7th anniversary of Dandi

March That Shook the Empire

Praveen Davar

The Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress, December 1929, presided over by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, declared complete independence as the country's goal. Gandhiji, who attended the historic Session, accepted the principle of declaration of independence which the young radicals led by Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose had been advocating since the Madras Session, 1927. January 26, 1930 was proclaimed as Independence Day.

From the moment of the `declaration of independence' it was known throughout the world that Gandhiji would soon engage in a new campaign against the government, but nobody knew what form it would take. Even the Mahatma himself was at a loss, it seemed, for some time. Whatever he did had to be non-violent, it must be loyally notified in advance to the opponent and carried out with rigid discipline in every part of the country.

When Tagore visited him early in the year, and asked him what was coming, the Mahatma told the poet that he could not see any light in the darkness. The light however was not very distant. The readers of Young India knew that Gandhiji's thoughts were being crystallised on the Salt Laws. Salt was a British government monopoly in India; nobody could make it or buy it except from the government. Two articles in Young India analysed the Salt Laws and iniquity as an example of foreign exploitation. Then on March 2, 1930 Gandhiji wrote his famous letter to the Viceroy: "... ... before embarking on Civil Disobedience and taking the risk I have dreaded to take all these years, I would first approach you and find a way out ... If no discussion is possible on the eleventh day of this month, I shall proceed with such co-workers of the Ashram as I can take, to disregard the provisions of the Salt Laws ... it is, I know, open to you to frustrate my design by arresting me ...."

The Mahatma waited, prayed and meditated while the whole world (by then thoroughly on the alert) waited for his action with curiosity. Gandhiji's natural sense of drama, manifested at all the great crisis throughout his life, prompted him to keep his own counsel until the great day arrived. On March 12, 1930, in the early hours of the morning, Gandhiji and seventy eight handpicked members of his Ashram started out to walk from Sabarmati to a place, which was to become world famous, Dandi, on the seacoast two hundred forty one miles away.

"We are marching in the name of God," declared Gandhiji as he set out from Ahmedabad, sometimes barefoot and sometime in sandals. The Salt March lasted 24 days. Gandhiji walked nearly 12 miles a day. The excitment throughout India has perhaps never been equalled. With each day the crowds became bigger and bigger. At each village he would stop and talk to the people, telling them that a great ordeal was at hand, and they must live purely, tell the truth, wear only homespun, wash themselves regularly, forswear alcohol and drugs, give up abuses of Hinduism (such as child marriage and dowry), and prepare to break the Salt Laws when the signal would be given to them.

The march is aptly described in Jawaharlal Nehru's words: "Staff in hand he goes along the dusty roads of Gujarat, clear-eyed and firm of step, with his faithful band trudging along behind him. Many a journey he has undertaken in the past, many a road traversed. But longer than any that have gone before is this last journey of his, and many are the obstacles in his way. But the fire of a great resolve is in him and surpassing love of his miserable countrymen. And love of truth that scorches and love of freedom that inspires. And none that passed him can escape the spell, and men of common clay feel the spark of life. It is a long journey, for the goal is the independence of India and the ending of the exploitation of the millions."

On April 5, Gandhiji and his immediate followers prayed all night along. In the early morning on 6 April, 1930 they went down to the sea. The Mahatma dipped into the water and picked up some salt from the shore. It was only a pinch of salt, but it was enough. He had broken the law and defied the Empire.

Why Gandhiji chose 6^th April as the culmination day of the Dandi March? Pt. Nehru explains in his Autobiography (Pg 213): "The 6^th of April was the first day of the National Week, which is celebrated annually in memory of the happenings in 1919, from Satyagraha Day to Jallianwala Bagh. On that day Gandhiji began the breach of Salt Laws at Dandi beach, and three or four days later permission was given to all Congress organizations to do likewise and begin Civil Disobedience in their own areas."

The whole country burst into a flame of action as soon as the signal had been given on the seashore at Dandi. Everybody made salt, sold or bought salt, did everything possible to contravene the Salt Laws. The government resolutely began arresting people from one end of the country to another, but others constantly took their places. The government went on and on with the campaign of repression. In a single month, over 60,000 persons were put in jail for breaking the Salt Laws. Censorship was imposed on the Indian press; the Congress papers simply ceased publication. One by one the eminent Congress leaders were arrested: Jawaharlal Nehru in Allahabad, Sardar Patel in Ahmedabad, Rajagopalachari in Madras, Rajendra Prasad in Patna. Mahatma Gandhi was arrested on midnight of May 4-5 and sent to Yervada Central Jail.

The Indian leaders were released only on January 26, 1931 when the government realised it had no option but to give in to Gandhi. This finally led to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact on March 5, 1931.

(The author is a Secretary, AICC)

NOT AN EASY MARCH

The Dandi March was not without its problems. The idea was that the marchers would not cause trouble to the villages en route. But it did not always work out that way. On the first halt at Aslali, Gandhi’s nephew, who was carrying his bags, handed them to the village headman. An angry Gandhiji decided to carry his bags for the rest of the trip. The problem of untouchability was a constant factor throughout the march. Gandhi made it a point to include them in his group and also stay in their area of the village in many places. In many areas, the organizers made special efforts to bring fresh fruits, milk and other items for Gandhiji’s party. The Mahatma was angered by the contrast hardship of the poor and the special facilities given to his party, who were supposed to serve the people. The last straw was during the halt at Bhatgam. Since it was late evening, a lamp was arranged and a poor local was made to carry it on his head. That night, Gandhi spoke of the lapses he had observed in his followers. About the walk, he said, “If the weight (of the lantern) had to be carried, I should have loved to see someone among ourselves carrying it. We would then soon dispense both with the stool and the burner.” (Collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, Volume 43, pg. 146-149).