Why was salt destroyed by the colonial government?
The colonial government destroyed salt to prevent the use of salt that had not paid the tax. Since the government could not sell this salt profitably, it chose to destroy it rather than allow the people to use it freely.
This policy was described as a wicked dog-in-the-manger policy because the government destroyed what nature manufactured without effort. Salt officers were posted specifically to carry out this wanton destruction of national property in areas where natural salt was available, effectively taking salt out of the mouths of the people.
Explanation
The answer is derived directly from Gandhi's writings in the provided text. The context explains that the government destroyed salt to enforce the tax monopoly. If people used natural salt, they would not pay the tax. Since the government could not sell this natural salt profitably (at the high taxed prices), they destroyed it. Gandhi calls this a 'dog-in-the-manger policy' because, like the fable, the government prevents others from using something they cannot use themselves.