Question

“Gandhiji’s leadership in the ‘Salt March’ of 1930 became a symbol of resistance against British colonial rule.” Justify the statement.

Answer 1

The Salt March of 1930, also known as the Dandi March, was a landmark event in India’s struggle for independence led by Mahatma Gandhi.

• The march covered 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi and protested the British monopoly on salt.
• It attracted massive national and international attention, symbolizing civil disobedience and nonviolent protest.
• Gandhi’s act of picking up natural salt was a powerful symbolic rejection of colonial laws that affected every Indian.
• The movement mobilized people from all walks of life and spread to other parts of India with local protests.
• It led to mass arrests, including Gandhi himself, showcasing the repressive nature of colonial rule.

The Salt March thus became a powerful symbol of popular resistance and the moral strength of non-violence.