Salt March at Madras: Indian Press on the Repressive Measures of the British on Satyagrahis of Marina Beach Satyagraha in Tamilnadu, 1930-1931

Abstract

Gandhi's Dandi march in March 1930 infused a new spirit among the Congress leaders of Madras. C. Rajagopalachari, the president of Tamil Provincial Congress Committee drew up a plan for salt march in Tamil province on the Gandhian model and confirmed his plan to conduct the march from Trichy to Vedaranyam beach in Tanjore district. T.Prakasam, the leader of Andhra Provincial Congress Committee had a difference of opinion with C.Rajagopalachari on selection of a common venue for the Madras Presidency. When Rajagopalachari decided to conduct the march at Vedaranyam, T.Prakasam appealed to the Andhra people to come over to participate at the Marina Beach in Madras in April 1930. The Indian Press such as The Hindu, The Swadesamitran, The Sudandhirasangu, The Ooliyan, The Andhrapatrika, The Krishna Partrika, The Swarajya, The Congress, The Navasakthi, The Gandhi, The Desabakthan, The Ananda Bodhini and other prominent pro-nationalist papers appealed to the Indians to read against the atrocities of the British officials on the unarmed general public of Madras. They have severely dealt with the provisions of the Press Ordinances of 1930 and the Indian Press (Emergency Powers) Act of 1931, but they continued to propagate the anti-British sentiments among the Indians. The pro-nationalist papers extended their support to the various Satyagraha movements organized at Masulipatnam in Andhra Province; Vedaranyam, Madras, Sholinganallur, Cuddalore, Nagapatnam and Tuticorin in Tamil Province, by publishing a series of articles on the course of the Salt Satyagraha movements.