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Religion, Practice and Science of Non-Violence
became the leader of the workers, and introduced satyagraha as the technique whereby a constructive solution could be achieved. He organized the workers and told them to earn their living during the period of satyagraha by undertaking some other labour, and this they did. Daily meetings were held and information bulletins were issued on the progress of the satyagraha strike. Gandhi asked the workers to remain completely non-violent, and not to waver at all in their decision. Demonstrations were taken through the streets of Ahmedabad with banners reading 'Ek Tek' (United Resolve).
A few days after the start of the satyagraha strike, the millowners in order to create a cleavage in the ranks of the workers, announced that those who wanted a 20 per cent increase as dearness allowance could come and start work in the mill. Some of the needy waverers among the labourers got ready to join work. This, if done, would have led to failure. Gandhi fearing this, declared, that 'unless the strikers rally and continue the strike till a settlement is reached or till they leave the mills altogether, I will not touch any food.' And he went on a fast forthwith.
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On the third evening of Gandhi's fast, Ambalal Sarabai, the leader of the mill-owners came forward with suggestions of arbitration in the dispute and Gandhi broke his fast. Later arbitration proposals upheld the decision of the workers for a 35 per cent increase in their wages.
Bardoli Satyagraha 1928: In Bardoli, a small district near Surat in Bombay Presidency, 88000 peasants waged a non-violent compaign from 12th February to 4th August 1928. This was to persuade the Bombay government to launch an impartial inquiry into the recent enhancement of land revenue.
The dispute arose because contrary to the advice of the Joint Parliamentary Committee appointed to consider the Government of India Bill 1919, and contrary to a resolution of the Legislative Council of the Bombay Presidency in 1924, the Bombay Provincial Government in 1927 raised the rate of rural taxation very severely-nominally 22 per cent but in actual practice in some instances over 60 per cent. The peasants were of the view that the investigation upon which the increase had been based was wholly inadequate, and that the increase was unwarranted and unjust. They requested the Governor to appoint an
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