Even as Dandi March commenced on the coast of Gujarat to protest the tax levied on salt by the British, a parallel march was underway in Madras state (present day Tamil Nadu) led by C. Rajagopalachari popularly called as “Rajaji”. The march led by Rajaji was called the “Vedaranyam March” and was part of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The march was started at Trichy (Trichinopoly then) and ended at Vedaranyam, a coastal town in Tanjore district. The march was hugely successful in mobilizing people at a time when police brutality was really high.
Two noticeable developments ahead of the Vedranyam March 1. Gandhi had successfully completed the Dandi march despite the police brutality.
2. Rajaji was unanimously elected as the President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.
Rajaji started the Vedaranyam March, mobilizing Congress leaders and workers in big numbers towards the common cause of Civil Disobedience. The leaders who participated in the march included tall leaders of Independence movement i.e., Kamaraj & Bhaktavachalam.
Consequences of the march The march inspired people to do their bit for the Civil Disobedience Movement. Despite threats from the British, there was large scale closure of shops and multiple arrests. Collector Thorne famously said, “If there ever existed a fervid sense of devotion to the British Government, it is now defunct”. This state pretty much reflects the success of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
