Gandhi's salt march Non-violent civil resistance is a wonderful idea whose utility cannot be underestimated. In theory and practice, the authority which does not lead by consent will naturally lose its foundation. If the non-violent civil resisters are brutalised , then the authority loses all vestiges of legitimacy since legitimacy stems from honorable action and popular consent. However, it is not a principle that can work universally. Non-violent civil resistance worked well in India for a number of reasons. The first is the population in India outnumbered the British expatriate class and administration by over a thousand to one. Secondly, the vast geographical expanse between India and England was a further deterrent to keeping India. Keeping India could only be justified (from an economic perspective) if the risks and losses from such a distance could be mitigated or exceeded by the resources gained from ruling. Furthermore, the adminis...