Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
The salt laws became an important issue of struggle because salt was indispensable in every Indian household, yet people were forbidden from making it even for domestic use. This compelled them to buy salt from shops at high prices due to the state monopoly over its manufacture and sale.
Mahatma Gandhi considered the salt tax more oppressive because it was a fourfold curse — it deprived people of a valuable village industry, involved wanton destruction of natural salt, meant more national expenditure, and exacted an unheard-of tax of more than 1,000 per cent from a starving people. The government destroyed salt it could not sell profitably rather than allowing public use.
By making the salt monopoly his target, Gandhiji hoped to mobilise a wider discontent against British rule, as the issue affected every Indian and could unite people across regions in protest.
Explanation
This answer draws directly from the textbook context which explains why salt was chosen as a symbol of protest. The key points include: (1) Salt was a basic necessity in every household, making it a universal issue; (2) The salt tax was extraordinarily oppressive at over 1,000% and destroyed natural resources; (3) It destroyed village industries and forced people to buy expensive salt; (4) Gandhi's tactical wisdom lay in choosing an issue that could mobilize mass participation against British rule. The answer follows the 3-mark format with approximately 110 words across 3 paragraphs.