Dandi March

Last Updated : 07 Feb, 2023

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. Dandi March is also referred to as Salt March or Salt Satyagraha. 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 became a symbol of the people’s rejection of the government. The development of Indian nationalism as a concept happened during the Indian independence movement which campaigned for independence from British rule. It is inclusive of all of the people of India, despite their diverse ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds, which is an instance of territorial nationalism.

Dandi March

Civil Disobedience Movement

Civil disobedience, also known as passive resistance, is the refusal to accept a government’s or occupying authority’s demands or directives without resorting to violence or aggressive acts of opposition; its common goal is to push the government or occupying power to make concessions. Nationalist movements in Africa and India, the American civil rights movement, labor, anti-war, and other social movements in many nations have all used civil disobedience as a primary technique and ideology.

Background to Dandi March

Poorna 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 were one of the important priority 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.

Course of Dandi March

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 in 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.

Effects 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 were 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”.

Read More: Civil Disobedience Movement

FAQs on Dandi March

Question 1: What is the date of Dandi March?

Answer:

Dandi March is also referred to as Salt March or Salt Satyagraha. 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.

Question 2: Dandi March was started from which place?

Answer:

Dandi march was started from Sabarmati Ashram on 12th March 1930 to Dandi.

Question 3: Dandi March had inaugurated which movement?

Answer:

Dandi March had inaugurated the Civil Disobedience Movement. Civil disobedience, also known as passive resistance, is the refusal to accept a government’s or occupying authority’s demands or directives without resorting to violence or aggressive acts of opposition; its common goal is to push the government or occupying power to make concessions

Question 4: Why did Gandhi launch his Dandi March?

Answer: