ISS Previous Year Paper 2023 GS Solution Question 1(e) Salt Tax, Dandi March and Its Impact on India's Freedom Struggle

ISS Previous Year Paper 2023 GS Solution Question 1(e) Why Mahatma Gandhi considered Salt Tax oppressive and the outcome of the Dandi March. Detailed answer discussing the significance of the Salt Satyagraha and its impact on the freedom movement.

Salt Tax, Dandi March and Its Impact on India's Freedom Struggle

ISS Previous Year Paper 2023 GS Solution Question

Q.1(e) Why did Mahatma Gandhi consider Salt Tax more oppressive than other taxes? What was the outcome of his Dandi March?

Answer :

Mahatma Gandhi regarded the Salt Tax as one of the most oppressive taxes because it affected all sections of society, especially the poor.

Why Gandhi Opposed the Salt Tax

Salt is a basic necessity of life. The British government imposed a monopoly over its production and sale, preventing Indians from freely producing or collecting salt.

Gandhi believed the tax was unjust because:

• It burdened even the poorest citizens.

• It symbolized British economic exploitation.

• It affected every household regardless of caste, religion, or region.

• It represented denial of a natural resource to the people.

  
  

By choosing salt as the issue of protest, Gandhi was able to unite diverse sections of Indian society.

The Dandi March

On 12 March 1930, Gandhi began a 240-mile march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi in Gujarat with a group of followers.

On 6 April 1930, he symbolically broke the Salt Law by producing salt from seawater, initiating the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Outcomes of the Dandi March

• It transformed the national movement into a mass movement.

• Millions of Indians participated in civil disobedience activities.

• Women joined the freedom struggle in large numbers.

• International attention was drawn to India's demand for independence.

• British authority and legitimacy were challenged.

• The movement ultimately led to negotiations such as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931).

  
  

Although the Salt Tax was not immediately abolished, the movement greatly strengthened the struggle for independence.

Conclusion

The Salt Tax became a powerful symbol of colonial injustice, and the Dandi March demonstrated the effectiveness of non-violent resistance. Gandhi's leadership transformed a simple issue into a nationwide movement that energized India's freedom struggle and inspired future campaigns against British rule.