Content note: Newspaper page with period caste and communal terms ('Untouchable', 'Pathans') and a headline calling opponents of Gandhi 'Champions Of Foreign Rule!'; reports police firing on strikers. This object is shown as it was published. Why
The Bombay Chronicle, 7 April 1930, front page: "Salt laws to be broken in Bombay to-day"
Front page the morning after Gandhi broke the salt law at Dandi. Headlines announce Bombay's first batch of volunteers as 'Soldiers of Freedom', 'Calcutta breaks salt laws' and 'Satyagraha offered by enthusiastic Delhi', and a boxed appeal 'To Young Men' by C. Rajagopalachari. Tells: freedom-and-independence terms in place of specifics, a city-by-city roll of participation, and a label ('Champions of Foreign Rule!') for opponents of Gandhi.
- Date
- April 7, 1930
- Period
- Interwar
- Made by
- The Bombay Chronicle (Bombay nationalist daily); wire copy credited to Free Press of India and Associated Press
- Region
- South Asia
- Country
- British India
- Medium
- Newspaper pages
- Issuer type
- Media
- Regime
- British Raj
- Leader
- Edward Wood
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Themes
- Empire and colonialism, Labor
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Internet Archive (IndiaHistory collection, item india.history.resource.8245), retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (US: published Bombay 1930, before 1931; no IA rights statement)
The Bombay Chronicle, Bombay, 7 April 1930, p. 1; digitised by the Internet Archive (IndiaHistory collection), item india.history.resource.8245
Text on the object
The Bombay Chronicle FOUNDED BY SIR PHEROZESHAH M. MEHTA IN 1913. BOMBAY, MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1930. SALT LAWS TO BE BROKEN IN BOMBAY TO-DAY. First Batch To Be Led By Sjt. K. F. Nariman. KAMALADEVI & AVANTIKABAI AMONGST "SOLDIERS OF FREEDOM." (Through the Satyagraha Committee, B. P. C. C.) The first detachment of Bombay's "Ironsides" in the non-violent army of Indian Independence will march out of the Congress House early in the morning at 6-30 a.m. (S. T.), and proceed to Haji Alli Point near the Mahaluxmi Race Course with the avowed intention of breaking the Salt Laws. The detachment will be led by the President of the Bombay Provincial Congress Committee, Sjt. K. F. Nariman, and will consist of, besides Sjt. Nariman, Srimati Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, Srimati Avantikabai Gokhale, Hafiz Ali Bahadur Khan, Sardar T. R. Singh, Sjt. N. D. Solomon, Sjt. M. Sadik S. Ahmed alias Sadik, Sjt. V. N. Patankar, Sjt. Chaturbhai V. Thakkar and Sjt. K. V. Anant Krishnan. [...] A huge procession is arranged to cheer the "Soldiers of Freedom" on their way to Worli. It is essentially that discipline should be maintained at all costs and there should be perfect non-violence even at the greatest provocation. BOMBAY'S SATYAGRAHA LEADER. Mr. Khursed F. Nariman who along with Mrs. Kamaladevi and Mrs. Avantikabai Gokhaley will break salt laws in Bombay to-day. APPEAL TO INDIAN YOUTH. To Young Men, My Dear Friends- I want straight answers from you to a few questions: Have you thought over this: Is this country to be ours or must it be ever other people's? Do you believe that without serious effort we can achieve freedom for our country? If not, who is to undertake the sacrifice? Do you want to leave the country to itself and take no part in its fortunes? Is this honourable or fair? How can we break this vicious chain of apathy unless one generation of young men throw themselves into the struggle, venturing all? Is not adventure the peculiar privilege and duty of youth? What is the good of this education that deadens your mind to the aspirations of freedom and makes you anxious about only one thing, your own bread-problem? or your own private ambitions? Think for yourself and get out of the rut. C. RAJAGOPALACHARI. "UNTOUCHABLE" VISITORS TO GANDHIJI. Champions Of Foreign Rule! (From Our Special Representative.) JALALPORE, April 6. There has been some sensation in the camp since the arrival here of two untouchable leaders from Poona on a mad mission of preventing Gandhiji from starting the [campaign] of civil disobedience against untouchability. [remainder not transcribed] CALCUTTA BREAKS SALT LAWS. No Govt. Interference. CALCUTTA, April 6. Punctually at 8-24 a.m. in brilliant sunshine and an atmosphere of solemnity, Sjt. Satischandra Dasgupta with a band of 34 Satyagrahi volunteers broke salt law at Manisbatan, 10 miles from Calcutta on the bank of the salt Lake [...] The salt so prepared will be sold publicly in small quantities at meetings in Calcutta. [...] PERFECT DISCIPLINE. [...] A small number of Policemen arrived at the place this morning under two Officers, but kept themselves far away from the place of preparation of salt, and withdrew at 9 under the orders of the District Magistrate who visited the place. [remainder not transcribed] SATYAGRAHA OFFERED. By Enthusiastic Delhi. G. I. P. Strikers Fired At SEQUEL TO OFFERING SATYAGRAHA ON RY. LINES. Five Persons Injured. RUIKAR & KANDALKAR ARRESTED. PATHANS PELT SATYAGRAHIS WITH STONES AT THANA. Four Persons Seriously Injured. STOP PRESS. (From Our Correspondent.) JALALPUR, April 6. [body not transcribed]
Headlines, the first Bombay-batch paragraph, the Rajagopalachari appeal and the opening of the Calcutta and Jalalpore reports are transcribed from the committed image; [...] and [remainder not transcribed] mark omitted text. In the Calcutta report the scan reads 'Manisbatan' and 'Mahisbathan' in different places (place name uncertain); 'campaign' in the Jalalpore line is supplied where the scan is cut at the column edge. Spelling and punctuation are as printed.
