I often think how different India would be if we weren't slaved by British for 300 years. An economy that contributed to 30% of the world's GDP, an education system that was superior to many countries in the world, abundant wealth, exemplary trading and resources. How did we lose everything and became one of the world's poorest nations? Well, the answer is too long and it lies in reading our long history.
This book is one of the examples of the injustice of the British East India Company’s rule in India. It is a travelogue of an author who was intrigued and obsessed to find the traces of 'customs hedge' in India.
What is it?
One of the things we take for granted is 'salt', but what if tomorrow we have to pay hundreds of rupees to buy 1 kg of salt? Maybe it is not the end of the world for a few population today but this was not the case 200 years ago when most of the Indians were poor.
The British levied an extraordinary tax on salt during the 18th century and took a total monopoly to make what profit it could on salt. It totally cut off an affordable supply of an absolute necessity of life. The salt tax was fixed at a whopping 2,400% of salt's selling price. About 37kgs (a maund) of salt needed one person’s half a year wage on average. The British didn't stop even during some infamous severe famines and droughts in India.
Even though the salt tax was higher throughout the nation it was the highest in the Bengal province. From being one of the most law-abiding populations, Bengal became full of robbers and smugglers. In order to keep the salt smuggling away, the British built a hedge with thorn bushes and trees that spread over 2300 miles from Indus to Mahanadi, employing over 18,000 officers in the customs duty. The tens of millions of rupees were collected as salt revenue and it was shipped back to England.
Human body needs salt (sodium chloride) as it is a vital constituent of blood and other fluids. Due to the heavy salt tax, Indian families couldn't afford salt. Result- around 5,000,000 Indians died due to salt deprivation!
"I want to deprive the Government of its illegitimate monopoly of salt. My aim is to get the salt tax abolished" said Mahatma Gandhi when he started his salt march.
The author finally finds the remains of the hedge in the Pali Ghar village in Uttar pradesh after many failed attempts during his many trips to India. He says, “The barrier was a continual reminder of what Indians saw as unjust British taxes. When I had first started my search for the customs hedge, I had been looking for a folly, a harmless piece of eccentricity. It had been shock to find that the great hedge was in reality a monstrosity a terrible instrument of British oppression".
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