Dandi March (1930) - Modern India History Notes The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March and Dandi Satyagraha, was a nonviolent civil disobedience movement led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The march lasted from March 12th to April 6th, 1930, and was part of a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. In this article, we will discuss the Dandi March (1930) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Dandi March

Dandi March - Background

• The 1882 Salt Act gave the British a monopoly on salt manufacturing and distribution.
• Despite the fact that salt was abundant along India's coasts, Indians were forced to buy it from colonizers.
• In addition to having a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt, the British imposed a hefty salt tax. Despite the fact that India's poor bore the brunt of the tariff, all Indians desired salt.
• Gandhi came to the conclusion that if there was one product that could be used to start civil disobedience, it would be salt.
• Salt, along with air and water, is possibly the most important component of life.
• The British government, particularly Viceroy Lord Irwin, did not take the anti-salt-tax campaign seriously.
• Gandhi announced his decision to defy the salt rules in front of a large crowd in Ahmedabad on March 8.

Dandi March - Spread of Salt Disobedience

• Gandhiji's arrest and imprisonment sparked nationwide protests and strikes. 50,000 textile workers in Bombay had gone on strike.
• Railway workers joined the demonstrators. At Poona, where Gandhi was imprisoned, resignations from honorary offices and services were announced on a regular basis.
• Calcutta police opened fire and arrested a large number of people. In Delhi, there was also gunfire.
• On the day Gandhi was arrested, troops besieged Peshawar. India arose as if it were a single individual.
• Solapur residents took control of the city for a week before martial law was declared. Mymensingh, Calcutta, Karachi, Lucknow, Multan, Delhi, Rawalpindi, Mardan, and Peshawar were also affected.
• In the North-West Frontier Province, troops, planes, tanks, artillery, and ammunition were all freely used. The Ahrar Party was founded as a result of Punjabi repression.
• The Indian situation piqued the West's interest, which Romain Rolland had reawakened.
• Dr. Holmes led a group of 100 clergymen who petitioned British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald to reach an amicable agreement with Gandhi.

Dandi March - Significance

• Gandhi went to Dharasana salt works the following month, where he was arrested and taken to the Yerawada Central Jail.
• Similar acts of civil disobedience occurred in other parts of India as Gandhi broke the salt laws in Dandi.
• In Bengal, for example, volunteers led by Satish Chandra Dasgupta walked from Sodepur Ashram to Mahisbathan village to make salt.
• K.F Nariman led another group of marchers from Bombay to Haji Ali Point, where they prepared salt in a nearby park.
• The illegal production and sale of salt was accompanied by a boycott of foreign textiles and liquor. What began as a salt satyagraha quickly evolved into a mass satyagraha.
• In Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the Central Provinces, forest laws were broken. Peasants in Gujarat and Bengal refused to pay chowkidari and land taxes.
• Acts of violence erupted in Calcutta, Karachi, and Gujarat, but, unlike during the non-cooperation movement, Gandhi refused to call a halt to the civil disobedience movement this time.

Dandi March - Impact

• The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March or the Salt Satyagraha, was completed in 24 days by Mahatma Gandhi and his companions. They walked 395 kilometres to Dandi.
• The choice of salt as the protest's focal point was criticized by his own Congress advisers, particularly Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel.
• Even the Viceroy at the time, Lord Irwin, thought Gandhi's protest posed no threat.
• Millions across undivided India would be interested in salt, that essential simple component in every meal eaten by every common man for which he was forced to pay an exorbitant tax to the British government.

Dandi March - British Reaction

• In retaliation, the government launched a terror campaign. By March 31, more than 95,000 people had been imprisoned.
• Shri Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested on April 14 and sentenced to six months in prison. On a sporadic basis, violence erupted in Karachi, Calcutta, Peshawar, and Chittagong.
• Police opened fire in Calcutta, Madras, and Karachi, and cruelty was inflicted across the country. Gandhi urged people to "respond with enormous anguish to organised hooliganism."
• Gandhi was apprehended and imprisoned. The war against the "Black Regime" was at its peak when Gandhiji prepared to begin his march to Dharasana.
• The government detained acting President Pandit Motilal Nehru on June 30 and declared the Congress Working Committee an illegal organisation.
• By July, the Press Ordinance had closed 67 nationalist newspapers and approximately 55 printing factories.
• When the Navjivan Press was seized, Young India and Navajivan began to appear in cyclostyle.
• The long-awaited report of the statutory commission was released in June. Its recommendations did not even go as far as to reaffirm the Viceroy's ambiguous guarantee of dominion status.
• They aimed to strengthen the central government while making a few concessions to the provinces.
• The concept of communal electorates was expanded, pushing the "divide and rule" approach even further.
• These recommendations were deeply unsatisfactory to all stakeholders. Men like Malaviya and Aney joined the Congress, risking incarceration.

