The Salt March

It is more popularly known as the "Dandi march" in India.

Dandi being the coastal town where salt was made. The march was started from Sabarmati, where Gandhi had his Ashram. The journey of abt 240 miles was completed on foot in 23 days.

Dandi? Thanks -- I'll go look that up...

The Salt March To Dandi

http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/Dandi.html




Hey! Is that you? <waving> ...nice avatar.

It is considered a very important part of the history of India, right?

Migod, 23 days of marching -- ten miles a day. That is such a haul. I've hiked ten miles in a day, at the end of a week-long hiking trip. Still, I was exhausted and my knees ached for days afterwards. It would be debilitating to most people.

Yes, Piffka, it is considered a very important event in the history of India's struggle for independance from the British.

And yeah, thats me - now that you have seen me - has yr love for me increased or decreased (I think the baby avtaar was cuter )

I must admit, you do look serious and a little fearsome, but I still hope to see for myself in London someday!

In an effort to amend the salt tax without breaking the law, on March 2, 1930 Ghandi 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 (Jack 237). Virtually every resident of each city along this journey watched the great procession, which was at least two miles in length (Jack 237). On April 6th he picked up a lump of mud and salt (some say just a pinch, some say just a grain) and boiled it in seawater to make the commodity which no Indian could legally produce--salt (Jack 240).

Gautam - what did you think of the movie Gandhi? Was it loved or reviled in India?

Larry, when Gadhi came out, a lot of older and "middle" generation folks, already new abt Gandhi and his achievements, so the biggest "impressionist" minds for this movie was people of my generation, and made up the biggest audience of this movie.

Sadly, it did more harm to his reputation than enhance it in my opinion, because for all his greatness, Gandhi was shown as a weak man, in the context of "India". He stood up to his enemies, but he could not "standup" to his friends. A lot of people in my generation (including me) ended up blaming him for some of the problems which are beseeching India right now.

Thanks. Has Bollywood ever attempted a Gandhi bio? And does India consider Satyajit Ray the greatest Indian filmmaker, as western critics state?

LArry, not Bollywood. Bollywood is not big on making biographies - simply because there is no market for it. However, there was a televison documentary made called "Mahatma" by another very talented Indian director Shyam Benegal - which some claim was more closer to the truth than Gandhi.

Yes, almost everyone in the film making industry claim that Satyajit Ray was the greatest filmmaker. The man was a genius. Period. No one has even come close to him...

Water and Salt
http://www.the-week.com/98apr26/life2.htm

This is an interesting article from a 1998 Indian weekly, The Week, when a 50-Year Repeat of the March was held. It reminded me of other faults of other re-enactments I'd heard of. Still, what a feat to complete it and for so many reasons. It was the man who needed the paperwork which made me laugh.

March of Emptiness
Reenactment of Mahatma Gandhi's famous Dandi yatra against the
British salt tax was an uninspiring show

NARENDRA PACHKHEDE in Baroda

------
... the article ends sadly:

"At Dandi there was no salt in sight. In 1930, as Weber writes, the high tide of the month came at the end of March. And as the Bombay Chronicle had reported,"A supporter of the nationalist cause sarcastically noted that at present government officials who have been specially deputed are making efforts to level the land thus preventing natural deposits of salts. The idea at the back of this wonderful trick seems to be that Gandhiji should not get any salt to remove."

"As one walked through the village, people talked about the nonavailability of drinking water for the past 50 years."Once a pipeline was sanctioned but the freedom fighters of Matvad and Karadi villages manipulated things," said an agitated Shivlal Patel. While yatris drank mineral water and washed themselves with water brought in tankers, the villagers did not receive a drop of water to drink on April 5. The march surely was not really worth its salt."

Welcome to the India - what once was a great nation !

I looked up that TV documentary and it was one I remember seeing (part of). It was about Gandhi in Africa and was called "The Making of Gandhi" right? I remember it showed him in intimate conversations with his wife who seemed to be a good partner for him -- some women wouldn't have put up with that! The Indians in South Africa were treated horribly, I hadn't known, though I should have suspected, I guess. It surprised me on many fronts. Prior to that movie I hadn't realized Gandhi was a lawyer. I thought he was a teacher.

Oh, hi Guatam! It is so sad, I want it to be right for India. So many beautiful things that could have been there, I think it had true magnificence. Has it gone downhill because there are so many people? Or is it that there was colonialism? Or, the petty graft like the article said? Or... what?

Just our politicians Piffka - maybe I should open a thread on this....

And it was called "The making of Mahatma"

Good idea! I will look for it. That title makes more sense. The making of Mahatma... the making of a great soul.

I am still hoping to find a map of the Dandi March.

Politicians? Why is it always the stinkin' politicians???

Thanks gautam, and piffka - I love documentaries, will have to look for that one.