Short Script of Dandi March

  

                                

                                                 

                  

                               A Short script on: The Dandi march by our great leader Mahatma Gandhi. A man with 

                               one single loin cloth had inspired thousands of      

                               our countrymen to break the salt law. (15 minutes – 1,306 words)

                      

                           A famous event- Dandi march                  

                                                

Voice of narrator: February 5^th 1930. A newspaper reporting Gandhi going for civil       

                                Disobedience movement by defying a salt law.

                                Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Abdul Gaffer Khan, sitting in the  

                                Ashram of Gandhi and Kasturba (Gandhi’s wife) discussing about

                                their dandi march.

Nehru:                    bapu, what is this in today’s paper? What have you      

                                decided to do?

Gandhi:                 (laughs) punishment for you.

Nehru:                    ok, you still feel I should be punished so you talk about dandi (stick)

                                Would you like to use your stick to control me? Well, fine go ahead I

                                am ready (laughs).

Gandhi:                  no, no not for you (laughs) this stick will be use to whip the British  

                                Colonial rule for imposing tax on Indians and burdening the poor

                                people and exploiting our economy.

Sardar :         how will you do this?

Gandhi:                  we will start our march from this Sabarmati ashram to dandi beach  

                                 and make a salt from the water of the sea.

Karsanbhai:           (an ashram inmate) what will happen with that?

Gandhi:                   we want to show to the whole world with the weapon of non-  

                                 Violence we can fight every injustice and exploitation. This is only  

                                 One newspaper reporter reporting our march but I want reporters  

                                 to report of our march-America, India and UK.

Sardar :                  Karsanbhai you make the arrangement for all the reporters. It will  

                                be your duty to see all events are reported.

Gandhi:                 first I will meet viceroy lord Irwin and convince him to agree to all  

                               our eleven demands and if he will not then let us go ahead with

                               our plan. (Aggressively) now nobody can stop us from attaining

                              ‘Purna Swaraj.’

Gaffarkhan:         what are those demands?

Gandhi:                reduction of land revenue assessments, cutting military       

                              expenditure, imposing a tariff on foreign clothes and abolishing the

                              salt law. My strongest appeal will be to abolish a tax levied on salt.

                              I will give him the ultimatum if these demands are not fulfilled

                              then we will proceed for the march.

Nehru:                 as the independence movement is essentially for the poorest in the    

                             land, the beginning will be made with this evil. (Laughs).

Gandhi:               in this march I want to recruit the marchers from the ashram itself                 

                             and no congress party workers.

                            (All surprised): why?

Gandhi:              because the residents of my ashram are well trained and I want        

                            strict discipline during this march. I want people to adhere to    

                            Satyagraha and ahimsa. We must not forget our failure of non-

                            Cooperation movement from 1920-22. we had succeeded in raising

                            millions of heart of Indians but had not the violence broken out at    

                            Chauri- Chaura? So, we still cannot trust because Indians are not yet      

                            ready for non-violence resistance.

Narrator:           Gandhi-Irwin talks failed. Irwin did not take the threat of a salt

                             protest seriously. Then… on 12^th march 1930 Gandhi and 78 male         

                             satyagrahis set out            

                             on foot for the coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, 390km from their

                             starting point at Gandhi ashram. Reporters from all over the

                            Countries reached there.

Narrator:           After the prayer…Gandhi’s speech to the marchers: truth (satya)  

                            implies love and firmness engenders and therefore serves as a  

                            synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement

                            Satyagraha, that is to say, force which is born out of truth and love      

                            or non violence, and gave up the phrase “passive resistance”. If the

                            means employed are impure the change will not be in the direction

                            of progress but very likely in the opposite. Only a change brought

                            by pure means can lead to real progress. The British government in

                            India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but

                            has based itself on the exploitation of the masses, and ruined India

                            economically, politically, culturally and spiritually. We must sever

                            all British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or complete                                

                            independence. This Purna Swaraj will build up unity between

                            Hindus and Muslims by fighting a wrong that have touched all of

                            us. Everybody is prepared for arrest, jail or any physical assault…      

                             Come what may. I want you all to follow peace in silence.

                            Music… bhajan….

Narrator:           the statesman report presented in the newspaper 100,000 people  

                            crowded the road that separated Sabarmati from Ahmedabad. The

                            first day’s march of 21 km ended in the village of Aslali, where

                            Gandhi spoke to a crowd of 4,000. Volunteers collected donations,

                            registered new satyagrahis, and received resignations from village

                            officials to end cooperation towards British.

