The March That Taught A Nation to Resist: Lessons from Gandhi’s Dandi March In Times of Turbulence

The Dandi march was a pivotal act of non-violent resistance during India’s freedom struggle against British colonial rule. Led by Mahatma Gandhi, it began on March 12, 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram and covered about 390 kilometres to culminate at the coastal village of Dandi on April 6, 1930.

Gandhi and his followers protested the British monopoly on salt by symbolically making salt from seawater, defying colonial laws. The march sparked mass civil disobedience and became a defining moment in the broader movement for Indian independence.

The march was carried out to protest the British government’s salt tax and monopoly over salt production in colonial India. At the time, Indians were not allowed to freely produce or sell salt and had to buy it from the colonial administration, which imposed a tax even though salt was an essential daily commodity. Mahatma Gandhi chose salt as a powerful symbol that affected both the rich and the poor.

Gandhian activists and academics draw strength from not only Dandi March but all movements and programmes led by him. 

“During the Dandi March, Gandhi walked all along. People on the way participated in the march which created a source of energy to fight against colonial rule. His non-violent Satyagarh (seeking truth) protests had a history of 30 years. People joined his movement because of the power of non-violence. These included my ancestors as well,” says Suniti Sulabha Raghunath, a Gandhian social activist based in Pune.

Suniti’s paternal grandmother, Radhabai Kulkarni, was imprisoned during the Quit India Movement of 1942 led by Mahatma Gandhi. Her grandfather, Shyamrao Kulkarni, worked at Gandhi’s Mahilashram in Wardha. Her mother’s parents were also actively involved in promoting khadi. Her father Raghunath Kulkarni, worked with the Khadi Commission and also wrote a book titled ‘Khadishi Jadale Nate’ (A Bond with Khadi). Suniti spent her childhood at Gandhi’s Mahilashram in Wardha. With two generations of Gandhian ideas and values at home, it was natural for Suniti to embrace Gandhian thought.Suniti worked with Medha Patkar for ‘Naramada Bachao Andolan’ for 40 years with Gandhian ideas of mass mobilisation, non-violent protests and hunger strikes as weapons for social change.

Gandhi beyond non-violence 

On the occasion of Dandi March anniversary, Suniti elaborates upon how Gandhian ideas of social movements and political change are still relevant. 

“Violence is not a solution to any issue. In fact it is itself an issue, as we are witnessing in the wars in Iran, Ukraine and Palestine. Peace, non-violence, mass movements are needed more than ever but Gandhian ideas need to be understood beyond violence-non- violence. He has given us four weapons: Zadu (the broom-symbolising abolition of the caste system), Charakha (the spinning wheel that symbolises self-reliance and sustenance), Prarthana (prayer that symbolises empathy) and and Brahmacharya (a life with self-discipline and patience). All these values seem missing from nations states across the globe, which need to be understood and followed for democracy to flourish.” says Suniti.

She also places Gandhi’s life lessons in the present context with millions of farmers likely to feel the impact of the India-US trade deal. “Gandhiji’s philosophy of self-reliant villages and ecosystem sustained our country for decades. With the recent foreign policies the rural ecosystem is being eroded, farmers are jeopardised due to our import policies,” feels Suniti.

Senior social activist and Gandhian scholar Kishor Bedakihal has written and edited multiple books on the Mahatma’s life and contributions. He says, Gandhi’s thoughts on religion and state are more nuanced than what we have understood collectively.

“Gandhi worked to eradicate untouchability within Hindu dharma. One can make such reforms without leaving their religious identity. This thought provoked many upper caste Hindus to eradicate untouchability. Human rights and legal frameworks are necessary, but Gandhi’s ideas and programmes helped change mindsets about the caste system.” says Bedakihal.

“Gandhi used to believe that all religions are created by God but religious texts are created by human beings. Therefore, there is a scope to introduce reforms in implementation of religious texts with three parameters: scientific temper, reasoning and timely relevance, but this exactly isn’t being practised and the state is promoting a particular religion. This is also because we failed to differentiate between secularism and religions with equality.” Bedakihal elaborates.

“Secularism was much needed for the state to not favour any particular religion, but beyond that there should have been a mass movement of religious equality and religious reforms stemming from Gandhi’s thought. This is one much-needed lesson from his work if we could interpret it holistically. The movement of religious reforms could have been a strong force of resistance to the religious bigotry that we encounter today,” concludes Bedakihal.