear goals, safe tactics, and channels to resolve disputes.

Real-life tie-in: Large school projects need committees for logistics, safety, and communication; otherwise confusion weakens results.

Mini-summary: Civil disobedience spread through thousands of local actions coordinated by shared rules and purpose.

1. Why did decentralized committees help?
Show Answer
They allowed quick local decisions while keeping national unity.
2. What risk appears when protests grow fast?
Show Answer
Loss of discipline or mixed messages; some actions may turn unruly.
3. How can leaders correct mistakes?
Show Answer
Pause actions, retrain, clarify goals, and recommit to nonviolence.

Checkpoint 5 — Participation and Inclusion

Mini-goal: Analyze who joined and how participation changed society.

Guided discussion: Nonviolent methods enabled wide participation: farmers making salt, students printing leaflets, shopkeepers joining boycotts, and women organizing marches and relief. The movement opened public roles to people previously sidelined by class or gender. It also demanded sacrifice: lost income, jail time, or community pressure. Leaders balanced boldness with care—funds for families of prisoners, legal aid, and training for new organizers. Inclusion was not automatic; it had to be designed with real support systems so participation did not harm the most vulnerable.

Real-life tie-in: If your class launches a service project, budget for transport, meals, and safety so everyone can join, not just a few.

Mini-summary: Nonviolence invited broad participation but required resources and planning to be truly inclusive.

1. How did nonviolence broaden participation?
Show Answer
It lowered physical risk and allowed roles beyond fighting—printing, cooking, first aid, organizing.
2. Why provide legal and financial support?
Show Answer
To protect vulnerable families and sustain long campaigns.
3. Name one way women shaped the movement.
Show Answer
They led marches, produced salt and cloth, ran relief and communications.

Checkpoint 6 — Measuring Success and Learning Limits

Mini-goal: Evaluate outcomes and trade-offs of Gandhi’s methods.

Guided discussion: The Salt March did not immediately end colonial rule, but it transformed public opinion, recruited new leaders, and forced negotiations. International sympathy grew as peaceful protesters faced harsh treatment. However, nonviolence could be slow, and unity was difficult across a vast country. Some reforms stalled; some allies disagreed on strategies. Even so, satyagraha left a durable legacy: independence leaders trained in ethical politics, citizens practiced solidarity, and future movements worldwide adapted the methods. Judging success means asking: Did we increase justice, participation, and dignity while limiting harm?

Real-life tie-in: A campaign can succeed even before final victory if it changes attitudes, rules, and the skills of participants.

Mini-summary: Nonviolent action built power and legitimacy over time, achieving moral victories that paved the way for political change.

1. What kinds of “wins” happened before independence?
Show Answer
Public awareness, new leaders, local reforms, and negotiations.
2. Why is unity hard to maintain?
Show Answer
Different interests, regional needs, and the stress of arrests or economic loss.
3. How should we measure responsible success?
Show Answer
By gains in justice, inclusion, skills, and reduced harm—not only final laws.

1. Design a five-rule code of conduct for a peaceful school campaign.
   Show Answer

   No insults; no property damage; follow marshals; help the injured; end on time and clean up.
2. Choose a “salt issue” in school (small but universal) and propose one symbolic action.
   Show Answer

   Example: Fair access to water dispensers — carry blue ribbons and present data to admin.
3. Create a roles map for volunteers (frontline, logistics, media, legal, first aid).
   Show Answer

   Assign team leads, contact lists, and backup plans for each role.
4. Draft a 2-sentence message for parents and teachers explaining goals and safety.
Show Answer
“Our action is peaceful and respectful. We will follow school rules, keep learning first, and present solutions.”
5. Sketch a timeline for a one-week awareness drive ending with a petition submission.
Show Answer
Mon data collection → Tue messaging → Wed classroom talks → Thu sign-ups → Fri petition.

