Question

Explain the primary objectives of Gandhiji’s ‘Salt Satyagraha’. How did this Satyagraha mobilize public opinion against British rule? Explain.

Hint:

The Salt Satyagraha used a simple issue—salt—to highlight colonial exploitation, making it a powerful tool for mass mobilization and civil resistance.

Answer 1

The Salt Satyagraha, or Dandi March, initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, was a key component of the Civil Disobedience Movement. It held both symbolic and practical importance.
Key Goals:

• To challenge the British control over salt production and the imposition of salt taxes, which disproportionately affected the general population, particularly the impoverished.
• To initiate a peaceful civil disobedience campaign against unfair colonial legislation.
• To foster national unity across diverse regions and social strata by centering the struggle on a fundamental necessity: salt.

Gaining Public Support:

• Gandhi's 240-mile trek from Sabarmati to Dandi garnered significant public interest and widespread involvement.
• Individuals from all societal segments participated—men, women, and children openly violated the salt law by producing salt illicitly.
• The campaign achieved global recognition and engendered international support, highlighting British oppression and the determination of Indians.
• It established a distinct ethical framework for India's fight for independence, characterizing British governance as unjust and exploitative.