Sardar:               Gaffarbhai, you go to Lahore and spread non-cooperation movement  

                            by boycotting all British goods and acting against all laws

                            peacefully… and  where is Sarojini Naidu?

Nehru:               she will join us from the next village. Till now she was at Bombay   

                            preparing people to join this march.

Kasturba:          Karsan, have the arrangements by the volunteers been made for a

                            night halt? And ask  the volunteers to tell village people to make

                            arrangement for the simple food and a place to wash and rest.

Karsanbhai:       yes baa, everything is ready but due to huge crowd we all will have

                             to sleep in the open and about food people everywhere on the way

                             have made arrangement for food.

Kasturba:            good!

                             A song …. Hari no

Narrator:            more and more people joined the March everyday more then              

                             thousands came to hear Gandhi’s speech which was held in every  

                             village during evening before prayer and rest. Foreign journalist

                             made him a household name in Europe and America. As they entered            

                             into a village people welcomed them with drums and other musical

                             instruments. People were shouting long live our bapu! Jai hind!

                             Vande mataram! Children cheered Gandhi, many villagers eyes were

                             filled with tears in respect of Gandhi. Everywhere in India, in all

                             other states laws were defied.

                              Suddenly… after two days British officers arrived heavily armed  

                              started blows on satyagrahis.

Sarojini naidu:     all of you keep bapu’s words in mind no violence under any     

                              circumstances you will be beaten, but you will not resists: you will not      

                              raise yours to ward off the blows.

Narrator:             soldiers began clubbing the satyagrahis with steel tipped lathis. Many

                              arrest were made, there was no space left in a jail for more arrest. Not

                              one of the marchers even raised an arm to fend off the blows. A sound

                              of sickening whacks of the clubs on unprotected skulls being heard,     

                              people groaned and sucked in their breaths in sympathetic pain at

                              every blow. In two or three minutes the ground was quilted with

                              bodies. They went down like ten pins. The survivors silently marched 

                              until struck down.

                              6^th April 1930, arriving at the seashore…

Nehru:                 at last we have done it. But our many people have faced bravely the  

                              blows of the police officers, many dead in between the route.

Gandhi:                I congratulate all my people for the sacrifices and laying their lives  

                              against injustice. It is an honorable death … people have died a

                              warriors death and warriors death is never a matter of sorrow.

People shouting:   Gandhi broke the salt law! Gandhi broke the salt law!

Gandhi:                 (speech) we have won the holy war. We succeeded a life and death

                               struggle. We are the winners. I thank all my countrymen. And today

                               with this fistful of salt I am breaking the unjust law of salt to which             

                               we have all the rights.

Narrator:              and this way Gandhi boiled the sea water and took the salt and said...

Gandhi:                with this I am shaking the foundation of British Empire, by producing

                              illegal salt and I want all my followers to do likewise, making a salt  

                              along the shore let the world know –I want sympathy in this battle of  

                              “RIGHT AGAINST MIGHT.”

                                            

                                                           music of joy being played.

      

Better Luck Next Time!!

  “Why are you ruining Tanmay’s life? Because of your past how could you make him a scape goat? Are you insane! Tanmay is a nice fellow and loves you very much he will be nowhere without you? said Anujaa, angry with Raavi’s decision or say madness. Raavi smiles “forget it, who cares! I am happy to take revenge. I hated man from the day Sammy deserted me after promising to marry me and me like fool gave everything to him. How can I forget the day when he ruthlessly abandoned me and married another woman and the words he said shattered my world! How can he be mean to accuse me of being characterless as I slept with him? I loved him and wanted to marry him but he didn’t care for my feelings. Those days of depression and rejection! How can I forget?” said Raavi, with satisfaction written on her face and in her eyes.

                Anujaa realizes it’s useless to put any sense in Raavi’s head as she is hurt and determined to take revenge. Her heart goes to Tanmay thinking how he will react and what will be the consequences of Raavi’s behavior. She knew Tan may from the day they had joined college and they three had become good friends. He belongs to a middle class background, hardworking and brilliant student aspiring to become a charted accountant. After a few months, Tanmay and Raavi’s friendship transformed into love and they started meeting each other whenever they got opportunity. They both promised each other to get married and had torrid affair. Everybody knew about it and was happy for both of them but today all of a sudden Raavi had disclosed her unexpected intention of having no love for Tanmay and is taking a revenge of her past. It was a mere satisfaction of her ego. Raavi knew Tanmay is head over heel in love with her and now she felt its right time for Tanmay to pay for the hurt which another man has inflicted on her emotionally; irrespective to whomever it may concern.  