1. Define satyagraha in your own words.
   Show Answer

   Using truth and noncooperation, with discipline, to change unjust systems.
2. State the meaning of ahimsa.
   Show Answer

   Commitment to non-harm in actions and speech.
3. Why did Gandhi choose salt?
   Show Answer

   It was essential to everyone, revealing unfair control.
4. Name two tools of civil disobedience used in 1930.
   Show Answer

   Breaking salt laws; boycotting cloth; tax refusals; picketing.
5. Give one role students can take in a nonviolent campaign.
   Show Answer

   Research, communications, first aid, logistics, or petitioning.
6. Explain why discipline matters during protest.
   Show Answer

   It prevents harm and keeps the focus on justice.
7. What support reduces risk for participants?
   Show Answer

   Legal aid, safety training, emergency contacts, and funds.
8. How can media help and harm a movement?
   Show Answer

   Helps by spreading truth; harms if messages are unclear or sensationalized.
9. Write one respectful sentence to an opponent.
   Show Answer

   “We disagree, but we value safety and invite dialogue about shared solutions.”
10. In one line, describe a safe, symbolic action your class could take.
    Show Answer

    Wear a simple color ribbon and submit data-backed proposals to admin.

1. Multiple Choice: Satyagraha means…
   Show Answer

   Truth-force—resistance grounded in truth and nonviolence.
2. True/False: Ahimsa allows insults if the cause is just.
   Show Answer

   False. Non-harm applies to words and actions.
3. Fill in the Blank: The 1930 march from Sabarmati to ______ protested the salt tax.
   Show Answer

   Dandi (the sea).
4. Short Answer: One reason the Salt March drew global attention.
   Show Answer

   Clear symbol, dramatic journey, and strong media coverage.
5. Multiple Choice: Which action best fits civil disobedience?
   Show Answer

   Publicly breaking an unjust law and accepting arrest.
6. Matching: (A) Boycott (B) Picket (C) Petition — (1) Refuse to buy (2) Peaceful line at a site (3) Written request.
   Show Answer

   A-1, B-2, C-3.
7. True/False: Nonviolent movements need no training.
   Show Answer

   False. Training and rules are essential.
8. Fill in the Blank: Noncooperation withdraws public ______ from unjust systems.
   Show Answer

   Support/cooperation.
9. Short Answer: Name one inclusive practice used in campaigns.
   Show Answer

   Providing first aid teams, translation, child care, or transport stipends.
10. Multiple Choice: A movement is responsible when it…
    Show Answer

    Protects people, states clear goals, and keeps actions peaceful.
11. True/False: The Salt March immediately granted independence.
    Show Answer

    False. It built momentum and legitimacy toward later change.
12. Fill in the Blank: Respectful language protects a movement’s ______.
    Show Answer

    Credibility.
13. Short Answer: Give one metric to judge campaign success besides new laws.
    Show Answer

    More participants trained; improved public opinion; safer tactics adopted.
14. Multiple Choice: Which role is NOT required for safety?
    Show Answer

    None—frontline, first aid, marshals, and communications all improve safety.
15. Short Answer: In one sentence, state the main legacy of Gandhi’s nonviolence.
    Show Answer

    It proved that disciplined, inclusive nonviolent action can challenge powerful systems and grow democratic leadership.

1. Action Plan: Draft a one-page, nonviolent campaign for a school issue (goal, message, timeline, roles, safety rules).
2. Case Study: Compare Salt March strategies with one peaceful event in Philippine history; list three shared tactics.
3. Ethics Lab: Write 150 words on handling a peer who breaks the code during a protest—how to respond without violence.
4. Media Craft: Create a one-slide explainer on why symbolic targets (like salt) mobilize people.
5. Skills Workshop: Design a 20-minute training outline for marshals and first-aiders in school actions.

Notebook Task: In 6–8 sentences, answer: “What single rule would you add to a code of conduct for peaceful action in our school, and how would it protect both people and the message?”

Lesson Tools

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