12th March 2020
Musings.......
The March that shook the Empire
Today marks the 90th Anniversary of the day that Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation led the Dandi march against the British Imperial Government.
What makes this Anniversary relevant is the times we are living in. Ruled by right wing BJP Government, who have no contribution to show of in the Indian Freedom Movement, and who are trying their best to mislead the public into believing otherwise, I find it the apt time to remember Dandi March.
Few had realised the significance of the March when it was announced and it includes the British. Going into a backdrops of the events that led to this decision by Gandhiji.
It was the historic Lahore Session of Congress in 1929 under the Presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru, that the Indian National Congress accepted complete independence as its goal.
January 26, 1930 was fixed as the first Independence Day (Swarajya) and the Congress Working Committee was authorised to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement.
At midnight of December 31st 1929, on the banks of River Ravi, the newly adopted tricolour flag was hoisted by Jawaharlal Nehru amidst slogans of Inquilab Zindabad !
Why I am delving into details of the events leading upto Gandhijis March is what the predecessors of our Ruling party were doing in the meantime.
Contrary to what they propagate now, the Hindu Mahasabha and Right wing of those days were firmly behind the British Government giving them full support, and helping the British neutralise the efforts of Indian National Congress !
Choosing Salt tax to be an issue showed us in hindsight the brilliance and political acumen of Gandhiji.
Salt resonated with the common man. Salt besides water was one of the basic necessities of the common man. In Gandhiji own words “ There is no other article like salt, outside water, by taxing which the government can reach the starving millions, the sick, the maimed and the utterly helpless... it is the most inhuman poll tax the ingenuity of man can devise”.
On March 12th 1930, Gandhi along with a band of seventy eight members of Sabarmati Ashram started the March that shook the roots out of the mighty British Empire- the same empire where the sun never set !
There was something in the image of Gandhiji as he began his March - staff in hand at the head of his dedicated band- something that stirred the imagination of millions of our nation.
By the time Gandhiji reached Dandi he had the whole nation behind him hand in hand against the might of the British Imperial Empire.
On 6th April 1930 by picking up a handful of salt Gandhiji inaugurated the Civil Disobedience Movement, a movement that was to remain unsurpassed in the history of the Indian National Movement for the country wide mass participation that it unleashed.
For the first time in the history, the British had to accept Indians as their equals and the poor Indians knew Independence was not far behind.
Contrast this to our present day ruling leadership- undermining Gandhiji and Nehru with fake news and propaganda material - just so that people may forget they were the real bootlickers of the British.
Propaganda has to be countered with raw facts and no one can beat the truth for a very long time.
Gandhiji and his contributions to Indian National Movement and Nehru and his role in shaping the India that we live in today would stay on in public memory.
It is upto us to decide whether we should sell the “ Soul of India” to past traitors or keep up the idea of India alive within democratic means.
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
The March that shook the Empire
Today marks the 90th Anniversary of the day that Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation led the Dandi march against the British Imperial Government.
What makes this Anniversary relevant is the times we are living in. Ruled by right wing BJP Government, who have no contribution to show of in the Indian Freedom Movement, and who are trying their best to mislead the public into believing otherwise, I find it the apt time to remember Dandi March.
Few had realised the significance of the March when it was announced and it includes the British. Going into a backdrops of the events that led to this decision by Gandhiji.
It was the historic Lahore Session of Congress in 1929 under the Presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru, that the Indian National Congress accepted complete independence as its goal.
January 26, 1930 was fixed as the first Independence Day (Swarajya) and the Congress Working Committee was authorised to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement.
At midnight of December 31st 1929, on the banks of River Ravi, the newly adopted tricolour flag was hoisted by Jawaharlal Nehru amidst slogans of Inquilab Zindabad !
Why I am delving into details of the events leading upto Gandhijis March is what the predecessors of our Ruling party were doing in the meantime.
Contrary to what they propagate now, the Hindu Mahasabha and Right wing of those days were firmly behind the British Government giving them full support, and helping the British neutralise the efforts of Indian National Congress !
Choosing Salt tax to be an issue showed us in hindsight the brilliance and political acumen of Gandhiji.
Salt resonated with the common man. Salt besides water was one of the basic necessities of the common man. In Gandhiji own words “ There is no other article like salt, outside water, by taxing which the government can reach the starving millions, the sick, the maimed and the utterly helpless... it is the most inhuman poll tax the ingenuity of man can devise”.
On March 12th 1930, Gandhi along with a band of seventy eight members of Sabarmati Ashram started the March that shook the roots out of the mighty British Empire- the same empire where the sun never set !
There was something in the image of Gandhiji as he began his March - staff in hand at the head of his dedicated band- something that stirred the imagination of millions of our nation.
By the time Gandhiji reached Dandi he had the whole nation behind him hand in hand against the might of the British Imperial Empire.
On 6th April 1930 by picking up a handful of salt Gandhiji inaugurated the Civil Disobedience Movement, a movement that was to remain unsurpassed in the history of the Indian National Movement for the country wide mass participation that it unleashed.
For the first time in the history, the British had to accept Indians as their equals and the poor Indians knew Independence was not far behind.
Contrast this to our present day ruling leadership- undermining Gandhiji and Nehru with fake news and propaganda material - just so that people may forget they were the real bootlickers of the British.
Propaganda has to be countered with raw facts and no one can beat the truth for a very long time.
Gandhiji and his contributions to Indian National Movement and Nehru and his role in shaping the India that we live in today would stay on in public memory.
It is upto us to decide whether we should sell the “ Soul of India” to past traitors or keep up the idea of India alive within democratic means.
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
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