Satyagraha — Gandhian Technique of Resistance against Unjust Laws

Gandhi could have organised an armed uprising against colonial rule; he chose instead to march to the sea and make salt. Satyagraha was not merely a tactic of convenience for a weaker side — it was Gandhi's claim that the method of resistance is itself a moral argument, and this topic explains why he thought so.

In two minutes

Satyagraha — literally 'holding onto truth' — is Gandhi's technique of resisting an unjust law through open, non-violent civil disobedience, undertaken with self-suffering and acceptance of punishment, aimed at converting the opponent's conscience rather than defeating the opponent by force.

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The full explanation, the cheat sheet, every previous-year question at every mark weight, the quiz and the answer skeletons are part of Political Science – II: Foundations of Political Obligation on LexBlox Semester. Sign in to unlock the subject, or read Module 1 of Legal Language and Writing free.