Gandhi Jayanti Special: Mahatma influenced the world, but do you know who impressed Gandhi?

In many countries including India, on October 2, many events are held to remember Mahatma Gandhi. The whole world is influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's life and his thoughts. But have you ever thought who impressed Mahatma Gandhi, the most in his life? The answer is farmers of India. 

Yes, the farmers of Awadh have contributed significantly to the freedom struggle. Farmer's struggle against the British affected him so much that Rae Bareli was entrusted with the responsibility of starting the Salt Movement, one of the freedom movements. The peasant movements of Awadh greatly influenced Mahatma Gandhi, which later became the basis of not only the Salt Satyagraha but many movements.

The passion and enthusiasm of the farmers impressed Mahatma

Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by the enthusiasm and passion of the people during the Kisan movement. The way the farmers had given impetus to this movement throughout Awadh by keeping Rae Bareli at the center gave a positive message to the political leadership of the country. Under the leadership of Baba Ramchandra, the way farmers were gathering in the village and the outline of the movement was being formed. He was tested by Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was in direct contact with local Congress leaders since the Munshiganj firing on 7 January 1921.

Many times he sent Jawaharlal Nehru to Rae Bareli and asked farmers and leaders to communicate. On 13 November 1929, he came to the town of Bachhranwa, where he was welcomed by the then Congress District President Mata Prasad Mishra and Munshi Chandrika Prasad. Mahatma Gandhi reached Lalganj the next day after spending the night in Sooduli Kothi. He was so overwhelmed by the huge crowd gathered here that he had decided that the responsibility of 'Namak Satyagraha' in the United Provinces would be given to Rae Bareli.

The responsibility to start the Salt Satyagraha

On 12 March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi started announcing the launch of 'Namak Satyagraha'against the British Government. A committee was formed under the leadership of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, in charge of the Civil Disobedience Movement in the United Provinces. On Mahatma Gandhi's instruction, Jawaharlal Nehru asked to start it from Rae Bareli.  On this occasion, Jawaharlal Nehru had said that there are activists like Angad, Hanuman, and Sugriva in Rae Bareli, who can put their life at stake on one call of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi himself wrote a letter in this regard to Babu Sheetla Sahay, a resident of Shivgarh, and living in Sabarmati Ashram. In this letter, he had given the command of the 'Namak Satyagraha' to Kunwar Suresh Singh of Kalakankar and directed that he immediately reach Rae Bareli with his workers.

Mahatma Gandhi sent Jawaharlal Nehru to Rae Bareli on 30 March and took stock of the preparations for the 'Namak Satyagraha' to be effective in the United Provinces. Nehru was very satisfied with preparations and he sent Gandhi full details. On 8 April 1930, thousands of activists, including Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, Mohanlal Saxena, Kunwar Suresh Singh, tried to make salt by reaching Dalmau, but the police were already aware that this effort could not succeed.

'Namak Satyagraha' started from Tilak Bhavan

Apart from Dalmau, a team was also trying to make salt at Tilak Bhawan in Rae Bareli. On 8 April 1930, many activists including Pandit Moti Lal Nehru, Kamla Nehru, Vijay Laxmi Pandit, Indira Gandhi were present in Tilak Bhawan. The Munshi reached Satyanarayana with a huge procession, after which 10 gram of salt was made.  Which Motilal Nehru also auctioned there itself. Interestingly, Meher Chandra Khatri bought this 10 grams of salt for Rs 51. His father Mr Lakshmi Narayan was a British employee and Chief Reader of the Deputy Commissioner. Later, police arrested several people. As soon as the Salt Satyagraha started in Rae Bareli, there was a competition to make salt in the entire province. It became the most successful movement in the entire United Provinces, commanded by Rae Bareli.