Gandhi’s Salt March: Walking from Dandi to Ahmedabad

History Indian History

Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-02-05 09:32:27 |

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 12

---

Retracing Gandhi’s Footsteps: A Journey to Understand Gujarat's Transformation

In February 2019, Harmony Siganporia retraced Gandhi’s iconic Salt March from Dandi to Ahmedabad, walking the 400 km route in 25 days with two companions. This reverse journey, chronicled in Walking from Dandi: In Search of Vikas, was an exploration of modern Gujarat and its transformation. Gandhi’s Salt March in 1930 marked a pivotal moment in India’s fight for independence, and Siganporia’s walk sought to connect the region’s historical significance with its contemporary identity.

Gujarat’s Political Evolution: From Gandhi to Hindutva

Siganporia’s walk also aimed to understand the shifts in Gujarat’s political landscape, which is often described as the “laboratory of Hindutva.” The state, which once served as the backdrop for Gandhi’s experiments with truth, non-violence, and satyagraha, has evolved into a key political stage for the Hindu nationalist movement. By retracing the march, Siganporia sought to uncover if any remnants of Gujarat’s Gandhian past still exist in the face of its modern political identity.

The Salt Tax and Gandhi’s Legacy of Resistance

Gandhi’s protest against the British salt tax in 1930 was one of the most symbolic acts of resistance, highlighting the unjust nature of colonial laws. By making salt in Dandi, Gandhi and his followers directly challenged British authority, using non-violent civil disobedience to draw attention to the inequality imposed by colonial rule. Siganporia’s walk was not just a physical retracing of steps but an inquiry into the enduring legacy of Gandhi’s principles in today’s Gujarat.

Gujarat Today: A Land of Contradictions

Through this journey, Siganporia explored the contradictions within Gujarat: a state that once championed peaceful resistance is now seen as a hub of Hindutva politics. The walk not only shed light on the political evolution of the region but also raised questions about whether the values Gandhi championed—truth, non-violence, and equality—still have a place in modern Gujarat’s political discourse.

Go!