Allahabad :
Although much has been written and said about the famous Namak Satyagrah undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi, only a few would know that a similar disobedience movement was carried out by Jawaharlal Nehru at Sangam city way back on April 11, 1930.
When the movement was at its peak, Jawaharlal Nehru and his supporters had defied the British policy by making salt at the crossing of Hewitt Road and Crosthwaite Road (presently near Hindi Sahitya Sammelan Crossing) following which he was arrested for engaging in ‘illegal’ practice by the then British regime.
As per the then police and court papers, when the salt was measured it weighed around ‘one-fourth tola’ (around 2.75 gram). Nehru was arrested and produced before then city magistrate M S Sant, who ordered six months of rigorous imprisonment to him. The salt was kept with police till Independence and after it, when Nehru dedicated his ancestral house ‘Anand Bhawan’ to the nation, the salt was recovered and exhibited there for the visitors.
Regional archive officer Amit Agnihotri said, “As per the court judgement, Nehru was arrested and prosecuted under section 9 (c) of Indian Salt Act III of 1882 for abetting the manufacture of contraband salt on April 11 on open land near Crosthwaite Road.”
Further, when Nehru was informed of the charges and asked whether he pledge guilty or not guilty, he replied that he was not prepared to take any part in the trial.
Nehru even admitted in taking part in breaking the law, reveals the documents in possession with TOI.
Taking into evidence submitted by Naim-Ul-Haq, sub inspector of police who arrested Nehru, the city magistrate pronounced his order for six months of imprisonment.
After Independence, Anand Bhawan was dedicated to the nation and a trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, was formed to look after it. Along with all the belongings of Gandhi-Nehru, the salt too was then recovered from police and given to supervisor of the building R N Gupta for exhibition.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Vinod Khanal, TNN / November 09th, 2014