Dandi March and the spread of the Salt Satyagraha
If someone puts a tax on the salt we need in daily meals, everyone suffers. That is why Gandhiji started a big struggle from something as simple as salt.
Civil disobedience means breaking an unjust law peacefully and politely. In 1930 Gandhiji started this movement across the country by breaking the salt law.
Key idea 1 : Beginning of the movement — After the resolution of complete independence at the Lahore session Gandhiji decided to launch a movement. First he placed some demands before the government; an important one was to abolish the salt tax and the government monopoly on salt production. When the demands were rejected he decided to do satyagraha by breaking the salt law.
Key idea 2 : The Dandi March — On 12 March 1930 Gandhiji set out from the Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers. Covering about 385 kilometres on foot and giving speeches in the villages on the way, he called on people to be fearless. On 5 April he reached the seashore of Dandi in Gujarat and on 6 April 1930 he broke the salt law by picking up the salt lying on the shore.
Key idea 3 : Peshawar, Dharasana and features of the movement — In the North-West Frontier Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, ‘Frontier Gandhi’, with the organisation ‘Khudai Khidmatgar’, started a satyagraha at Peshawar on 23 April 1930; Chandrasingh Thakur of the Garhwal regiment refused to fire on the satyagrahis. Gandhiji was arrested in early May 1930. At Dharasana in Gujarat, under Sarojini Naidu, satyagrahis silently bore the lathi blows. For the first time rural areas joined in large numbers, and women such as Kasturba Gandhi, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Avantikabai Gokhale, Lilavati Munshi and Hansaben Mehta led.
- Easy : From where to where did the Dandi March go? — From the Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (Gujarat).
- Medium : When did Gandhiji break the salt law? — On 6 April 1930.
- Exam-type : Who was called ‘Frontier Gandhi’? — Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
In the figure: From the salt tax to the Dandi March, the breaking of the law and a satyagraha that spread across the country.
What happened before? On 2 March 1930 Gandhiji wrote a long letter to Viceroy Irwin. It strongly criticised British rule, yet began with ‘Dear Friend’. A young Englishman, Reginald Reynolds, carried it. Irwin did not reply himself; his secretary sent only a short letter of regret. Then on 12 March the march began.
What happened next? In early May 1930 Gandhiji was arrested, yet the satyagraha did not stop. On 21 May 1930, led by Sarojini Naidu, about two and a half thousand satyagrahis set out for the Dharasana salt works. The police beat them with lathis but they raised no hand; when one group fell wounded another stepped forward. The report of the American journalist Webb Miller carried the event around the world.
6 April 1930 = salt law broken; 12 March = march begins; Dharasana = Sarojini Naidu.
It is wrong to think the Dandi March was only about making salt. It was a symbol of peacefully breaking an unjust law.
Memory clue: Remember ‘12-5-6’ = left on 12 March, reached on 5 April, broke the law on 6 April.
Spot the difference
| Place | Leader | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Dandi | Gandhiji | Salt law broken |
| Peshawar | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | Garhwal regiment refused to fire |
| Dharasana | Sarojini Naidu | Lathi blows borne silently |
Practice questions
- 1What is civil disobedience?
- 2Which was an important demand Gandhiji placed before the government?
- 3When did the Dandi March begin and how long was it?
- 4Who founded the organisation ‘Khudai Khidmatgar’?
- 5What did Chandrasingh Thakur of the Garhwal regiment do at Peshawar?
- 6State any two features of this movement.
- 7What did Gandhiji do before the Dandi March began and how did the reply come?
- 8What happened at Dharasana after Gandhiji’s arrest?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Breaking an unjust law peacefully and politely.
- 2Abolishing the salt tax and the government monopoly on salt.
- 3On 12 March 1930; about 385 kilometres.
- 4Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
- 5He refused to fire on the satyagrahis.
- 6Participation of rural areas, women’s leadership, complete non-violence — any two.
- 7He wrote a long letter on 2 March 1930; Irwin’s secretary sent only a short letter of regret.
- 8On 21 May 1930 satyagrahis silently went ahead despite the lathi blows; Webb Miller’s report carried the event around the world.
Maharashtra in the movement; First Round Table Conference and the Gandhi–Irwin Pact
An event in one village can inspire a whole school; in the same way events in Maharashtra inspired the whole country. In Solapur, Mumbai and the forests, people came forward everywhere.
