Salt of the Earth leaders gave boost to movement

The Salt Satyagraha of Ankola in 1929 was not just successful, but also inspired many others across the state to replicate the movement.
Policemen confront the Salt Satyagrahis at Ankola in 1929 | FILE
Policemen confront the Salt Satyagrahis at Ankola in 1929 | FILE

KARWAR: The Salt Satyagraha of Ankola in 1929 was not just successful, but also inspired many others across the state to replicate the movement. The success was because of the participation of local leaders and thousands of people who gathered at Ankola to continue the protest against the decision of the British to tax a commonly used item like salt.

When Mahatma Gandhi gave a call for the Dandi March or Salt Satyagraha the then Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee started searching for an ideal place to hold a similar satyagraha locally. In 1929, then senior Congress leader Hanumanth Rao Kaujalgi suggested Ankola in the then North Canara district. In December 1929, many leaders, including Kaujalgi, Kaka Karkhanis, Ranganath Diwakar, DP Karmakar and others, went to every village and inspired people to participate in the Satyagraha, in response to a call by the Mahatma to reach the freedom movement to every rural area.

Just before the event, Kaujalgi, Kaka Karkhanis and other leaders were arrested and the building they were staying in was sealed. But that did not deter the spirit of other local leaders. Shamrao Shenoy invited the leaders to stay at a pandal he had put up for a marriage in the house.

Jayaramacharya, who hailed from Koppal, sang keerthanas, infusing the nationalistic pride among people who were already motivated by the likes of Habibullah of Peshawar, Gangadhar Deshpande, Majli and others.

The Satyagraha was scheduled for April 6, 1930 -- the day the inhuman Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened. A massive crowd of over 35,000 people participated in the movement. As it was against taxing a common commodity like salt by the British, various speakers at the gathering urged people not to buy salt from the shops. The agitators brought water from the sea backwaters, boiled it and made salt as a form of protest. The first packet of salt was purchased by local merchant Devu Honappa by paying Rs 30, which was a princely sum then.

The same evening, there was a rally at Gandhi Maidan in Ankola, where the leaders called upon people to boycott products taxed by the British. The police arrested many leaders, but the movement had already made its impact.

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