M.SUBHA ANANDHI, DR. R. DHANABAL
DOI: https://doi.org/The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–1932) marked a crucial transition in the Indian freedom struggle from limited constitutional protest to widespread mass resistance. In Tamil Nadu, this transformation was most clearly reflected in the twin campaigns of picketing foreign cloth shops and the anti-drink (prohibition) movement, which together linked economic nationalism with social reform. This article examines how picketing and prohibition functioned as interconnected tools of non-violent resistance, bringing nationalist politics into everyday public spaces such as bazaars, streets, and liquor shops. Women emerged as central actors in both movements, leading campaigns, mobilising communities, and enduring severe colonial repression in the form of arrests, imprisonment, fines, and physical harassment. By targeting colonial revenue and moral authority, these campaigns undermined British control while fostering popular participation and ethical nationalism. The study argues that the combined strategies of picketing and prohibition played a decisive role in deepening the mass character of the Civil Disobedience Movement in Tamil Nadu.