Satyagrahas in Maharashtra means the Solapur satyagraha, the salt and forest satyagrahas and the sacrifice of Babu Genu. At the same time the First Round Table Conference was held in London and later the Gandhi–Irwin Pact was signed.
Key idea 1 : The Solapur satyagraha — In the Solapur satyagraha mill workers were in front. A hartal was observed on 6 May 1930 and a big procession was taken out. The District Collector ordered firing on the procession; Shankar Shivdare and many other volunteers died. Angry people attacked police stations, the railway station and courts. The government imposed martial law and suppressed the agitation. Mallappa Dhanshetti, Shrikrishna Sarda, Qurban Hussain and Jagannath Shinde were hanged.
Key idea 2 : Salt, forest and Babu Genu — In Maharashtra salt satyagrahas took place at Wadala, Malvan and Shiroda. Where there were no salt-pans, forest laws were broken; forest satyagrahas were held at Bilashi, Sangamner, Kalavan, Chirner and Pusad, and tribal people took part in large numbers. In Mumbai there was an agitation against foreign goods; the mill worker Babu Genu Said lay down on the road to stop a truck of foreign goods, did not move, and was crushed under the truck (December 1930).
Key idea 3 : First Round Table Conference and the Gandhi–Irwin Pact — The British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald organised Round Table Conferences in London on India’s constitutional questions (1930–32, three conferences). In the first, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Barrister Jinnah and the princely rulers took part, but the Indian National Congress did not, so the discussions were meaningless. After the Prime Minister’s appeal the Viceroy released Gandhiji and other leaders, and the Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931) was made. By it the British assured that responsible government would be part of the constitution, and the Congress withdrew the movement and agreed to attend the second conference.
- Easy : When was the hartal observed in Solapur? — 6 May 1930.
- Medium : Where did the salt satyagrahas in Maharashtra take place? — Wadala, Malvan, Shiroda.
- Exam-type : Why was the Congress not in the first Round Table Conference? — It did not take part; without it the discussion was meaningless.
In the figure: Solapur, salt, forest and Mumbai — the movement drew strength from all corners of Maharashtra.
What happened before? As soon as the news of Mahatma Gandhi’s arrest spread, workers in Solapur observed a hartal on 6 May 1930. For some days the administration of the city was almost in the hands of the people.
What happened next? The government imposed martial law and tried four leaders. On 12 January 1931 Mallappa Dhanshetti, Shrikrishna Sarda, Qurban Hussain and Jagannath Shinde were hanged in Yerawada jail in Pune.
What happened before? The First Round Table Conference was opened in London on 12 November 1930; most Congress leaders were in jail and not in it. Even the British realised nothing could be decided without them and Gandhiji was released in January 1931. After that, Gandhiji and Irwin held several meetings in Delhi.
What happened next? The Gandhi–Irwin Pact was signed on 5 March 1931. After that, in September 1931 Gandhiji went to London for the second conference and stayed at Kingsley Hall in East London.
Solapur 6 May 1930; Babu Genu December 1930; first conference November 1930; Pact 5 March 1931.
It is wrong to think the Gandhi–Irwin Pact gave independence. It only had terms for stopping the movement and attending the conference.
Memory clue: Remember ‘Solapur-6, Mumbai-12, Pact-5’ = 6 May, 12 December, 5 March.
Spot the difference
| Event | Year | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| Solapur satyagraha | May 1930 | Firing, martial law, four hanged |
| Babu Genu | December 1930 | Stopped a truck of foreign goods |
| First Round Table Conference | 1930 | Congress did not take part |
| Gandhi–Irwin Pact | 1931 | Movement withdrawn, agreed to attend conference |
Practice questions
- 1Which class was in front in the Solapur satyagraha?
- 2Name any two of those hanged in the Solapur case.
- 3Where did two salt satyagrahas in Maharashtra take place?
- 4What did Babu Genu do?
- 5Why did the Congress not take part in the first conference and what was the result?
- 6What were the main terms of the Gandhi–Irwin Pact?
- 7Which news had spread before the hartal in Solapur?
- 8Which conference did Gandhiji go to after the Gandhi–Irwin Pact and where did he stay?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Mill workers.
- 2Mallappa Dhanshetti, Shrikrishna Sarda, Qurban Hussain, Jagannath Shinde — any two.