Conclusion

The march was the most significant organized challenge to British authority since the Non-cooperation movement of 1920–22, and it immediately followed the Indian National Congress's Purna Swaraj declaration of sovereignty and self-rule on January 26, 1930. It gained international attention, giving impetus to the Indian independence movement and launching the nationwide civil disobedience movement, which lasted until 1934. The Dandi March sparked a movement that spread across the country, eventually achieving what Gandhiji had hoped for at Dandi: complete independence for his beloved India's people. Keywords - Dandi March, Salt March, Mahatma Gandhi, Salt Satyagraha, Sabarmati Ashram, Indian Independence, Self-Rule, Civil Disobedience, Ahrar Party, Lord Irwin, Salt Act 1882 FAQs Question: What prompted Dandi March? Answer: As a result of the 1882 Salt Act, the British began to levy high salt taxes and established a monopoly on salt production. On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi and his supporters began the Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram in protest of the salt tax. Question: When did the Salt March come to an end, and how did it end? Answer: On April 5, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi and his followers arrived in Dandi, where he took a lump of salty mud and boiled it, resulting in the production of illegal salt. Many of his disciples followed in his footsteps. Question: Why did Gandhi launch the civil disobedience movement in 1930? Answer: On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi began a civil disobedience movement in India against the Salt Tax by producing salt from sea water.

FAQs 

Q1: What was the Dandi March?

Q2: Why was salt chosen as the focal point of the Dandi March?

Q3: What was the significance of the Dandi March?

Q4: What was the British response to the Dandi March?

Q5: How did the Dandi March influence the Indian freedom movement?

MCQs 

1. Who led the Dandi March?

A) Jawaharlal Nehru

B) Subhas Chandra Bose

C) Mahatma Gandhi

D) Sardar Patel

2. How far did Gandhi and his followers march during the Dandi March?

A) 150 km

B) 250 km

C) 395 km

D) 500 km

3. What was the primary reason for the Dandi March?

A) To demand political autonomy

B) To protest the salt tax imposed by the British

C) To stop the Simon Commission

D) To promote the Quit India Movement

4. What was the outcome of the Dandi March?

A) Complete independence from Britain

B) Gandhi was arrested and the movement spread nationwide

C) The British immediately revoked the salt tax

D) The British government agreed to meet with Indian leaders

5. Which British official was involved in the crackdown after the Dandi March?

A) Lord Curzon

B) Lord Irwin

C) Lord Mountbatten

D) Lord Wavell

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Explain the significance of the Dandi March in the context of India’s independence movement.

Answer: The Dandi March played a crucial role in mobilizing Indian masses against British colonial rule. By choosing salt as the focal point, Mahatma Gandhi made a symbolic challenge to British authority, which impacted not only the Indian populace but also garnered international attention. The march catalyzed the Civil Disobedience Movement, involving mass protests, strikes, and nonviolent resistance. It showed that peaceful protests could challenge oppressive laws and was instrumental in building momentum for India’s fight for independence, contributing significantly to the nationalist cause and ultimately leading to India’s independence in 1947.

Q2: How did the British government react to the Dandi March and its aftermath?

Answer: The British government, under Viceroy Lord Irwin, responded to the Dandi March with repression. As Gandhi and thousands of followers broke the salt law by making their own salt, the British launched a crackdown, arresting over 95,000 individuals, including prominent leaders like Gandhi. Police brutality was used to quell protests in cities like Calcutta, Karachi, and Peshawar. However, despite the arrests and violence, the Dandi March succeeded in drawing global attention to the Indian independence movement, further delegitimizing British rule in India.

Q3: Analyze the impact of the Dandi March on the relationship between the British colonial rulers and the Indian population.

Answer: The Dandi March fundamentally altered the relationship between the British colonial rulers and the Indian population. The march demonstrated the power of mass nonviolent resistance and showed that the Indian people were increasingly united in their desire for independence. It marked a shift in the way the British responded to the independence movement—moving from occasional repression to systematic control through arrests and violence. The success of the Dandi March increased the confidence of the Indian masses and led to further acts of civil disobedience, culminating in more widespread protests across the country.

Previous Year Questions on Dandi March

1. UPSC CSE 2020

Q1: "Discuss the significance of the Dandi March in the Indian independence movement."

Answer: The Dandi March was a pivotal moment in the Indian independence struggle, marking the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. By defying the British salt laws, Gandhi demonstrated the power of nonviolent resistance, which inspired millions of Indians to take part in the struggle for independence. The march drew global attention to India’s quest for freedom and encouraged widespread protests, strikes, and boycotts across the country. It also put immense pressure on the British government, demonstrating the mass mobilization that would eventually lead to India’s independence in 1947.

2. UPSC CSE 2019

Q2: "What were the immediate and long-term effects of the Dandi March on British rule in India?"

Answer: The immediate effect of the Dandi March was the arrest of Gandhi and thousands of his followers, along with widespread repression by the British government. However, in the long term, the march proved to be a turning point in India's independence struggle. It demonstrated the power of nonviolent protest, galvanized public participation across India, and led to further acts of civil disobedience. The British government was forced to reassess its strategy for dealing with the Indian independence movement, and the Dandi March is considered a crucial step towards achieving India’s independence in 1947.