Passive resistance commonly refers to actions of nonviolent protest or resistance to authority. The central feature is the conscious choice by the actors to abstain from a violent response even in the face of violent aggression. The term came into common use during the independence struggle in India between the 1920s and 1948.
解释一下就是说,消极抵抗是对于政府非暴力的抵抗。具体类似与印度甘地所领导的“非暴力不合作”运动。