                 Anujaa was only thinking and concerned of Tanmay’s state of mind to the outcome of Raavi’s stupidity. She knew Tanmay as a sensitive person. She decides to meet him within a day or two, irked with Raavi’s indifference to Tanmay’s sensitive nature. In these two days Anujaa have not spoken to Raavi. Neither, she has courage to meet Tan may. For two days Tanmay and Anujaa both remain absent from the college but Raavi was her usual self, regularly attending college as though nothing happened.

                At Tanmay’s home Tanmay was shattered, isolated himself from everybody and has locked in a room with a silence and sadness. His parents are worried about him and wondering and asking him his problems but he replied of not feeling well and wants to stay alone for sometime. His parents call Anujaa after persistent failure to know what went wrong with their son, otherwise was always cheerful and talkative, if not well he would put whole house on fire by complaining and crying with pain but this time they felt his behavior unusual and knew it is something else that was worrying their son. Anujaa tells Tanmay’s mother everything and begs to not at all communicate with Raavi as she had tried her best to put right sense in her head but all in vain. She promises to help him come out of the situation. Tanmay’s mother is furious with Raavi’s immaturity and using her son as a scape goat.

            After the incidence Anujaa and Raavi met each other in college but Anujaa ignores Raavi and doesn’t talk with her. Meanwhile, Anujaa visits Tanmay in evening and for hours he cries in front of her. “Why has she done this to me? How can she ditch me?” He was repeating same questions and crying miserably. She felt Tanmay is unknown with Raavi’s past and tells him everything about Raavi’s past and her reason to abandon him. When Tanmay comes to know about Raavi’s revenge and making him a scape goat for somebody else’s wrong doing. He is furious and shocked and doesn’t know how to react. For few minutes he remains speechless with pain and agony. Finally, Anujaa breaks the silence and says, “Tanmay, I know it’s not easy for you to forget her but you will have to be practical and concentrate on your studies. How long will you stay at home? I know it will be difficult for you to stay away from her in college but you will have to pick up the thread and move ahead in life. Only six months are left for our finals and you will have to work hard to fulfill your dreams.” Tanmay was little relief since formerly he was holding himself responsible for not being capable to Raavi’s expectations. For Anujaa, it was difficult to bear Tanmay‘s pain. She felt his pain deep down within her unknown and surprise with her own feelings. She felt like snatching away all his pain. With heavy heart she takes a leave. Soon after leaving Tanmay’s house she calls auto and breaks down to sob all throughout her way, finding it difficult to hold back her tears till she decides with in her heart to bring him back to his routine normal self.

         Tanmay still stayed at home not attending his college. For a week he was not seen in the college. Raavi made few attempts to communicate with Anujaa but was ignored by her. How badly she hated Raavi and how her heart bled for Tanmay, was beyond any explanation. Every evening she visited Tanmay and his mother, talked to him for hours trying to console him. She would listen to him, his conversation with Raavi, all about the fun and time they had spent together unknown with her own realization of her feelings and love for Tan may creeping in her heart. At night she would sleep in her bed thinking about Tanmay. She would call him every other hour to know about his wellness. At times, she would feel the urge to meet him at that very moment but time would restrict her to do so.                          

              Tanmay with her and his mother’s soothing and encouraging words after a fortnight decides to get back to college. Anujaa promised to stay with him through out the college hours. When Tanmay, for first time meets Raavi in college he was about to reprimand her but Anujaa takes care of the situation and holds him back. He felt weak in his knees with anxiety. He holds Anujaa’s hand. Anujaa looks at him with a smile and Tanmay too felt relax with Anujaa beside him. For a moment she had a strange feeling she too lets him hold her hand tightly. Very soon he regains his posture and other moment ignores Raavi.  Days pass he is back to his own self and works hard to excel in his college. Meanwhile, Anujaa always stayed with him. At home in evening they both studied together preparing for their exams. When exams got over Anujaa and Tan may both would meet each other in a coffee day shop and chat for hours. They would find tough to spent time without each other. One fine day, while sitting in a park Tanmay thanks her and proposes to Anujaa. She stares at him with tears in her eyes and smiles, Tanmay holds her in her arms very tightly.