On March 12th, 1930, Mohandas Gandhi began a 241 mile trek from Sabmarti, India to the town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea. He and his supporters were protesting the British Salt Act which forbade Indians from collecting or selling salt, as well as the heavy tax that ensued when Indians were forced to buy salt from the British. The legendary act of civil disobedience drew thousands of followers who joined the march which ended on April 5th when Gandhi reached the shore, spoke and led a prayer, and began making salt from seawater. Indian nationalists were inspired to lead citizens make their own salt, causing the arrest of some 60,000 people. A month later, Gandhi was arrested, and released from prison the following January.

Considered one of the most significant acts against British Colonial rule, the Salt March symbolized peaceful non-violent resistance in the move towards independence which was achieved in August 1947.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• March 12, 1930. (1930, Mar 12). The San Francisco Examiner (1902-2007)

• The Disobedience Crusade. (1930, Mar 25). The North - China Herald and Supreme Court & Consular Gazette (1870-1941)

• Women Now Volunteer To Defy India's Salt Laws. (1930, Mar 30). The China Weekly Review (1923-1950)

• Gandhi's Salt Revolt Stirs Up Riots In India: Police Seize Followers; He Remains Free. (1930, Apr 07). Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963)

• Daily Picture Page Of World's Latest News Events. (1930, Apr 08). The Hartford Courant (1923-1995)

• Ghandi Finishes Salt Tax Stunt (1930, Apr 26). The Pittsburgh Courier (1911-1950)

• Gandhi Wasted To 96 Pounds By 8 Months In Jail: Homely Man. Barely 5 Feet Tall, Sways India By His Power Of Dramatization. (1931, Jan 26). New York Herald Tribune (1926-1962)

• Anonymous Political Correspondent. (1934, Apr 11). Through Nationalist Eyes: An Eventful Week. The Times of India (1861-Current)

• The Life Of Gandhi-- A Non-Violent Struggle For Indian Peace and Independence. (1948, Jan 31). New York Herald Tribune (1926-1962)

• McCarthy, C. (1969, Oct 01). Mahatma (Maha: Great; Atman: Soul). The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973)

• Kaufman, M. T. (1980, Apr 07). Few Mark Gandhi's 1930 March To Sea: Used Nonviolence As Weapon. New York Times (1923-Current File)

Tips:

• Coward, Harold, ed. Indian Critiques of Gandhi. Albany: State University of New York Press, c2003. e-book

• Eknath, Easwaran. Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself to Change the World. 4th ed. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press, 2011. e-book

• Finkelstein, Norman. G. What Gandhi Says: About Nonviolence, Resistance, and Courage. New York, London: OR Books, 2012. e-book

• Glyn, Richards. The Philosophy of Gandhi: A Study of His Basic Ideas. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press, c1991. e-book

Images:

• Salt March Statue, Wikimedia Commons

• Special News Slide, Courtesy of the Gottesman Libraries

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