6e. Tactics and Methods

The tactics of Gandhi’s peace movements were based on strategies of noncooperation and civil disobedience. He believed that “even the most powerful cannot rule without the cooperation of the ruled” – one of his most oft-quoted statements. He argued that British rule of India would be undermined and made completely ineffective if masses of people stopped cooperating with the rules and structures imposed by British colonial authorities.

As such, an important and effective strategy used by Gandhi and followers was the boycott.

For example:

• Local administrative structures put in place by the British, such as schools and courts, were boycotted;
• Gandhi called for a boycott of imported British goods, including foreign-made cloth for clothing. This is why he is often pictured spinning his own cloth and wearing a traditional simple garment called a dhoti.

His most publicized campaign of civil disobedience was a boycott of British-produced salt. Gandhi called on Indian nationals to resist the colonial monopoly over this essential foodstuff by making their own salt, an action which was against the law.