Dandi March - - 6th April

It was not planned.  Such incidents cannot be planned.  British officials foolishly introduced taxation on salt production from sea waters and declared sea salt production activities illegal.  Perhaps this was a fate’s hand.  This British order in 1930, gave birth to a novel method of protest to a freedom fight, called Civil Disobedience movement.  The civil disobedience movement was non violent movement that got worldwide publicity.  This movement took birth on 6^th April 1930.  Gandhiji lead the march, popularly known as Dandi March to produce salt from the sea water.  The march was started on 12^th March 1930 and ended on 6^th April 1930.  Dandi march broke on 6^th April.  It was the first non violent act of Civil disobedience against the British rule in India. 

The march was the most significant organised challenge to British authority since non cooperative movement of 1920.  Gandhiji lead the march from Sabarmathi Ashram.  At the beginning of the march less than 100 people participated in it.  The intended walk of nearly 240 miles to coastal village of Dandi.  The number of protestors grew large in numbers as more people joined the march when Gandhiji broke the salt laws on 6^th April 1930.  It started a large scale act of civil disobedience against British Raj's salt laws.

The campaign had a very significant effect on British attitude to Gandhiji’s call for self rule.  Gandhiji was arrested.  The salt satyagraha continued for almost a year.  In all 80,000 people were jailed.  The salt satyagraha campaign though not successful, was Gandhiji’s vision of non violent protest.  Indian National Congress chose non violent civil disobedience as their main tactic for winning the freedom.  This movement was used to fight social and political injustice. 

Martin Luther King said that he was deeply fascinated by this campaign of non violence.  More than 1000 papers world wide covered this movement.

The New York times said ‘British had lost America on Tea and losing India on……..

‘’SALT’’