Salt march anniversary observed

Vedharanyam, Tamil Nadu, Apr 30 (UNI) Five hundred people, including freedom fighters, led by a 101-year-old freedom fighter Ladapuram Gurusamy collected salt near the hiostorical 'salt sathyagraha' memorial at Agasthiyampalli near here, marking the 79th anniversay celebrations of Salt sathyagraha Yatra today.

Earlier, they went in a procession from Rajaji park here after garlanding the statue of Sardar Vedharatnam, who was behind the success of the march in 1930 as part of India's Independence movement. They reached the salt sathyagraha memorial at Agasthiyampalli and performed bhajans and paid homeage to the departed freedom fighters.

Mr Gurusamy, who was one among the participants of the 'salt sathyagraha yatra' under the leadership of Rajagopalacharyar, popularly known as Rajaji 78 years back, spoke about the significance of the 'yatra' and explained how it became a turning point in the freedom struggle.

On April 30, 1930 late Rajaji and a group of 100 Congress partymen reached the coastal town of Vedaranyam in defiance of the Salt Law, imposed by the then British rulers.

A bag of two mounds of salt was sold at three rupees and four annas during the British regime.

Domestic salt producers got a paltry amount of less than two annas for a bag of salt. This tax was levied to compensate the price of salt brought in by the British rulers from their country.

Protesting against the ''draconian'' law, Mahatma Gandhi decided to launch a non-violent agitation which ultimately culminated in the Salt Satyagraha Movement.

Rajaji and the Congress volunteers who left Tiruchirapalli on April 13, 1930 arrived at Vedaranyam on April 28 to massive response from the people.

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