ABSTRACT
In the beginning of 1930, the political atmosphere in India was highly charged. In the tropical climate of India, salt is as much of a necessity of life as air and water. Especially dependent were the millions of hard laborers, who were accustomed to making salt for free, or buying it for a negligible price. The caste system in India is over three thousand years old. It started after the invasion of the Aryans, who wanted to separate themselves from the native Dravidians. Gandhi showed India that it was possible for her population to create a unified front and fight nonviolently against a mighty common oppressor. The reason for the arrest was Gandhi's announcement of yet further provocation; he would lead a raid to close the Dharasana salt works in the beginning of May. In 1932, Gandhi was imprisoned in the Yervada jail.
