The Salt March, also known as the Dandi March or the Salt Satyagraha, was one of the most significant protest activities in India. This march was conducted by Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi between March and April 1930. On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi began the Salt March, a nonviolent protest against British rule that brought him international attention. The 24-day Salt March, which was nonviolent, is historically noteworthy because it sparked the Civil Disobedience Movement.
As both the months of April and March remind us of the brutal sacrifices made and inspiring steps taken by the great freedom fighters of India, let us take a look at the important facts about Dandi March:
Interesting Facts About Dandi March
- On March 12, 1930 Mahatma Gandhi began the Salt March, a nonviolent protest against British rule that brought him international attention.
- Mahatma Gandhi was the oldest person to be a part of the Dandi March, while the youngest person was a 16-year-old student who was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and decided to take part in the march. His name was Vittal Liladhar Thakkar.
- Before the march, the British had a monopoly over the production and sale of salt in India. If anyone other than the British wanted to manufacture salt, they had to pay a huge tax. Mahatma Gandhi decided to break the law by making the salt himself during the salt march. This inspired thousands of people all across India to either make salt themselves without paying any taxes or buy salt illegally, that is, not from the British.
- Mahatma Gandhi himself wrote a letter to Lord Irwin, who was the viceroy of India then and informed him of his intention of breaking the law by making salt.
- So many people were arrested for breaking the law of salt and participating in the march, along with Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi himself.
- The whole march was done on foot. So Mahatma Gandhi along with the people who started the march with him covered a total of 385 kilometers or 239 miles of distance solely on foot.
- There were all kinds of people who joined the march, from students to men to even housewives. That’s right! A group of housewives who had joined the march to show their support, led by a woman called Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, began protesting with the march. They were hit countless times by the police but they still refused to back off and protested on Chowpatty of Mumbai.
- Along with the protestors, there was a Christian priest in the march as well. He was the only Christian in the Dandi march who decided to show his support to the cause. His name was Titusji.
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Result of Dandi March
Apart from the facts about Dandi March, you should also know about what happened after the Dandi March. The non-violent method of protest garnered much attention from the western and international media. The ways of the British were much criticized, which ultimately led to a pact between Irwin and Mahatma Gandhi where Indians were allowed to make salts for themselves without any taxes.
Final Words
This brings us to the end of a few interesting facts about Dandi March. We bet there was at least one among the above-mentioned facts you did not know about Dandi March. However, this is not all. Indian History is very rich, and the more you read and learn about it, the more new and interesting facts you will get to know.
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