Page 23 - All About History - Issue 34-16

Protest

DODGE OFFICIALS

Gandhi prepared himself and his followers for
arrest, but it never came. There was no significant
British presence on the march until after it had
been completed. As a result, Gandhi’s ‘satyagraha’
nonviolent resistance continued on, and it became
so effective that it rallied Indians from all across
the subcontinent to the cause, including those of
The 60-year-old Gandhi was quite Hindu, Muslim and Sikh backgrounds.
frail at this time, but walking sent
a much more powerful message
KEEP ON WALKING
than catching a train to the coast
Gandhi and his followers would travel
approximately 12 miles each day. To keep spirits
high, the marchers sang traditional Hindu ‘bhajans’.
The amount of walking meant packing light was
the order of the day. Each man would only carry
a bedroll, a change of clothes, a takli spindle, a
journal and a drinking mug.

AVOID FATIGUE

While the elderly Gandhi endured the long journey
by using a bamboo staff to help him walk, many
dropped out along the way due to fatigue. It was
therefore important for the procession to take
breaks regularly, during which time they would
pray or spin cotton. Everyone was required to keep
a diary of the march.
GATHER STATISTICS

When arriving in each village, Gandhi would
collect information about the conditions of the local
population. These statistics would then be sent on
to congress and letters were written to local papers.
Vast media coverage helped raise awareness of the
Indians’ plight to the worldwide community.

REST UP

After each day’s marching, Gandhi and his
followers would get some rest in the nearest village.
Rather than stay with the high-caste reception
committee, he instead chose to eat and wash
with ‘untouchables’ - people of low caste. In a few
villages this caused upset, but in others it was
accepted. Before bedtime, crowds would gather and
listen to Gandhi speak out against the inequality of
Indian taxation. His inspirational words would only
spur more people to join the cause, and by the end
of the march the procession was two miles long.

The political activist and writer Sarojini
Naidu joined the march. She was the
first Indian woman to be president of © Alamy
the Indian National Congress
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