Image: Gandhi during the Salt March, 1930. Wikimedia Commons.
On 12 March 1930, Gandhi left Sabarmati Ashram with 78 volunteers and began a march toward the coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat. The journey covered roughly 240 miles and lasted 24 days.
Why salt?
The British colonial government controlled salt production and imposed a tax on the commodity. Gandhi chose salt because it was used by rich and poor alike and could connect a political campaign with an everyday necessity.
The march to the coast
Gandhi and his companions travelled through villages, holding meetings and speaking about civil resistance. Thousands gathered along the route.
Breaking the salt law
On 6 April 1930 at Dandi, Gandhi symbolically broke the salt law by making salt from seawater.
A national campaign
The Dandi action inspired civil disobedience in many parts of India. Demonstrations, salt-making and boycotts spread across the country.
International attention
Journalists from outside India reported on the march, making it one of the most widely recognised episodes of Gandhi’s campaign against British rule.
Read NewsNationOnline’s Sabarmati Ashram feature and explore the Gandhi Heritage Portal.
आपके लिए सुझाव
