By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, March 17, 2020: Calls to discard hatred and embrace hearts echoed during a foot march organized by some activist groups in Delhi to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s historic protest against British tax on salt.
The three-day walk covered mostly northeastern parts of the national capital ravaged by the recent communal riots.
The yatra or walk began on March 13 from the grave of Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, India’s first education minister, located near Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid. They walked across Red Fort, Kashmere Gate, Old Secretariat, Khyber Pass, Delhi University, Timarpur, Waziarabad, Khajuri, and reached Bhajan Pura. The yatra team had organized series of discussions and street corner meetings in the public gathering locations.
On the second day, they started from Bebi Nanki Dharamshala at Bhajan pura and walked through Karawal Nagar, and Dayal Pur. A public meeting was held near the Chand Baba Dargah located in Chand Bagh that was torched during the recent Delhi riots.
On the final day on March 14, the march began from New Mustafabad, went to Shiv Vihar, a highly affected area. The team visited the burnt Auliya Masjid near the canal road, the Madina Masjid, affected houses and the people.
The team met and appreciated Rajpal, a Hindu who protected several people during the riots. Then the yatra team proceeded to Welcome Colony, Seelampur, North Ghonda.
The yatra team proceeded to Old Mustafa Bad and met the victims, mostly women, living camps of Eidgah Ground. The group then visited Brijpuri, Gokulpuri, Noor-e- Ilahi, Kardampuri, Yamuna Vihar, Maujpur and ended up at New Mustafabad. Series of meetings were organized near temples, gurudwaras and mosques in those areas.
The marchers passed through Shastri Park, Lohey Wala Pul, and Shanti Van.
They ended the walk at Rajghat, the Gandhi mausoleum, with the recitation of all religious prayer and Sankalp Oath, to work for promoting peace and Harmony.
National Gandhi Museum Director Annamalai addressed the valedictory gathering near the cremation place of Gandhi.
The marchers represented groups such as Khudai Khidmatgar, Socialist Yuvjan Sabha, National Alliance of People’s Movement, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Baa-Bapu150, and Indian Community Activist Network.
During the walk, the team conducted hundreds of street corner meetings, sang harmony songs, conducted one to one dialogues, distributed relief materials and pamphlets on communal harmony, and conducted peace prayers according to the local situation.
Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March lasted from March 12 to 6 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly.
Gandhi started the march with 80 volunteers and covered 16 km (ten miles) a day and covered 384 km from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, which was called Navsari at that time in Gujarat.
Gandhi broke the salt laws at 6:30 am on the final day, sparking off acts of civil disobedience against the British Raj salt laws by millions of Indians across the country.
The satyagraha against the salt tax continued for almost a year, and more than 60,000 Indians were jailed.
The Salt March, and the crackdown by the British police on hundreds of nonviolent protesters not only received worldwide news coverage but demonstrated the effective use of civil disobedience as a technique for fighting social and political injustice.