Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: 24 days
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question relates to the Salt Satyagraha, also known as the Dandi March, one of the most iconic movements of the Indian national struggle under Mahatma Gandhi. Understanding the duration, route and significance of this march is important for exams on Indian freedom history. The question asks specifically about the number of days Gandhi and his volunteers walked from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, which shows familiarity with the basic factual details of the movement.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question clearly refers to the Salt Satyagraha of 1930.
- It talks about the walking march of Gandhi and his volunteers from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.
- We are required to identify the total number of days spent walking during this march.
- The options are given in days, with different plausible looking numbers.
Concept / Approach:
The Salt Satyagraha began on 12 March 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram and ended when Gandhi reached the coastal village of Dandi on 6 April 1930. To answer the question, we need to remember or reconstruct the dates and convert that into the total number of days. The march covered about 390 kilometers. Many standard history books state directly that the march lasted for 24 days. Recognizing that 12 March to 6 April is a period of 24 days helps confirm the answer.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Mahatma Gandhi started the Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram on 12 March 1930.
Step 2: Remember that he reached the coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat on 6 April 1930.
Step 3: Count the days between 12 March and 6 April inclusive, which gives a total of 24 days.
Step 4: Cross check this with common textbook information that describes the Salt March as a 24 day, 390 kilometer long march.
Step 5: Match this result with the given options and select 24 days as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
Another way to verify is to recall that many exam oriented summaries of the movement explicitly use the phrase a 24 day march of about 390 kilometers. Also, posters and timelines of the national movement often mark the start and end dates and label the event as a 24 day march. The consistency of this figure across multiple sources in modern Indian history confirms that 24 days is correct, not 12, 6, 30 or 36 days.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
36 days: This is longer than the actual period and does not match the 12 March to 6 April timeline.
12 days: Too short and not supported by historical records of the Dandi March duration.
6 days: Extremely short and unrealistic for covering about 390 kilometers on foot.
30 days: A round figure that might seem plausible but does not match the actual dates or standard historical accounts.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to guess a rounded duration like 30 days or to remember only the approximate distance but not the exact number of days. Some students mix up the dates or confuse the Salt Satyagraha with other movements and marches. It is also easy to choose 12 or 36 days if you do not cross check with the actual calendar dates. Carefully associating 12 March to 6 April with 24 days helps avoid these errors.
Final Answer:
Thus, Mahatma Gandhi and his volunteers walked for a total of 24 days during the Salt Satyagraha march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.
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