Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha

Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha was a march started by Indian statesman C. Rajagopalachari, inspired by the Dandi March. C. Rajagopalachari, a close associate of Gandhi, led the march which had close to 150 volunteers, most of who belonged to the Indian National Congress. It began at Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirappalli) on 13 April 1930 and proceeded for about 150 miles towards the east before reaching Vedaranyam, a small coastal town in the then Tanjore District.By collecting salt directly from the sea the marchers broke the salt law. As a part of the march, Rajagopalachari created awareness among the people by highlighting the importance of khadi or cotton as well as social issues like caste discrimination. The campaign came to an end on 28 April 1930 when the participants were arrested by the police. Its leader Rajagopalachari was imprisoned for six months. The march along with the ones at Dandi and Dharasana drew worldwide attention to the Indian independence movement.