Kheda Satyagraha of 1918: Reason, Leaders, Outcomes

The Kheda Satyagraha, started by Mahatma Gandhi on March 22, 1918, in the Kheda district of Gujarat (at that time Bombay Province), was a peaceful and nonviolent movement based on truth against injustice. It was Gandhi’s third Satyagraha movement, which started seven days after the Ahmedabad Mill Strike movements.

After achieving success in the Champaran Satyagraha and Ahmedabad Mill Strike movements, Mahatma Gandhi organized this movement in Kheda district to support farmers who could not pay revenue due to famine and plague epidemics. Gandhi’s role in this movement was much more long-lasting. Although farmers initially started this movement with the help of local leader Mohanlal Pandya, later the Kheda Satyagraha movement became quite successful through the initiative of Gandhi and his associates.

This mainly involved the Peasant-Patidar community of Kheda district. Farmers were already suffering from crop damage, famine, and epidemics. The British government’s oppressive tax increase and rejection of farmers’ demands for revenue reduction led to this movement being organized. Below is a discussion about the causes of the Kheda Satyagraha movement, the leaders involved, and the outcomes and significance of the movement.

Reason of Kheda Satyagraha

The main reasons behind organizing the Kheda Satyagraha were:

• Due to natural disasters and World War I, the prices of essential commodities had increased enormously. Against this backdrop, the British authorities increased taxes in the Kheda region by 23%. As a result, the suffering of the people of Kheda district in Gujarat increased further, which led to the initiation of the Kheda Satyagraha.
• In 1917-18, food production was particularly hampered and the prices of essential commodities had increased enormously. Along with this, poor crop production made the condition of people in this region more miserable.
• Deep discontent had emerged among the Kunbi and Patidar farmer classes in Gujarat’s Kheda district. There were no big zamindars in that region of Gujarat. Middle-class farmers were called Patidar and poor farmers were called Kunbi. Although some of the Patidar class achieved financial prosperity through tobacco cultivation, cattle rearing and selling dairy products in Ahmedabad city, not all Patidars were entitled to this fortune. But the good days of the Patidar class were coming to an end. Because between 1899 and 1918, repeated famines, crop failures, and especially the devastating plague in Gujarat in 1918 had made the condition of Kunbi and Patidar farmer classes miserable, with 16,740 people dying in Kheda alone.
• In this situation, the Peasant-Patidar community appealed to the colonial authorities for a one-year reduction in land revenue to ease their suffering. However, the government did not respond to their appeal. The government even confiscated the property of those who did not pay money. Then in a small town called Kathlal in the northern part of Kheda district, two local leaders Mohanlal Pandya and Sankarlal Parikh started a movement of not paying revenue demanding revenue forgiveness. They came in contact with Gandhiji through the Gujarat Sabha in January 1918. After that Gandhiji started the Kheda Satyagraha on March 22.

Leaders of Kheda Satyagraha

• The pioneer of this Kheda Satyagraha struggle in Gujarat was Mahatma Gandhi. He was assisted in this movement by newly joined Satyagrahi Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other local lawyers and advocates namely Indulal Yagnik, Shankarlal Banker, Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh, Mohanlal Pandya and Ravi Shankar Vyas.
• These Satyagrahi leaders travelled to rural areas, inspired and united villagers in the ideals of Satyagraha, and provided them with political leadership and guidance. The no-tax movement spread under the leadership of local leaders like Mohanlal Pandya.

You can also read about Aligarh Movement 1875: Causes, Objectives, Impact and More.

Role and Methods of Mahatma Gandhi in Kheda Satyagraha

• Gandhi went to the Kheda district after hearing about the helpless farmers there and started conducting the Kheda Satyagraha on March 22, 1918. He even requested the Bombay government’s intervention to improve the condition of farmers. But the government did not respond to this at all.
• Then, as the only course of action in the struggle, he went from village to village advising farmers to ignore government oppression and not pay taxes. Even if their movable and immovable property was confiscated, he advised farmers to firmly continue the tax boycott. Responding to his call, farmers also took an oath not to pay taxes. In this work, Gandhi was greatly assisted by a local young barrister named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. In this way, gradually the Kheda Satyagraha movement in Gujarat took on an intense form.

Outcomes of Kheda Satyagraha

The Kheda Satyagraha movement of 1918 was an important turning point in the Indian independence movement. Through this movement, Gandhi’s reputation as a leader of the Indian people was established. The important outcomes of the Kheda Satyagraha movement were:

• The backbone of Kheda district farmers had been broken under the pressure of government repression policy. Nevertheless, under the pressure of the farmers’ movement, the British government finally came to a compromise on June 6. It was decided that from now on, revenue would be collected only from those who were able to pay taxes.
• The government did not collect revenue from poor farmers and did not confiscate their land.
• Even the movable and immovable property of farmers was not confiscated.

You can also read about First Round Table Conference 1930: Key Events and Outcomes.

Significance of Kheda Satyagraha

Although Kheda Satyagraha could not fulfil all the demands of farmers, this movement was a notable and significant step in India’s independence movement. The significance of Kheda Satyagraha was:

• Kheda Satyagraha was the ‘First Non-Cooperation Movement‘ led by the general public. Along with the Champaran Satyagraha and Ahmedabad Satyagraha, this movement also took the form of a mass movement.
• Through this movement, Gandhi established a connection between illiterate rural farmers and the urban middle-class community.
• True political education began among poor farmers.
• Peaceful, innocent villagers joined the mass movement through this path of Satyagraha.
• Gandhi’s competence and wisdom as a politician was proven.

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