‘‘The Salt March of 1930 was the first event that brought Mahatma Gandhi to world attention.’’ Explain the significance of this movement for Swaraj.

The significance Salt March for Swaraj:

(i) On 12th March 1930- Gandhiji began the march from his ashram at Sabarmati towards the ocean where he reached after three weeks, making a fistful of salt and thereby breaking colonial salt law.

(ii) Parallel salt marches and protests were also conducted in other parts of the country. Peasants breached the hated colonial forest laws, factory workers went on strike, lawyers boycotted British courts  and students refused to attend goverment run educational institutions. Gandhi’s call had encouraged Indians of all classes to make manifest their own discontent with colonial rule.

(iii) During the March Gandhiji told the upper castes that if they want Swaraj they must serve untouchables. For Swaraj, Hindus , Muslims , Parsis and Sikhs have to unite

(iv) The progress of the salt March can also be traced from another source: the American news magazine, Time. Time magazine was deeply sceptical of the salt march reaching its destination. But within a week it had changed its mind and saluted Gandhi as a ‘saint ‘ and statesman. Time’s writing had made the British rulers “ desperately anxious”.

(v) Salt March was notable for at least three reasons. First, it was  this event that brought Gandhiji to world attention. The march was widely covered by the European and American Press.

(vi) Second, it was the first nationalist activity in which women participated in large numbers. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the socialist activist had persuaded Gandhiji not to restrict the protest to men alone . She herself was one of numerous women who courted arrest by breaking salt and Liquor Laws.

(vii) Third, and perhaps most significant, it was the Salt March which forced upon the British the realization that their Raj would not last forever , and they would have to devolve some power to the Indians.

(viii) To that end British Government convened a series of Round Table Conferences in London. First meeting was held in Nov 1930 without any pre-eminent political leader in India, thus rendering it an exercise in futility. When Gandhiji was released from jail in Jan 1931,many meetings were held with the Viceroy and it culminated in the ‘Gandhi Irwin Pact’ by which civil disobedience would be called off and all prisoners released and salt manufacture allowed along the coast. Gandhiji represented the congress at Second Round Table Conference at London. The conference in London was inconclusive, so Gandhi returned to India and resumed civil disobedience.