History of Salt March

The historic salt march was organised by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 (March 12-April 6).It was a unique  experiment in the history of nonviolent struggle in the world.It received global attention and  blossomed Gandhi in to a world figure. Gandhi was declared person  of the year by “Time” magazine in 1930.

 In the  Lahore special session of Congress ( December 1929), a resolution of “Purna Swaraj” was adopted and Nehru unfurled Indian flag on December 31,1929.The Declaration of Independence was officially promulgated on 26 January 1930. A resolution to launch civil disobedience movement was also passed in this Lahore session and CWC was authorised to take further steps to implement this resolution. In February 1930 CWC meeting at Sabarmati Ashram, invested Gandhi with full powers to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement at a time and place of his choice. Gandhi thought about an issue which affects poor in India severely and decided that the tax on salt is such an issue. Britain’s Salt Act of 1882 prohibited Indians from collecting or selling salt, a staple in their diet.Indian citizens were forced to buy the vital mineral from their British rulers, who, in addition to exercising a monopoly over the manufacture and sale of salt, also charged a heavy salt tax.

Gandhi sent a letter on March 2, 1930 to inform the Viceroy Lord Irwin that he and the others would begin breaking the Salt Laws in 10 days. Then, on March 12, 1930, Gandhi set out from his ashram  at Sabarmati near Ahmedabad with seventy eight followers on a trek of some 240 miles to the coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea.Nehru captured true spirit of salt march by describing Gandhi’s walk as ,” He was the pilgrim on his quest for truth, quiet, peaceful, determined and fearless, who would continue that quiet pilgrimage regardless of consequences.” Gandhi reached Dandi and broke the salt law on April 6 and thus started civil disobedience movement. All over the country salt law was being broken and Government had to start arresting Satyagrahis. Gandhi was arrested on May 4 and was incarcerated in Yarvada jail near Pune.

Importance of Salt March

The civil disobedience movement that was unleashed by salt march was an important progressive phase in the freedom struggle.Over ninety thousand (more than three times the figure for the noncooperation movement of 1920-22) went to jail, imports of cloth from Britain had fallen by half and government income from liquor excise and land revenue drastically reduced.

Hindu – Muslim Unity

Gandhi was concerned with communal harmony throughout his life.In the noncooperation movement of1920-22 Muslims participated with enthusiasm.  Many Muslim leaders like Ali brothers immersed themselves in the movement and encouraged more and more muslims to participate in it.Later on some Hindu-Muslim conflict took place ( eg.Rohat riots 1924),Gandhi took fast for communal harmony.Gandhi thus wanted to start a national movement of protest to British govt in which Hindu-Muslim unity becomes exemplary. Salt March was such a movement which showed Gandhi’s efforts of communal harmony.The civil disobedience movement was launched from the bungalow of a Muslim at Dandi.Mahadev Desai was succeeded by Imam Saheb Bawazeer as the Gujarat organiser upon the arrest of Gandhi’s secretary and Gandhi himself was succeeded by Abbas Tyabji.

First time large number of women participated in a political event.

This is for the first time that Indian women participated in large number in a political movement thus occupying public space for the first time. Gandhi was being hailed  as a saint and consequently thousands of women came out of their homes to have “darshan” of him and listen to him. In following Gandhi’s instructions women participated in protest marches, picked up salt, picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.Women were lathicharged and went to jail but their enthusiasm was unbeatable.They were also in the forefront not only in the breaking salt laws and forest laws but also in taking out “Prabhat Pheries”, processions,,picketing schools, colleges, clubs etc Many important women were lathicharged got injured and courted arrest.In Allahabad (Prayagraj) for instance, police lathicharged a procession led by Smt.Swaroop Rani Nehru, wife of Shri Motilal Nehru who received a lathi blow as a result of which she became unconscious. In Delhi, mother in law of Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru was injured as a consequence of lathi charge. A sizeable number (3,630) of women were among the civil disobedience convicts.Sarojini Naidu, Kamla Devi Chattopadhyay and others led satyagraha at different places and became household names.Judith Brown stated that female participation had been a unique feature of the 1930 movement.

Example of success of nonviolence in mass politics.

Salt March was the prelude to civil disobedience movement which lasted from 1930 to 1934.The British government used as much force as possible to control the movement but Satyagrahis remain nonviolent in exemplary manner.The world media was surprised to watch people got beaten by police without retaliation of any any kind.Such a nonviolence behaviour of mobs was unheard of.It demonstrated the power and success of nonviolence used by such a large number of people.Its success was the reason that nonviolent protest became popular all over the world and still accepted and practised by masses against mighty state at different places.

Lessons for  today 

The salt march is still important as it has left behind legacy of power of nonviolence in political struggle and of  moral  courage to fight against powerful state. Determination of a single man can alter history if he is morally right and has unflinching faith in truth and nonviolence.

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