The Annual Gandhi Salt March is an event for the family. It commemorates the great march of 1930 in India. On the 8 March 1930 Mahatma Gandhi announced at a meeting in Ahmedabad, “I want to deprive the Government of its illegitimate monopoly of salt. My aim is to get the Salt Tax abolished as the first step towards freedom.” And he declared that the Civil disobedience can start on the 12 March. He wrote in a letter, “Let everyone constitute himself into a leader and conduct the movement.” He maintained that if 700 000 villages violated the Salt Law the government will be powerless.
He started with a band of 78 trained defiance campaigners and walked for 24 days over 200 miles reaching Dandi after mobilizing thousands of villagers on the way.
This was a spectacular campaign which shook the very foundation of the British Empire. The amazing part of the campaign was the absolute discipline and bravery displayed by the young volunteers who were beaten and harassed by the police. No retaliation, just resolute calmness despite the terrible provocation.
On the 19 April we commemorate this discipline and resoluteness to stand for the truth.
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