- The Dandi March was a nonviolent civil disobedience campaign led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 to protest against the British salt tax .
- The Dandi March inspired millions of Indians to join the freedom struggle and put pressure on the British government to negotiate with Gandhi and the Congress.
Dandi March: A Symbol of Nonviolent Resistance
The Dandi March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March 1930 to 6 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. The march was one of the most significant events in the Indian independence movement and inspired millions of Indians to join the struggle for freedom from British rule.
Background of the Dandi March
The Indian National Congress had declared Purna Swaraj (complete self-rule) as its goal at its Lahore session in December 1929. The Congress also decided to launch a civil disobedience movement against the British government and appointed Gandhi as the leader of the campaign. Gandhi chose to target the salt tax imposed by the British, which was a burden on the poor and violated the right of Indians to produce their own salt from the sea. The salt tax accounted for more than 8% of the British Raj’s revenue and was seen as a symbol of oppression and exploitation.
Gandhi planned to march from his ashram in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, to the coastal village of Dandi, about 390 km away, where he would make salt from seawater and defy the British law. He selected 78 volunteers to accompany him on the march, which began on 12 March 1930. Along the way, he addressed large crowds, urging them to join the civil disobedience movement and boycott British goods. He also wrote letters to the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, explaining his motives and appealing for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Impact of the Dandi March
The Dandi March captured the imagination of the nation and the world. Thousands of people joined Gandhi and his followers on their journey, while millions more followed their progress through newspapers and radio. The march received widespread coverage in the international media, which portrayed Gandhi as a hero and a champion of justice. The march also inspired many other acts of civil disobedience across India, such as making and selling salt illegally, refusing to pay taxes, boycotting courts, schools, and offices, and picketing shops that sold British goods. The British authorities responded with repression and violence, arresting thousands of protesters, including Gandhi and other Congress leaders. They also brutally attacked peaceful demonstrators at places like Dharasana and Dhulia, where hundreds of people were injured or killed.
The Dandi March and its aftermath marked a turning point in the Indian independence movement. It demonstrated the power of nonviolent resistance as a technique for fighting against social and political injustice. It also showed that Gandhi had emerged as the undisputed leader of the Indian masses, who were willing to follow his guidance and sacrifice for their cause. The march also put pressure on the British government to negotiate with Gandhi and the Congress, leading to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931, which suspended the civil disobedience movement in exchange for some concessions from the British.
The Dandi March was a historic event that changed the course of Indian history. It was a courageous and creative act of protest that challenged the British colonial rule and asserted the dignity and rights of Indians.
It was a mass movement that united people from different regions, religions, castes, and classes under a common banner of freedom. It was a moral victory that exposed the injustice and cruelty of the British regime and inspired hope and confidence among Indians. The Dandi March was not only a march for salt, but also a march for liberty, justice, and peace.
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