Civil can be referred to as an ordinary citizen (excluding military) of a country and their relevance. Disobedience is an act of not following the norm of a society or going against the rules of society. Such people or citizens are the defaulters.
Civil disobedience can, therefore, be defined as the refusal of a citizen to disobey the rule of law of his country.
It can also be defined as an expression of contempt for the rule of law. It is also a way of protesting the policies or way of governance of the authorities, usually without any violence. When the common public refuses to obey the laws of the government because they want some changes to be introduced to the country or the society, there is some amount of disruption caused to the working of the government making them pay attention to the demands of the public.
Mahatma Gandhi asked for India’s independence during British rule in India. It was a nonviolent resistance. One of the most noteworthy movements of civil disobedience was the one led by Mahatma Gandhi against the British Occupancy for their unfair laws against the Indians. The means used were utterly non-violent. Mahatma Gandhi expressed civil disobedience as an anti-colonialist tool. He stated that Civil disobedience is the inherent right of a citizen to be civil, implies discipline, thought, care, attention, and Mahatma Gandhi first worked when he was in South Africa and then when he was appointed as the leader of the Indian independence movement was the first successful expression of civil disobedience on a large scale.
Civil disobedience is about showing contempt or expressing disgust about the unfair rule of law. From time immemorial, civil disobedience has been between government /ruler and citizens whether for independence or unfavorable policies. It usually uses legitimate means, mostly non-violent whereby the aim is to indicate to the authorities the disapproval of either specific laws or policies and to have them reversed.