Nearly 100 years ago, in March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi left his ashram near Ahmedabad, India, with about 80 followers to begin a 240-mile march to the sea. The British, who had colonized India, made it illegal for Indians to produce or sell their own salt. There was a heavy tax on salt, which is essential for preventing dehydration in hot weather. The protestors were on their way to the sea to make their own salt.
Others laughed at the thought that this small protest about something as meager as salt could make a difference. But it was brilliant. Salt was needed by Hindus and Muslims, rich and poor. And it was a simple way to defy British rule. It was a uniting force.
The march took 24 days, as they wended their way from village to village in Gujarat. After each day’s walk, Gandhi, wearing his characteristic white robes and carrying a walking stick, would speak about the unfairness of this tax on poor people. Huge crowds gathered to hear him each night and began to join him. Gandhi was teaching the essential concept of satyagraha – non-violently and steadfastly holding fast to truth, no matter what happened. Journalists took note, and the group got international attention. By the time they reached the sea in Dandi, the march had swelled to over 60,000 strong.
Normally, the beach there was crusted in salt, shining like diamonds, collecting in small depressions and pools as the tide went out. But a few days before the marchers were to arrive, the British authorities churned up the sand, leaving only sludge.
It didn’t make a difference. Gandhi picked up a handful of salty mud to be dried in the sun, thereby “producing” salt and famously saying, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.” He was arrested and served several months in jail.
Thousands of people were arrested with him. However, others kept coming, silently marching to the sea. The British police were brutal, clubbing them – including Gandhi’s son – on their heads and shoulders, hurting them terribly. But Gandhi’s followers were schooled in nonviolence – and silently continued to come. Millions of people all over India began to make their own salt, and over 60,000 people were arrested. It was satyagraha in action. Gandhi understood that the more brutal the police were and the less reactive the protesters were, the clearer it became who held the moral high ground.
Eventually, as we know, India did gain independence from British rule.
I think of nonviolent resistance like water. Each drop – each action – might seem tiny and insignificant. But put together, it is, perhaps, the world’s most powerful force.