GS 1 – HISTORY
Background:
- Date: 12 March – 6 April 1930
- Leader: Mahatma Gandhi
- Part of: Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)
- Reason: Protest against the British monopoly over salt production and sale, and the Salt Tax, which affected every Indian, especially the poor.
Causes:
- Unjust Salt Law: British prohibited Indians from producing or selling salt, a basic necessity, and imposed a heavy tax on it.
- Symbol of Colonial Oppression: The salt law was seen as a symbol of British exploitation.
- Simon Commission (1927): No Indian member — led to widespread discontent.
- Poorna Swaraj Resolution (1929): Passed at Lahore Session of INC, 1929 under Jawaharlal Nehru, demanding complete independence.
- No response from British to Gandhi’s Eleven Demands sent to Lord Irwin in January 1930.
Key Events:
| Date | Event |
| 12 March 1930 | Gandhi began Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 volunteers. |
| 6 April 1930 | Reached Dandi (Gujarat coast) and broke the salt law by making salt from seawater. |
| Spread of Movement | Civil disobedience spread across India—people made salt, boycotted foreign goods, and refused to pay taxes. |
| Women’s Participation | Prominent role by Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba Gandhi, and many rural women. |
| Violent Incidents | Although movement was non-violent, brutal police repression (e.g., Dharasana Salt Works raid) drew global condemnation. |
| Arrest of Gandhi | May 1930—created further unrest. |
Significance:
- Mass Participation: Involved people from all sections—peasants, tribals, women, students.
- International Attention: Reports by foreign journalists (e.g., Webb Miller) highlighted British brutality.
- Effective Strategy: Salt as a symbol united Indians across classes.
- Laid foundation for future negotiations with the British.
- Economic Impact: Affected British revenue from salt and textiles.
Outcomes:
- Civil Disobedience Movement became a nationwide movement.
- Round Table Conferences were initiated by the British.
- Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931):
- Gandhi agreed to suspend the CDM and participate in the Second Round Table Conference.
- British agreed to release political prisoners and allow salt production near the sea for personal use.
- Despite the pact, many of Gandhi’s demands remained unfulfilled, and the movement resumed later.
Impact:
- Strengthened Gandhi’s mass appeal.
- Increased political consciousness.
- Questioned the legitimacy of British rule in moral and political terms.
- Inspired future non-violent struggles worldwide (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela).