Dear Signatories,
Today is 6 April 2022, which is the 92nd anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's historic Salt Satyagraha. It is popularly known as the Dandi March, because it is here that Gandhi made salt on 6 April 1930, proclaiming: "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.” He was later arrested by Britishers on May 5.
To break the colonial British Salt Act, Gandhi chose the Dandi beach on the Gulf of Cambay, not significant in itself, but a point that allowed Gandhi and the aroused Indian people to walk for 26 days, passing through 4 districts and 48 villages, as Dandi was 241 miles from the starting point of the march. This gave Gandhi ample time to draw public interest, attract international media and to focus on his plans for civil disobedience for national liberation.
On 5 February 1930, newspapers reported that Gandhi would begin civil disobedience against the British colonial rule, by defying the salt laws. The eve of the march brought thousands of Indians to Sabarmati to hear Gandhi speak at the regular evening prayer. American academic writing for The Nation reported that, "60,000 persons gathered on the bank of the river to hear Gandhi's call to arms. This call to arms was perhaps the most remarkable call to war that has ever been made." The Salt Satyagraha would begin on 12 March 1930 and end in Dandi on 5 April 1930 with Gandhi breaking the Salt Act on 6 April 1930. Gandhi chose 6 April to launch the mass breaking of the salt laws for a symbolic reason—it was the first day of "The National Week", to mourn the brutal 13 April 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre of Indians on General Dwyer’s orders. The Dandi March initially started with 78 people belonging to almost every region, caste, creed, and religion of India, but swelled to over 50,000; the line of marchers became at least 3 km long under Gandhi’s charismatic leadership. pass through 4 districts and 48 villages. For the march itself, Gandhi wanted the strictest discipline and adherence to satyagraha and ahimsa. The Salt March was also called the White Flowing River because all the people were joining the procession wearing white khadi.
The Salt March proved highly instrumental in mobilizing the Indian people en masse and, in doing so, it united the Indian nation. The British Government was helpless in preventing this mass mobilization – with steadily increasing participation – because - walking to the sea was not an illegal act, and they could not arrest anyone until or he or she actually broke the law by making salt. The Salt Satyagraha was part of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent movement to fight the British monopoly of salt. The Salt Satyagraha garnered widespread support among the masses and attracted considerable global attention paving the way for Gandhi-Irwin Pact. The pact paved the way for the release of thousands of political prisoners and allowed Indians to manufacture salt.
The Dandi March was said to be the first movement of civil disobedience (satyagraha) against British colonialists in their fight against the foreign rule. Gandhiji's movement energised the Indian masses so much that they started making the salt by themselves, defying British restrictions.
During the March, foreign journalists and three Bombay cinema companies shooting newsreel footage turned Gandhi into a household name in Europe and America (at the end of 1930, Time magazine made him "Man of the Year"). The New York Times wrote almost daily about the Salt March, including two front-page articles on 6 and 7 April. Near the end of the march, Gandhi declared, "I want world sympathy in this battle of right against might."
So, I request each one of you, dear Readers, to follow the footsteps of the apostle of nonviolence, become CHANGE MAKERS like him, promote his legacy of Nonviolent Conflict Resolution, by signing our CFN petition, #ChooseNonviolentDefence, and follow our Call for Action #'s as small but sure steps towards CFN Vision: A World Beyond War. In view of the current chaotic, fearful, and appalling Russia-Ukraine war, brought home to the world by very disturbing images and videos of the current Russian – Ukraine war, our efforts for learning nonviolent tactics are needed more than ever. So, do share the link change.org - https://goo.gl/nqujDe with your contacts for humankind to usher in a WORLD BEYOND WAR.
Until next month, stay safe and healthy!