The famous Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi was a protest centered around which essential commodity?

Introduction / Context:
The Dandi March is one of the most iconic events of India's freedom struggle. It was a key act of civil disobedience against British colonial rule, and it revolved around a very basic but symbolically powerful commodity. This question checks if you understand what specific item the protest was focused on and whether you can connect it to the underlying political and economic issues of the time.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The event mentioned is the Dandi March, also known as the Salt March.
• It was led by Mahatma Gandhi.
• We must identify the essential commodity around which the protest was centered.
• Options include sugar, pepper, salt and water.

Concept / Approach:
The Dandi March (1930) was a non-violent protest against the British salt tax. Mahatma Gandhi and his followers walked from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat to make salt from seawater in defiance of British laws. Because of this, the event is also commonly called the Salt Satyagraha. Therefore, the central commodity of the protest was salt, not sugar, pepper or water.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the historical name: Dandi March or Salt March.Step 2: Understand that British authorities imposed a monopoly and heavy taxes on the production and sale of salt, even though salt is a basic necessity for all people.Step 3: Gandhi chose salt as a symbol because it affected everyone, especially the poor, making the protest widely relatable.Step 4: During the march, Gandhi collected natural salt from the seashore, deliberately breaking the British salt law.Step 5: Link this to the options and clearly identify salt as the item around which the Dandi March protest was organized.

Verification / Alternative check:
The event is widely described as the “Salt Satyagraha” in textbooks and documentaries, which directly tells you that salt was the central commodity. You can also recall images of Gandhi picking up a lump of salt at the Dandi beach, which marked the symbolic act of defiance against the salt laws. This leaves no doubt about the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Sugar: Although taxes and economic policies affected various commodities, the specific event known as the Dandi March did not revolve around sugar.
• Pepper: Pepper and other spices were historically important in trade, but they were not the focus of this particular protest.
• Water: Access to water is vital, but the Dandi March was not framed as a protest about water rights; it was explicitly about salt laws.

Common Pitfalls:
Because sugar and pepper are also important daily commodities in colonial history, some students might overcomplicate the question. However, the official name “Salt March” and “Salt Satyagraha” clearly points to salt. Always connect “Dandi March” and “salt” together in memory to avoid confusion.

Final Answer:
The Dandi March protest led by Mahatma Gandhi was centered around the British tax on salt.