Tribhuvan Patel ran away from his home to march with Mahatma Gandhi to Dandi, and became a part of the historic violation of the Salt Act in British India. This is, of course, unrecorded by history. He was an Agariya, one of the salt-harvesters in the Rann of Kutch. Today, the Agariyas working in the salt pans have no water, homes or schools for their children. They are being squeezed out by the law that has identified the entire Rann as reserved forest for wild asses. Tribhuvan's grandson, Azad, has no choice but to take up he fight for salt against the establishment once more, this time in an independent India.
A Touch of Salt is the story of Tribhuvan and Azad, of Mohandas and Kasturba, of malati and Vishnuram, of the multitude of Sgariyas, countless lives lived, lost, and buried in sand and salt.