Gandhiji’s call for breaking Salt Laws was in response to the

Gandhiji’s call for breaking the Salt Laws was the defining act that launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 [2]. Following the Lahore Congress of 1929, where 'Purna Swaraj' (complete independence) was declared as the goal, Gandhi chose salt as a powerful symbol of protest because the salt tax affected every section of society, particularly the poor [3]. On March 12, 1930, he began the historic Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram, reaching the coastal village of Dandi on April 6, 1930 [3]. By ceremonially manufacturing salt from seawater, he openly defied British law, marking the formal commencement of the Civil Disobedience Movement [2]. This movement differed from the earlier Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) as it encouraged the active violation of colonial laws and the non-payment of taxes in addition to boycotts [3].

Sources

1. [1] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > May 1924 > p. 42
2. [2] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > 3.1 The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement > p. 39
3. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 3. The Salt Satyagraha A Case Study > p. 297