After the failure of the August Offer in 1940, the Indian National Congress decided to launch the "Individual Satyagraha" under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. It was meant to affirm the right to free speech and received notable support from the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.
On 17th October 1940, Gandhi officially inaugurated the Individual Satyagraha. Vinoba Bhave and Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru were respectively nominated as the first and second satyagrahis. In Dhamtari, around 473 satyagrahis were appointed and 1616 assemblies were formed to make the movement a success in the region. The satyagrahis pledged to follow the Gandhian principles of non-violence and civil disobedience, although they often faced harsh treatment from the authorities. Many satyagrahis from Dhamtari, including Hirji Bhai Hansraj Shah, Seth Ramlal Agrawal, Gopal Rao Pawar, and Ram Bharosa Soni were put behind the bars. Despite the arrests, they remained committed to their cause and continued their peaceful protest against the British government.
The Individual Satyagraha movement provided a platform for the ordinary people to express their dissent against British policies at a personal level. It was a unique form of resistance that emphasised the power of one’s individuality in the larger politics of the freedom struggle.
Source: Indian Culture Portal