StarSalinas

WorldHistory
HarrisonDelfin
13014
Gandhiwassuccessfulatcreatingpoliticalchangethroughnonviolence.
Forexample,byhavingadayoffastingandprayer,aswellastheSaltMarch,
IndianswereabletoshowtheBritishthattheywouldn'tgiveupuntil
independencewasgranted.10,000HindusandMuslimsflockedtoAmritsar,a
majorcityinPunjab,inthespringof1919."Atahugefestivalinanenclosed
square,theyintendedtofastandprayandlistentopoliticalspeeches"(MWH
453).TheBritishsawthisasasignofnationalismandwereterrified.The
Britishorderedtroopstofireonthecrowdwithoutwarning.400Indianswere
killedandover1200werewounded.TheIndianswantedtoshowtheBritish
thattheydidn'tneedtheirsupportanylonger.Indianswantedtofightbackbut
wereresistedtoprovetheywerebetter.In1930GandhiledIndia'smarchto
theseatoboycottsaltbecausetheydidn'tfeelitfairtopaysalestaxonBritish
salt.BritishofficersarrestedGandhiforhisaction.WhenGandhiwas
arrested,MuslimsandHindusmarchedtothesaltworkstocontinuetheir
protest.Theyplannedtopeacefullytakeoverthesaltworks.Azad,oneof
Gandhi'sfollowers,gaveaspeechthere.LastnighttheytookGandhifromus.
Theyexpectustoloseheartortofightback.Wewillnotloseheart,wewill
notfightback.Inhisnamewewillnotbebeaten.Ashehastaughtus,wewill
notraiseahand(Gandhifilm,scene5).Thepeoplecontinuedtomarchon
anddidn'tfightback.AnAmericanjournalistwasaneyewitnesstotheevent.
Hedescribed,theSickeningwhacksofclubsonunprotectedskullsand
peoplewrithinginpainwithfracturedskullsorbrokenshoulders."Stillthe
peoplecontinuedtomarchpeacefullyrefusingtodefendthemselvesagainst
theirattackers(MWH455)TheBritishgotabadreputationaroundtheworld
forattackingtheIndiansatthesaltworksandeventuallywantedtotalkto
GandhiaboutgivingIndiaindependence.EventhoughIndialostmanypeople
duringtheBritishattack,theygainedtheirindependenceandGandhiwas
successfulcreatingtruepoliticalchangethroughnonviolence.Histactics
showedpeoplearoundtheworldthatviolencedoesn'tsolveeverything.