BharatNotes What is Salt March?
The Salt March (Dandi March or Salt Satyagraha) was an act of non-violent civil disobedience led by Mahatma Gandhi against the British salt monopoly. Beginning on 12 March 1930, Gandhi set out from the Sabarmati Ashram near Ahmedabad with 78 chosen satyagrahis and walked roughly 240 miles (about 385 km) over 24 days to the coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat. On the morning of 6 April 1930 he broke the salt law by picking up a lump of natural salt, symbolically defying the colonial state's exclusive right to produce and tax salt.
Background and Causes
Salt production and sale had long been a profitable monopoly of the British administration in India. Indians were prohibited from making or selling salt independently and were forced to buy heavily taxed salt, a burden that fell on every household. Gandhi chose this everyday necessity as the ideal symbol to mobilise mass support. The march directly followed the Indian National Congress's Purna Swaraj (complete independence) resolution, first observed as Independence Day on 26 January 1930, and inaugurated the wider Civil Disobedience Movement.
Key Facts
| Detail | Particulars |
|---|---|
| Start date | 12 March 1930 |
| Salt law broken | 6 April 1930 |
| Route | Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (Gujarat) |
| Approximate distance | ~240 miles (about 385 km) |
| Duration | 24 days |
| Initial marchers | 78 satyagrahis |
| Leader | Mahatma Gandhi |
Significance
The Salt March was the most significant organised challenge to British authority since the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920-22. Crowds swelled along the route, and after Gandhi broke the salt law, millions across India joined in making, selling and buying illegal salt. The campaign expanded the freedom struggle's social base, notably bringing large numbers of middle-class women into public political action. After Gandhi's arrest in early May 1930, the planned raid on the Dharasana Salt Works went ahead on 21 May 1930 under leaders including Sarojini Naidu, where peaceful marchers were beaten by police; American journalist Webb Miller's reports gave the event worldwide publicity. The movement continued for nearly a year and culminated in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931), after which Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference in London.
UPSC Angle
For Prelims, focus on dates, route, the figure of 78 satyagrahis, and associated events (Dharasana Satyagraha, Gandhi-Irwin Pact). For Mains, the Salt March is a rich case study in Gandhian methods of non-violent resistance, the power of political symbolism, and the broadening of mass participation, including women, in the national movement. It remains a foundational concept underpinning questions on the Civil Disobedience Movement and India's freedom struggle.
