“THE MARCHERS SIMPLY WALKED FORWARD UNTIL STRUCK DOWN” Nonviolent Suffering and Conversion

Exponents of nonviolence such as Mahatma Gandhi and Richard B. Gregg insisted that nonresisting suffering in a given cause would “melt the heart” of an opponent and lead to their conversion. The psychological literature and a major example of when such conversion should have been achievedndashthe nonviolent “raids” on the salt works at Dharasana by Gandhi's followers during the 1930 Salt Satyagrahandashdo not support this hypothesis. In fact, suffering often elicits greater acts of repression and violence. Nevertheless, a form of conversion, far less direct or immediate than that suggested by the original theory, does seem to occur.