Season 8, Episode 2
March 12, 2023
Theme: Salt
Playlist

I recently saw the new Ant-Man movie. It was … fine. I was entertained but I didn’t find much in the way of meaningful exploration of the human condition. And that’s okay! These are, after all, goofy comic book movies. They don’t need to be anything deeper than what they are. That said, there were two elements that I enjoyed. First, Jonathan Majors, an incredible actor who brings some real emotional weight to a superhero story. Second, the concept of shrinking down to a microscopic size and finding that there are whole worlds that exist at a dimension you couldn’t perceive before.

You see, I’ve been lately ruminating on the spectrum of existence: from the big to the small, the grand to the tiny. From my perspective, I feel like I’m somewhere in the middle. The things that are larger than me include the whole of humanity, the planet, the solar system, the galaxy and ultimately the universe. Smaller than me are my organs, the tissues that make up those organs, the cells in those tissues, the atomic elements that comprise those cells, the protons, neutrons, and electrons inside those cells. What happens at the atomic level affects me at my level, which affects my community and ultimately…the universe. From small things, mama, big things one day come.

Consider the element sodium. It is an atom, once believed to be a fundamental unit of matter, indivisible – literally, uncuttable. This tiny thing is crucial for our existence. As animals, we need large amounts of sodium ions in order for our nerves to generate impulses, and for our body to maintain a balance of electrolytes and of fluids. And an imbalance can lead to stroke, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. The line between life and death depends in part on this tiny, tiny thing. But since most of us aren’t able to go around purposefully ingesting atoms to maintain our body’s equilibrium, we have to rely on the ionic compound sodium chloride. This crystalline structure has many uses; the one most common to our internal digestive system is table salt.

We’ve gone from the level of the atom to the level of the dining room table. Now, let’s go bigger, to the level of society. When Britain colonized India through the British East India Company, it enacted special taxes on Indian salt to create a monopoly and generate vast sums of money. For decades, Indians protested this salt tax. Then in March 1930, following the Congress’ passing of the Declaration of Purna Swaraj (focused on complete self-rule and total independence from British rule), it became the focal point for the Indian National Congress’ first act of civil disobedience. This choice was made by Mahatma Gandhi, who had been tasked by the Congress Working Committee to organize this act.

Gandhi and his collaborators planned a march of 387 kilometers (240 miles) to the Dharasana Salt Works. There was a lot of work and intentional action that went into this effort, nearly all of which I am glossing over. But, for the purposes of today’s episode, I want us to focus on one thing: that a tiny crystal became the center of a major act of civil disobedience, aimed at creating a transformational shift in society at a global scale. Put another way, as prominent Congress statesmen, C. Rajagopalachari, said “Suppose, a people rise in revolt. They cannot attack the abstract constitution or lead an army against proclamations and statutes.” We move from the grand to the small and back again.

While the Salt March did not produce immediate results, it was a significant step forward in the efforts for Indian independence. It even was a source of inspiration for others working for justice across the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “As I read I became deeply fascinated by [Gandhi’s] campaigns of nonviolent resistance. I was particularly moved by his Salt March to the Sea and his numerous fasts. The whole concept of Satyagraha (Satya is truth which equals love, and agraha is force; Satyagraha, therefore, means truth force or love force) was profoundly significant to me.” From small things, mama.

Again, I have to acknowledge how much I am omitting from the story of the Salt March. I am sorry for that. But, as a way of recognizing this historic event, I have chosen the crystal at its core for the theme of Community Radio, season 8, episode 3: salt.

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