Explain the causes and events of the ‘Salt Satyagraha’.

Question :Explain the causes and events of the ‘Salt Satyagraha’.

The correct answer is -The Salt Satyagraha, also known as the Salt March, was a significant event in the Indian independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930. The campaign was launched to protest the British colonial government’s salt monopoly and its imposition of taxes on salt.

The causes of the Salt Satyagraha can be traced back to the early 20th century when the British colonial government imposed heavy taxes on salt, a staple item in the Indian diet. The salt tax was particularly burdensome on the poor and rural population of India, who could not afford to buy expensive salt from the British government. Furthermore, the government’s monopoly on salt production and distribution prevented Indians from producing their salt and trading it freely.

Mahatma Gandhi, who had already become a prominent leader in the Indian independence movement, saw the salt tax as an opportunity to galvanize the masses against British rule. He believed that a mass civil disobedience campaign would not only challenge the salt tax but also serve as a powerful symbol of India’s fight for independence.

On March 12, 1930, Gandhi and a small group of followers set out on a 240-mile march from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi, a coastal town in Gujarat, to make salt from seawater. The march lasted for 24 days, and along the way, it attracted thousands of supporters. When Gandhi reached Dandi on April 5, he made salt by boiling seawater, which was a direct violation of the British government’s monopoly.

Gandhi’s defiance inspired similar acts of civil disobedience across India, and millions of Indians began making salt and refusing to pay the salt tax. The British colonial government responded with brutal repression, arresting over 60,000 people, including Gandhi himself. Despite the government’s crackdown, the Salt Satyagraha had a profound impact on the Indian independence movement, and it helped to galvanize support for independence both within India and around the world. Ultimately, India gained its independence from British rule in 1947