Abstract

The performance of The Salt Satyagraha Online: Gandhi’s March to Dandi in Second Life coincided with the 78th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s seminal act of nonviolent resistance, The Salt March to Dandi. The original march was made in protest of the Salt Act of 1882 and has been considered the historical turning point in Gandhi’s struggle against Great Britain’s rule of India; the re-enactment took place at Eyebeam Art and Technology in New York City and in Second Life. The reenactment involved a 240-mile (386 km) walk using a customized treadmill that translated my forward steps to the forward steps of my avatar, M Gandhi Chakrabarti, as he/I/we journeyed throughout the territory of Second Life (SL). The live and virtual
re-enactment of the walk took place over the course of 26 days, averaging 6 hours and 10 miles a day (three rest days were taken that coincided with those taken on the original march).

• Mousumi De Thalhofer

Full text (PDF)  p. 174-179