Mahatma Gandhi is one of those men I have untainted reverence for.
(Even my deeply-embedded skepticism hasn't been able to pierce that reverence.)
One of his signature protests was the 250-mile march to Dandi, a seaside town in western India, to make salt.
The British, who were the rulers at that time, had recently monopolized salt production and taxed it.
Gandhi wasn't thrilled.
So he proposed that he'd deliberately gather grains of salt, which, I guess, would've been illegal.
The British ignored it at first, thinking it a farce.
But the Salt March soon attracted the multitude and, with them, reporters.
(Even my deeply-embedded skepticism hasn't been able to pierce that reverence.)
One of his signature protests was the 250-mile march to Dandi, a seaside town in western India, to make salt.
The British, who were the rulers at that time, had recently monopolized salt production and taxed it.
Gandhi wasn't thrilled.
So he proposed that he'd deliberately gather grains of salt, which, I guess, would've been illegal.
The British ignored it at first, thinking it a farce.
But the Salt March soon attracted the multitude and, with them, reporters.
Eventually, despite the fact that this was the year 1930, Gandhi's walk was covered almost every day by every major newspaper in world.
With coverage came criticism.
Much of it focussed on the dangers of a revolution; some of it warned of the threat to European imperialism (a glorious achievement for many conservative Europeans).
With coverage came criticism.
Much of it focussed on the dangers of a revolution; some of it warned of the threat to European imperialism (a glorious achievement for many conservative Europeans).
But there's one in particular that stands out for me.
(I abhor it for mocking something so courageous and just; but the writing's good.)
It was a comic poem, The Saint and Satan, written by someone named Samuel Solomon under the anagrammatic pseudonym Melusa Moolson:
I had resolved that I, Mahatma Gandhi,
On saintly toe would daintily tread to Dandi,
Where on the far shores of the Arabian ocean,
Where on the far shores of the Arabian ocean,
I'd make poor salt and make a rich commotion.
At once the Press entire took up the chorus
And pestered every mile that lay before us;
The Press entire, becoming shrill and shriller,
Published each day some more exciting thriller;
They soon grew indiscreet and indiscreeter;
Sugar was sweet, but contraband salt was sweeter!
Just goes to show that even morally wrong arguments can be well written.
The Salt March was probably what made Gandhi really popular in Europe and America.
He was popular enough that he was written into one of the songs of the hit broadway musical "Anything Goes" (1934):
You're the top!
You're Mahatma Gandhi.
You're the top!
You're Napoleon Brandy.
They soon grew indiscreet and indiscreeter;
Sugar was sweet, but contraband salt was sweeter!
Just goes to show that even morally wrong arguments can be well written.
The Salt March was probably what made Gandhi really popular in Europe and America.
He was popular enough that he was written into one of the songs of the hit broadway musical "Anything Goes" (1934):
You're the top!
You're Mahatma Gandhi.
You're the top!
You're Napoleon Brandy.
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