Ahmedabad Mill Strike and Labour Satyagraha
The Ahmedabad Mill Strike of March 1918 stands as a key milestone in India’s freedom struggle. It marked Mahatma Gandhi’s first hunger strike in India and established the principles of non-violent labor agitation, arbitration, and industrial dispute resolution.
Background and Economic Causes
The dispute arose in early 1918 between the cotton mill owners of Ahmedabad and the textile workers over the discontinuation of the “Plague Bonus.”
- Origin of Plague Bonus: In August 1917, a severe outbreak of pneumonic plague struck Ahmedabad. Mill owners introduced a bonus—up to 75% of basic wages—to retain workers who were fleeing the city.
- Withdrawal and Inflation: By January 1918, when the plague epidemic receded, mill owners announced the complete withdrawal of the bonus. Workers resisted this decision because World War I had doubled the prices of essential commodities, creating severe financial hardship.
- The Workers’ Demand: Workers demanded a 50% wage hike as a Dearness Allowance to offset wartime inflation. Mill owners offered only a 20% increase and threatened to lock out workers who refused the offer.
Gandhi’s Intervention and Arbitration
Anasuya Sarabhai, a social worker and sister of Ambalal Sarabhai (President of the Ahmedabad Millowners’ Association), requested Gandhi to intervene and guide the struggling workers.
- Formation of Inquiry Committee: A joint arbitration board was initially agreed upon, including Gandhi, Shankarlal Banker, Vallabhbhai Patel, and representatives of the mill owners. However, mill owners withdrew from arbitration, declared a lockout on February 22, 1918, and began dismissing workers.
- Assessment of Demand: Gandhi conducted a detailed study of the financial health of the mills, cost of living indices, and prevailing industrial wages. He advised the workers to reduce their demand from 50% to a 35% wage increase, which he deemed economically fair and viable for mill owners.
- Pledge of Non-Violence: On February 26, 1918, Gandhi led the workers in taking a public pledge under a banyan tree on the banks of the Sabarmati River. Workers swore not to return to work without securing the 35% hike and to maintain strict non-violence.
Method of Struggle: First Fast Unto Death
When the lockout was lifted on March 12, 1918, mill owners offered to take back workers willing to accept a 20% bonus. Financial strain began to weaken the resolve of the striking workers, leading to attendance drops at daily meetings.
The Hunger Strike
To boost worker morale and uphold the sanctity of their pledge, Gandhi began his first hunger strike in India on March 15, 1918. He declared he would not touch food until the workers secured their 35% wage increase or the owners agreed to binding arbitration.
Settlement and Compromise
Gandhi’s fast put intense moral pressure on the mill owners. After three days of fasting, both parties accepted an arbitration arrangement on March 18, 1918. Professor A.B. Dhruva of Gujarat College was appointed as the sole arbitrator. On his final recommendation, the mill owners granted the full 35% wage increase to the workers.
| Phase / Aspect | Details / Metrics |
| Outbreak Context | Pneumonic Plague in Ahmedabad (1917–1918) |
| Initial Bonus | Up to 75% of basic wage as Plague Bonus |
| Initial Demands | Workers asked for 50%; Owners offered 20% |
| Gandhi’s Compromise Figure | 35% wage increase |
| Duration of Fast | 3 Days (March 15 to March 18, 1918) |
| Arbitrator Appointed | Professor Anandshankar Bapubhai Dhruva |
Legacy and Institutional Growth
The successful resolution of the strike laid the groundwork for constructive labor unionism in India based on truth, non-violence, and mutual negotiation.
- Textile Labour Association (Majdoor Mahajan Sangh): Formed in February 1920 by Anasuya Sarabhai, Mahatma Gandhi, and Shankarlal Banker, this body became one of India’s oldest and largest labor unions, advocating arbitration over class conflict.
- Trusteeship Theory: Gandhi articulated his philosophy of “Trusteeship” during this dispute, asserting that capitalist mill owners were not absolute owners but trustees of capital holding wealth for the benefit of workers and society.
Key Facts and Historical Context
Anasuya Sarabhai, the primary organizer of the Ahmedabad labor movement, founded the Majdoor Mahajan Sangh (Textile Labour Association) in 1920. She served as its president for life. Lord Chelmsford was the Viceroy of India during the Ahmedabad Mill Strike in 1918. Shankarlal Banker and Indulal Yagnik assisted Gandhi in publishing daily leaflets during the strike to educate workers on moral discipline, cleanliness, and financial management during unemployment. Ambalal Sarabhai, the lead representative of the mill owners opposing the strike, was a personal friend and benefactor of Gandhi who had previously saved the Sabarmati Ashram from financial ruin through a timely monetary donation in 1915. The Ahmedabad Mill Strike occurred almost simultaneously with the Kheda Satyagraha of March 1918, requiring Gandhi to travel back and forth between industrial workers in Ahmedabad and agrarian peasants in Kheda.
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