THE GREAT
SALT MARCH OF
Gandhi
IN 1930, INDIA HAD BEEN UNDER
BRITISH RULE FOR MORE THAN
SEVENTY YEARS. THE BRITISH TREATED
INDIANS POORLY AND FORCED THEM
TO PAY HIGH TAXES ON MANY GOODS,
INCLUDING SALT. INDIANS NEEDED
SALT TO STAY HEALTHY, AND MANY
POOR INDIANS COULDN’T AFFORD IT.
MOHANDAS GANDHI, A LEADER IN THE
NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE TO BRITISH
RULE, DEMANDED THE GOVERNMENT
END THE HIGH TAXES ON SALT.
WHEN THEY REFUSED, GANDHI
BEGAN THE GREAT SALT MARCH.
IT WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT PROTESTS IN
INDIAN HISTORY.
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Written by Thomas Keith
Illustrated by Mike Morrocco
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MARCH 12, 1930, ONE DAY
AFTER THE DEADLINE
BY MOHANDAS GANDHI
FOR THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT TO
REPEAL A TAX ON SALT.
THE GREAT
SALT MARCH OF
Gandhi
Written by
Thomas Keith
THEY WOULD HAVE US PAY
FOR SALT FROM OUR OWN LAND,
NOT TO MENTION PAY FOR THE
PRIVILEGE TO DO SO.
WHAT WOULD YOU
SUGGEST WE DO? WHEN WE
DISOBEY, THEY BEAT AND
ARREST US.
Illustrated by
Mike Morrocco
BORSAD
ANAND
BY SITTING HERE, WE
ARE DOING NOTHING.
WE MUST STAND UP AND
MAKE OUR VOICES
HEARD.
IF WE CAN MAKE
THE WORLD TALK, THE
BRITISH WON’T BE ABLE
TO IGNORE US.
RAS
HOW
ARE WE TO DO
THAT?
DANDI
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2
A SIMPLE ACTION THAT
WILL SPEAK LOUDER THAN
WORDS. WE WILL GATHER
SALT FROM THE SEA.
WE SUFFER
WHATEVER PUNISHMENT
TO SHOW THE BRITISH AND THE
WORLD THAT THIS TAX IS
UNJUST.
PLEASE, STAY. THE LAW IS UNJUST,
BUT YOU COULD GET HURT IF
YOU DO THIS.
GANDHI AND SEVENTY-EIGHT OF HIS FOLLOWERS
LEFT THEIR ASHRAM AND BEGAN THEIR 240 MILE
(386 KM) MARCH TO DANDI, INDIA.
WE WILL HAVE
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS,
BROTHER. WE WILL STAND UP AND
SHOW THEM THE STRENGTH OF
SATYAGRAHA*.
*SATYAGRAHA: THE PRACTICE
OF SEEKING POLITICAL OR
SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH
NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE
WE WILL
MARCH TO
DANDI.
WE WILL
TAKE SALT FROM
INDIAN EARTH AND
INDIAN WATERS AND
USE IT TO HELP FEED
INDIAN PEOPLE.
WE WILL
DO ALL THIS AND
NOT PAY A BRITISH
TAX.
YOU WILL PAY
WITH YOUR BODIES.
KNOWING THAT, YOU
STILL PLAN TO
MARCH? WHY?
WE MARCH FOR SALT.
WE MARCH FOR JUSTICE.
WE MARCH FOR THE PEOPLE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY,
WE MARCH FOR OUR
CHILDREN, SO ONE DAY THEY
WILL NOT HAVE TO.
3
The Great Salt March of Gandhi | Graphic Book
ANAND, INDIA
MARCH 17, 1930
WE SEE
NOTHING BEHIND
THE LAWS THAT
SUPPRESS US.
THE BRITISH
MAKE US DANCE
TO THEIR TUNE ON THE
STRENGTH OF THEIR
ARMY.
4
I INVITE YOU ALL, EVEN
THE BRITISH, TO JOIN IN
THIS MOVEMENT.
WILL THEY
PERPETRATE MANY
INJUSTICES IN ORDER TO
JUSTIFY ONE?
AND WILL
THEY PUT
INNOCENT MEN
BEHIND BARS?
BORSAD, INDIA
MARCH 18, 1930
RAS, INDIA
MARCH 19, 1930
WE SHALL VIOLATE
THE LAW, AND WE SHALL
BE PREPARED TO SUFFER
WHATEVER PENALTY—BE IT
IMPRISONMENT, FLOGGING,
OR ANY OTHER.
I WISH I COULD BELIEVE
THIS NON-INTERFERENCE BY THE
BRITISH WAS DUE TO ANY REAL
CHANGE OF HEART OR POLICY.
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT
WILL TOLERATE AS THEY HAVE
TOLERATED THIS MARCH.
DANDI, INDIA
APRIL 6, 1930
5
The Great Salt March of Gandhi | Graphic Book
6
MR. GANDHI, THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU
DON’T PAY THE TAX INSTEAD OF
GOING TO JAIL?
THE ACTUAL BREACH
OF THE SALT LAWS BY
COUNTLESS PEOPLE TODAY
AND GOING FORWARD
WILL SHOW OUR TRUE
RESOLVE.
THEY MAY HURT
US, ARREST US, AND
TRY TO KILL OUR SPIRIT.
THROUGH ALL THAT,
WE MUST STAY TRUE—
WE MUST STAY PEACEFUL
AND NONVIOLENT.
WE HAVE
PROVEN THAT
CHANGE CAN
COME IN MANY
FORMS.
CHANGE CAN
ALSO COME FROM
SOMETHING AS
SMALL AS A GRAIN
OF SALT.
IT CAN COME FROM
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
PEACEFULLY MARCHING AGAINST
THEIR GOVERNMENT.
WHAT NOW FOR
YOU AND YOUR
GROUP?
WE MARCH
TO DHARASANA AND
THEIR SALTWORKS. WE WILL
KEEP GOING UNTIL WE GET A
RESPONSE FROM THE BRITISH.
7
The Great Salt March of Gandhi | Graphic Book
8
GANDHI WOULD BE ARRESTED ALONG
WITH MORE THAN SIXTY THOUSAND
INDIANS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
MONTHS. HE WOULD STAY IN PRISON
UNTIL 1931. THANKS TO GANDHI’S
AND MANY OTHERS’ WORK, INDIA
WOULD BE FREE OF BRITISH RULE ON
AUGUST 15, 1947. GANDHI LIVED TO SEE
INDIAN INDEPENDENCE BEFORE BEING
ASSASSINATED ON JANUARY 30, 1948.