Mass Mobilization: Salt Satyagraha in the Coastal Tamil Nadu (1930-1931)

Abstract

Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India declared on 31st October 1929, that the goal of British policy was to confer Dominion Status on India. But a subsequent meeting between Lord Irwin and Gandhi revealed that the Dominion Status contemplated by Viceroy‟s pronouncement was not up to the expectation of Gandhi . Hence the Lahore Congress of 1929 had authorized the Working Committee to launch a programme of Civil Disobedience including, non-payment of taxes. Gandhi put forth the program to be observed by the people on 26th January 1930 as Purna Swaraj Day which was approved by the Congress Working Committee. On 15th February 1930, the Congress Working Committee meeting held at Ahmadabad, authorized Gandhi to launch the Civil Disobedience movement at time and place of his choice. The Civil Disobedience began on the issue of Salt Tax. On 12th March he began his march to Dandhi with a band of devoted Satyagrahi‟s to breach the Salt Law. Gandhi appealed to his countrymen to start the Salt Satyagraha at their respective region. Tamil Nadu played a commendable role in conducting Salt Satyagraha on the Gandhian model. It was conducted in various places like Marin Beach at Madras, Sholinganallur, Vedaranyam and Tuticorin and in the small coastal villages like Killai, Owari, Devanampattinam and Tharuvaikulam which imbibed the spirit of nationalism among the mind of people. This paper deals the incident on the micro level narrating the events from the grass root level.