
Gandhi chose to break the salt law as an act of civil disobedience. On 6 April, the first day of National Week, Gandhi led the mass breaking of the salt laws. He prepared the worldwide media for the march by issuing regular statements from the Ashram, at his regular prayer meetings, and through direct contact with the press.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for breaking the salt law | Gandhi believed it was a sinful act to tax salt as it was an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people in the country |
| Protest focus | Salt is an item of daily use, which can relate to people of all classes, rather than demanding some political right |
| Type of protest | Nonviolent civil disobedience |
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What You'll Learn
- Gandhi chose to break the salt law as an act of nonviolent civil disobedience against the British government's unjust policies
- The salt law was suggested in 1882, giving the British government a monopoly on the manufacturing and collection of salt
- Gandhi believed it was a sinful act to tax salt, as it was an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people
- The tax on salt was 8.2%, badly affecting lower-class Indians the most
- Salt is an item of daily use, which can relate to people of all classes, rather than demanding some political right

Gandhi chose to break the salt law as an act of nonviolent civil disobedience against the British government's unjust policies
Gandhi believed that it was a sinful act to tax salt, as it was an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people in the country. He said, "Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life". The tax was 8.2% and badly affected lower-class Indians the most. Gandhi also chose salt as the focus of his protest because it was an item of daily use that could relate to people of all classes, rather than demanding some political right.
Gandhi's act of civil disobedience was a powerful statement against the British government's unjust policies and a way to unite people of all classes in a common cause.
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The salt law was suggested in 1882, giving the British government a monopoly on the manufacturing and collection of salt
Gandhi chose to break the Salt Law as he believed it was a sinful act to tax salt, as it was an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people in the country. He said, 'Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life'. Gandhi's act of breaking the Salt Law was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in response to the British government's unjust policies.
Gandhi's choice to focus on salt as a protest item was also strategic. As an item of daily use, it could relate to people of all classes, rather than demanding some political right. This meant that the protest could unite people from all walks of life in a common cause.
Other leaders were not satisfied with Gandhi's decision at first, but prominent Congress statesman Mr C. Rajagopalachari understood Gandhi's point of view. He said, 'Suppose, a people rise in revolt. But they cannot attack the constitution nor lead an army against proclamations and statutes… Civil disobedience has to be directed against the salt tax or the land tax or some other particular point – not that; that is our end, but for the time being it is our aim, and we must shoot straight'.
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Gandhi believed it was a sinful act to tax salt, as it was an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people
The salt law, suggested in 1882, gave the British government a monopoly on the manufacturing and collection of salt. This meant that the handling of salt was limited to depots governed by the British, and violation of the law was considered a criminal offence.
Gandhi chose to focus his protest on salt because it was an item of daily use that could relate to people of all classes. He wanted to unite people in a common cause, rather than demanding a political right that might not have resonated as strongly with the general population.
Other leaders were not satisfied with Gandhi's decision at first, but prominent Congress statesman C. Rajagopalachari understood Gandhi's point of view. He said:
> 'Suppose, a people rise in revolt. But they cannot attack the constitution nor lead an army against proclamations and statutes … Civil disobedience has to be directed against the salt tax or the land tax or some other particular point – not that; that is our end, but for the time being it is our aim, and we must shoot straight.'
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The tax on salt was 8.2%, badly affecting lower-class Indians the most
Gandhi chose to break the salt law because it was an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people in the country. The tax on salt was 8.2%, badly affecting lower-class Indians the most. Gandhi said, "Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life".
The salt law was suggested in 1882, according to which the British government had a monopoly on the manufacturing and collection of salt. This meant that the handling of salt was limited to depots governed by the British government, and the violation of the law was considered a criminal offence.
Gandhi's act of breaking the salt law was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in response to the British government's unjust policies. It was also a way to relate to people of all classes, rather than demanding some political right.
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Salt is an item of daily use, which can relate to people of all classes, rather than demanding some political right
Gandhi believed that it was a sinful act to tax salt since it was an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people in the country. He said, "Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life". The tax was badly affecting lower-class Indians the most.
Gandhi's act of breaking the salt law was an example of nonviolent civil disobedience in response to the British government's unjust policies.
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Frequently asked questions
Gandhi chose to break the salt law because he believed it was a sinful act to tax salt, an essential item for regular use and for the health of the people in the country.
Gandhi's act of breaking the salt law was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience against the British government's unjust policies.
Gandhi chose to focus on salt because it is an item of daily use, which can relate to people of all classes, rather than demanding some political right.



