- 3Wadala, Malvan, Shiroda — any two.
- 4He lay down on the road to stop a truck of foreign goods and was crushed under the truck.
- 5The Congress did not take part; without it the discussion was meaningless.
- 6An assurance of responsible government; the Congress withdrew the movement and agreed to attend the second conference.
- 7The news of Gandhiji’s arrest.
- 8The second Round Table Conference; Kingsley Hall, East London.
Second and Third Round Table Conferences, Poona Pact and withdrawal
When two brothers differ at home, a grandfather mediates and both step back a little. In the Poona Pact two great leaders came together in a similar way.
Differences were not settled at the Second Round Table Conference (1931); the British announced the Communal Award; after Gandhiji’s fast the Poona Pact was made in 1932, and in 1934 the Civil Disobedience Movement was withdrawn.
Key idea 1 : Second Round Table Conference (1931) — Gandhiji went as the Congress representative. Representatives of various castes, communities, political parties and princely states came. There were differences over the question of minorities and the nature of the future federation. Gandhiji tried to bring agreement but failed and returned to India disappointed.
Key idea 2 : Communal Award and Poona Pact (1932) — Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had demanded separate electorates for Dalits. In the ‘Communal Award’ announced by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, separate electorates were given to Dalits. In protest against separate electorates on the basis of caste, Gandhiji began a fast unto death in Yerawada jail. Congress leaders requested Dr Ambedkar to reconsider and, keeping the national interest in mind, he agreed. In 1932 the Poona Pact was made between Gandhiji and Dr Ambedkar: separate electorates were cancelled and reserved seats were provided.
Key idea 3 : Third conference and withdrawal of the movement — In November 1932 the Third Round Table Conference was held in England; the Congress boycotted it, so it proved futile. Meanwhile the government carried out very harsh repression and declared the Congress and its bodies illegal. Finally in 1934 Gandhiji withdrew the Civil Disobedience Movement.
- Easy : Who represented the Congress at the second conference? — Gandhiji.
- Medium : What did the Communal Award give to Dalits? — Separate electorates.
- Exam-type : What did the Poona Pact decide? — Separate electorates cancelled and reserved seats given.
In the figure: The journey from the fruitless talks of the conferences to the compromise of the Poona Pact and the withdrawal of the movement.
What happened before? On 16 August 1932 Prime Minister MacDonald announced the Communal Award. Gandhiji, then in Yerawada jail, informed the government that he would begin a fast unto death from 20 September 1932. After the fast began, leaders’ meetings started in Yerawada and Pune.
What happened next? The Poona Pact was made at Yerawada on 24 September 1932 and Gandhiji ended his fast. After that, reserved seats for the depressed classes were kept in the provincial legislatures. Later the Act of 1935 gave provinces more powers and provincial elections were held in 1937.
Communal Award 16 August 1932; fast 20 September; Poona Pact 24 September 1932; withdrawal 1934.
It is wrong to think Dalits got nothing in the Poona Pact. They got reserved seats instead of separate electorates.
Memory clue: Remember ‘31-32-34’ = second conference, Poona Pact, withdrawal; 24 September = the Pact.
Spot the difference
| Point | Communal Award | Poona Pact |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1932 | 1932 |
| For Dalits | Separate electorates | Reserved seats |
| Between whom | Decision of British government | Gandhiji and Ambedkar |
Second and Third Round Table Conferences, Poona Pact and withdrawal
In the app you can move this figure with your finger.
Open in the appPractice questions
- 1Whose representative was Gandhiji at the second conference?
- 2On which questions did differences arise at the second conference?
- 3Who announced the Communal Award?
- 4Why did Gandhiji fast in Yerawada?
- 5What did the Poona Pact decide?
- 6Why did the third conference prove futile?
- 7What decision and announcement came before the Poona Pact?
- 8After the Poona Pact what arrangement was made for the depressed classes and when was the movement withdrawn?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Of the Indian National Congress.
- 2The question of minorities and the nature of the future federation.
- 3The British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald.
- 4In protest against separate electorates for Dalits on the basis of caste.
- 5Separate electorates cancelled and reserved seats provided.
- 6The Congress boycotted it.
- 7The Communal Award was announced on 16 August 1932 and Gandhiji announced a fast from 20 September.
- 8Reserved seats were kept in the provincial legislatures; the movement was withdrawn in 1934.