Dandi March(salt satyagraha): The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March, Salt Satyagraha, and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India . This march was of twenty four days which started from 12 march 1930 and lasted on 5 April 1930. It was a direct campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the monopoly of British on Salt. The Dandi March was a mass civil disobedience movement, which was started by Mahatma Gandhi, against the salt tax imposed by the British government in India. It was led by a large group of people from Sabarmati Ashram on 12th March 1930 to Dandi, a coastal town in Gujarat to break the salt law by the production of salt from seawater.

The Civil Disobedience Movement grew across the country as a result of the disobedience of the Salt Law. Salt production surged across the country during the initial phase of the civil disobedience campaign, and it then became a symbol of the people’s rejection of the government.

Let’s take a close look of this event.

Dandi March – Salt Satyagraha

The Dandi March or Salt Satyagraha was a big civil disobedience movement started by Mahatma Gandhi against the salt tax imposed by the Britishers in India. Mahatma Ghandhi led a big group of people from Sabarmati Ashram Thetwenty four days long march which started from 12 march 1930 and lasted on 5 april 1930. It was started from Dandi, and ended on a coastal village in Gujarat, to break the salt law by producing salt from seawater.

Salt Satyagraha Background

The following is the background of salt satyagraha:

• The origin of this march started when In 1930, The Congress Party had declared that “Poorna Swarajya or Complete Independes” would be the aim of the freedom struggle.
• when it started observing 26 January as Poorna Swarajya Day, and then it was decided by the committee that Civil disobedience to be the means employed to have it.
• Mahatma Gandhi was requested to plan and organise the first act. and he choose to break the salt tax in defiance of the government.
• Some to the members of Congress members were very critical about the choice and Britishers dismissed this choice.
•  Lord Irwin was hardly perturbed by the threat of a salt protest and the government did nothing to prevent the salt march from taking place anyway.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s of using salt was nothing but a brilliant Idea because It touched the chord with every Indian at that point in Time.
• The salt tax accounted for 8.2% of the British Raj revenue from tax and Gandhiji knew that the government could not ignore this.

Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi

The Salt March was one of the most famous early events of civil disobedience, led by nonviolence leader Mahatma Gandhi as part of India’s protestPoorna Swarajya or complete independence was the sole motivation for the freedom struggle in 1930 by Congress Party. 26th January was observed as Poorna Swarajya Day and the means to achieve it was Poorna Swaraj, was civil disobedience was the means to employ it. Mahatma Gandhi was asked to plan and organize the first such act and he choose to break the salt tax in defiance of the government.

The then Viceroy, Lord Irwin was not scared by the threat of the salt protest, and the government didn’t come forward to prevent the salt march from taking place. The idea of choosing salt as a symbol of representation strokes a personal code with the Indian population. It was a commodity used by all and salt has been used from seawater free of cost until the 1882 Salt Act was enacted, which gave the British monopoly over production and authority of salt and its production. Hindus and Muslims coming together for the same was one of the important priorities of Gandhiji. The salt tax was 8.2 percent of the British Raj’s revenue from tax and it wasn’t easy for the government to ignore so.

also read: Role of Mahatma Gandhi in the Freedom Struggle of India

Dandi March and Salt Law

The Dandi March was a critical event in India’s struggle for independence, and it was triggered by several factors. One of the main causes was the British colonial rule and its oppressive policies, which denied basic rights to the Indian people and exploited the country’s resources for their benefit.

Another significant factor was the Salt Act, which gave the British government a monopoly on the production and sale of salt in India. Salt was a crucial commodity in India, and its high cost made it difficult for poor Indians to afford it. Mahatma Gandhi saw this as an unjust policy and called for a nonviolent protest to challenge it.

Furthermore, the failure of the Round Table Conferences, which were held to discuss India’s constitutional reforms, also contributed to the decision to launch the Dandi March. Gandhi and other leaders of the Indian National Congress felt that the British government was not serious about granting India full self-rule and that direct action was needed to push for independence.

Overall, the Dandi March was a culmination of years of resistance and protest against British colonial rule in India, and it symbolized the people’s determination to fight for their rights and freedom.

The March to Dandi

Mahatma Gandhi informed Lord Irwin about his plans on 2nd March 1930. The plan was to lead a group of people from his Ashram at Sabarmati on 12th March 1930 and walk through the villages of Gujarat. After reaching the coastal village of Dandi, he would break the salt law by making salt from seawater. Gandhiji started the march with 80 followers and gave strict instructions to not resort to any form of violence. 

Journalists from around the world became interested in the movement and wrote articles on the same. He became a household name in the West and became famous worldwide. Sarojini Naidu joined him on the way and every day more and more people joined in, and on 5th April 1930, they reached Dandi. At that time, more than 50,000 people were participating in the march. On 6th April 1930, Gandhiji broke the salt law by making salt, which was followed by thousands of other people.

Impact of Dandi March

Civil disobedience was widely carried out by the people. Along with the salt tax, other unpopular taxes were also being defied like the forest laws, land tax, and so on. Suppression was tried by the government by imposing more laws and censorship. The Congress was declared illegal but this did not stop the satyagrahis who continued the movement.

A similar movement was started by C. Rajagopalachari on the southeast coast from Trichy to Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu, who was also arrested for making salt. K Kelappan led a march in the Malabar region from Calicut to Payyanur. Similar marches were prevalent in other parts of the country, where salt was manufactured illegally, like Assam and Andhra Pradesh. In Peshawar, the satyagraha was organized by Gandhiji’s disciple Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. In April 1930, he was arrested, and his followers called Khudai Khidmatgars were fired at by British Army despite being unarmed. Many women also took part in the Satyagraha. Liquor shops were picketed and strikes took place all over.

A protest against the Dharasana Salt Works by peaceful non-violent protestors led by Sarojini Naidu on May 21, 1930. The police lathi-charged the protestors brutally and this resulted in the deaths of 2 people and several others severely injured. British were hence shaken by the movement; with non-violent nature made it difficult to suppress them.

Three vital impacts of the movement are: Firstly, it pushed the Indian struggle for independence into the limelight of Western media. Secondly, it brought women and depressed classes directly in touch with the freedom movement. Thirdly, it showed the power of non-violent protest as a tool for fighting.

The 1931 Gandhi- Irwin Pact, states the Civil Disobedience Movement would be ended and Indians as a reward would be allowed to make salt for domestic use. Irwin also promised to release the arrested Indians. Gandhiji attended the second roundtable conference as an “equal”.

People also read:

• Dandi March – History and Significance
• Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?
• Civil Disobedience Movement

Dandi March – FAQs

1. Where did Dandi March start and end?

Mahatma Gandhi and 78 satyagrahis on 12th March 1930, set out on foot for coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, for over 390 km from their starting point at Sabarmati Ashram.

2. What is the story of Dandi March?

Mahatma Gandhi and 78 of his supporters marched for 24 days from Sabarmati Ashram to coastal town of Dandi for production of salt from sea and also to defy the salt law.

3. When and who started Dandi March?

On 12th March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi started the Dandi March and was a 385 km march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.

4. Why was Dandi March held?

The Dandi march was held on 1930, as Gandhiji decided to mount a highly visible form of protest against the highly unjustified and repressive salt tax which was imposed by British.

5. Which city is close to Dandi Salt March?

The city which is close to Dandi Salt March was Navsari.

6. In which state did Dandi March take place?

Dandi march took place in Gujarat.