Roadmap for Answer Writing
1. Introduction
- Briefly introduce the context of the Dandi Satyagraha.
- Mention the date and place where Gandhiji started the march.
- Include a brief note on why this movement was launched (e.g., against the salt tax imposed by the British).
2. Reasons Behind Choosing Salt as a Protest Symbol
- The universality of Salt: Discuss how salt was an essential item in every Indian household, cutting across social, regional, and economic divisions.
- Oppression through the Salt Tax: Explain the Salt Act of 1882, which gave the British a monopoly on salt production and imposed a high tax. This act restricted Indians from producing their salt, forcing them to buy it at inflated prices.
- Salt as a Tool of Mobilization: Highlight how Gandhi used salt to symbolize the oppressive British policies and to mobilize people by focusing on something as common and essential as salt.
3. Impact of the Dandi March on the National Movement
- Regional Protests: Discuss how the Dandi March inspired similar salt protests across India.
- Example: C. Rajagopalachari led a march in Tamil Nadu, K. Kelappan in Malabar, and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the North-West Frontier Province.
- Mass Participation: Emphasize the unprecedented participation across social groups, including women, students, workers, and peasants, in the national struggle.
- Example: Sarojini Naidu led a salt protest in Darshana, exemplifying the role of women.
- Global Attention and Pathway to Independence: Explain how international attention (e.g., Time magazine coverage) put pressure on the British government, leading to Round Table Conferences and eventually to the Government of India Act, 1935, which provided some degree of self-governance.
4. Conclusion
- Summarize the significance of the Dandi Satyagraha in escalating the Indian freedom struggle.
- Conclude by reiterating how the salt symbol empowered Indians and left the British with limited options but to begin conceding to demands for self-governance.
Relevant Facts with Sources
1. Background of Dandi Satyagraha
- Fact: The Dandi Satyagraha was launched on March 12, 1930, with Gandhi leading followers from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, Gujarat.
- Source: Official records of the freedom movement (India National Archives).
2. Reason for Choosing Salt
- Fact: Salt was a vital necessity in every household, making it a universal symbol that resonated with all Indians.
- Source: Analysis from Dandi Satyagraha historical texts.
- Fact: The British Salt Act of 1882 prohibited Indians from producing their own salt, granting the British a monopoly and enforcing a heavy salt tax.
- Source: India’s Colonial Economic Policies report.
3. Impact on National Movement
- Regional Protests:
- Fact: Inspired marches in other regions, such as C. Rajagopalachari’s in Tamil Nadu and K. Kelappan’s in Malabar.
- Source: Documented in Freedom Movement Compendium.
- Mass Participation:
- Fact: The Salt March led to participation from all social groups, including significant involvement of women, e.g., Sarojini Naidu’s leadership in the Darshana salt protest.
- Source: “Women in India’s Freedom Struggle” (National Archives).
- Global Attention:
- Fact: Coverage by Time magazine highlighted the Indian struggle internationally, increasing pressure on the British.
- Source: Time magazine archives on Indian independence.
- Political Impact:
- Fact: Led to the Government of India Act, 1935, which introduced limited self-governance and marked a step towards independence.
- Source: British Parliamentary Records on Indian Self-Rule
Model Answer
Reasons Behind Gandhiji’s Choice of Salt as a Protest Symbol
Mahatma Gandhi selected salt as a symbol of protest during the Dandi Satyagraha for its universal significance in India and to strategically mobilize the masses. Salt was an essential item in every Indian household, regardless of caste, religion, or region, making it an ideal unifying factor. Yet, the British Salt Act of 1882 imposed a heavy tax on salt and restricted Indians from freely producing it from seawater. By targeting this oppressive policy, Gandhi was able to expose the unfair practices of British rule that affected the daily lives of all Indians (source: Dandi Satyagraha history). Additionally, salt was an essential commodity with which he could channel the people’s discontent against the British, whose monopoly on salt production generated 8.2% of their tax revenue. Gandhi’s approach aimed to disrupt this key economic stream, creating an unavoidable statement of dissent (source: Analysis on Salt Tax).
Impact of the Dandi March on the Indian National Movement
The Dandi March, beginning on March 12, 1930, marked a transformative period in India’s independence movement. Its impact extended to multiple fronts:
The Dandi Satyagraha inspired similar regional marches. Leaders like C. Rajagopalachari in Tamil Nadu, K. Kelappan in Malabar, and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the North-West Frontier Province organized marches to protest the salt tax. These protests were not limited to one region but spread to Assam and Andhra Pradesh, making salt production a powerful act of civil disobedience nationwide (source: Freedom Movement documentation).
Unlike previous protests, the Salt March witnessed mass involvement from peasants, workers, students, merchants, and shopkeepers, establishing Congress as a truly national movement. Women participated significantly, with leaders like Sarojini Naidu amplifying the movement’s reach (source: Congress archives).
International attention grew, with global publications like “Time” magazine covering the Dandi March and highlighting the plight of Indians. This exposure pressured the British into organizing Round Table Conferences, eventually leading to partial Indian representation in administration under the Government of India Act, of 1935, which paved the way toward complete independence (source: Time Magazine archives).
In essence, the Dandi Satyagraha symbolized the irreversibility of India’s push for independence, mobilizing both national and international support for Indian self-governance.