In an effort to amend the salt tax without breaking the law, on March 2, 1930 Gandhi wrote to the Viceroy, Lord Irwin: “If my letter makes no appeal to your heart, on the eleventh day of this month I shall proceed with such co-workers of the Ashram as I can take, to disregard the provisions of the Salt Laws. I regard this tax to be the most iniquitous of all from the poor man’s standpoint. As the Independence movement is essentially for the poorest in the land, the beginning will be made with this evil.”
On March 12, 1930, Gandhi and approximately 78 male satyagrahis set out, on foot, for the coastal village of Dandi some 240 miles from their starting point in Sabarmati, a journey which was to last 23 days. Virtually every resident of each city along this journey watched the great procession, which was at least two miles in length. On April 6th he raised a lump of mud and salt (some say just a pinch, some say just a grain) and declared, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.” He then boiled it in seawater to make the commodity which no Indian could legally produce—salt.
The website of the 75th anniversary walk writes:
Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, India, invites you to join an âInternational Walk for Peace, Justice and Freedomâ, from 12th March to 7th April, 2005; to commemorate the epic event. We give you the opportunity to relieve the Great Salt March as it happened 75 years ago. Come walk in the footsteps of Gandhi and his band of marchers, camp at the places where they camped during the original march, hear inspirational and informative talks by contemporaries of Gandhiji and eminent historians, watch feature films and documentaries on the life of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian Freedom Movement.
See shows depicting Indiaâs rich cultural and folk art heritage every evening as you rest after walking down the same road as the one taken by the original marchers. Interact with the simple rural folk of Gujarat.
We invite you to participate in an event that will be a physical challenge, a spiritual experience and an opportunity to do something good for a cause or to help a charity of your choice.
For you die hard Salt March fans, Cafepress is selling official gear. Even though the clothes aren’t made from homespun fabric, I think Gandhi would have approved…right? I think it would be awesome if some woman sported this outfit while marching toward the sea:
