Gandhi
Begins March to the Sea
|
| AHMADABAD, India, March 12—Mahatma Gandhi,
Indian Nationalist leader, and 79 of his disciples today
completed the first leg of their 20-day march to Jalalpur, opening their civil disobedience campaign for
complete Indian independence. |
| About 20,000 persons were gathered at the entrance of
Gandhi’s quarters here when the Mahatma and his
followers set out, but most of those who had followed the
procession turned back at the boundary and returned to
their homes. |
| The procession then traversed the road to the village
of Asiali, which was reached after a four-hour march.
There were about 126 in the group which reached the
village. Here about 100 townsmen with flags, garlands and
music received the marchers. |
Speech at Asiali
Two places have been set aside in the village for the
party, one a rest house and the other a place for meals. |
| Gandhi in a speech at Asiali called the “message
of salt,” defied the Government to arrest him.
Gandhi said the Government had arrested his lieutenant,
Valla-Bhai Patel, for his intention of addressing a
public meeting. “Let the
Government arrest me for actually doing so,” said
Gandhi.
|
| Gandhi said the salt tax was collected stealthily and
therefore amounted to theft. His followers must be
prepared for the worst, even death, in their campaign for
the removal of the salt tax. Concluding, Gandhi said he
hoped he had left his seminary at Ahmadabad for good and
that possibly he was addressing them for the last time. |
| Tomorrow morning a halt will be made at Bareja and
then at Navagaon, where the procession will halt for the
night. Several movie men accompanied the party. |
| The secretary of the Guj. Provincial Congress
Committee, in a message to Pandit Jawaharial Nehru,
president of the All-India Congress, said Gandhi began
his march amidst unforgettable scenes unprecedented in
the history of Gandhi’s seminary. |
| Millionaires and laborers, he said, vied with each
other in wishing godspeed to the marching column.
Thousands of men, women and children followed the
procession in orderly array, while thousands lined the
route and showered coins, currency notes, flowers and
saffron on the Mahatma. The Government’s plans for
coping with Gandhi’s agitation never have been
disclosed. There were reports today from Poona,
headquarters of the British army in the Deccan, that the
Eleventh Sikh Regiment of the Indian regular army had
been ordered to proceed Monday to Baroda, through which
Gandhi and his volunteers will pass. |
Gandhi Guarded Overnight
Persistent rumors of imminent arrest of Gandhi last night
caused considerable stir in the city and about 1000
persons kept an all-night vigil outside the gates of
Gandhi’s university, which was guarded by woman
pickets. |
| Daybreak disclosed a huge mass of humanity moving
toward the college and by 5 o’clock the entire route
from the college to the heart of the city was lined with
crowds, and in several places decorated with flags and
foliage. |
| Gandhi, after his morning prayers, paid a final visit
to the sick members of the university and bade them
farewell. Included among them are several smallpox
patients. |
| At 6:30 a.m., Gandhi stepped out in front of his
devotees and took the lead of the procession. Each
volunteer carried a staff and kit-bag containing only
what was absolutely necessary for the trip. When the
procession reached the Sabarmati River its members forded
the stream in pioneer style. Hundreds of persons marched
in their wake and police contented themselves with
maintaining control of traffic. Everything thus far has
passed off peacefully. Moslems of the community abstained
from demonstrations. |
| Many gifts, including a horse, from a woman, were
given to Gandhi as he started his pilgrimage. Several
Hindus carried out the old superstition of breaking
coconuts to ward off evil spirits. His 79 volunteers come
from all parts of India. Two of them are Moslems and one
a Christian; the rest are Hindus. Nine are teachers, 25
are students and 12 are graduates. |
