People Plan, God Decides

The case having been concluded, I had no reason for staying in Pretoria. So I went back to Durban, and began to make preparations for my return home. But Abdulla Sheth was not the man to let me sail without a send-off. He gave a farewell party in my honour at Sydenham.

The case was over, so I had no reason to stay in Pretoria. I returned to Durban and began preparing to go home. But Abdulla Sheth would not let me sail without a send-off. He gave a farewell party in my honor at Sydenham.

It was proposed to spend the whole day there. Whilst I was turning over the sheets of some of the newspapers I found there, I chanced to see a paragraph in a corner of one of them under the caption ‘Indian Franchise.’ It was with reference to the Bill then before the House of Legislature, which sought to deprive the Indians of their right to elect members of the Natal Legislative Assembly. I was ignorant of the Bill, and so were the rest of the guests who had assembled there.

The plan was to spend the whole day there. As I looked through some newspapers I found there, I happened to see a short piece in one corner. It was titled ‘Indian Franchise.’ The piece was about a bill then before the legislature. The bill sought to take away the right of Indians to elect members of the Natal Legislative Assembly. I knew nothing about the bill, and neither did the other guests who had gathered there.

I inquired of Abdulla Sheth about it. He said: ‘What can we understand in these matters? We can only understand things that affect our trade. As you know, all our trade in the Orange Free State has been swept away. We agitated about it, but in vain. We are after all lame men, being unlettered. We generally take in newspapers simply to ascertain the daily market rates, etc. What can we know of legislation? Our eyes and ears are the European attorneys here.’

I asked Abdulla Sheth about it. He said: ‘What can we understand about these matters? We can only understand things that affect our trade. As you know, all our trade in the Orange Free State has been wiped out. We protested, but in vain. After all, we are at a disadvantage because we are uneducated. We usually subscribe to newspapers only to find out the daily market rates and such things. What can we know about legislation? The European attorneys here are our eyes and ears.’

‘But,’ said I, ‘there are so many young Indians born and educated here. Do not they help you?’

‘But,’ I said, ‘there are so many young Indians who were born and educated here. Don’t they help you?’

‘They!’ exclaimed Abdulla Sheth in despair, ‘they never care to come to us, and to tell you the truth, we care less to recognise them. Being Christians, they are under the thumb of the white clergymen, who in their turn are subject to the Government.’

‘They!’ exclaimed Abdulla Sheth in despair. ‘They never bother to come to us. And to tell you the truth, we are even less inclined to acknowledge them. Because they are Christians, they are under the control of the white clergymen. The clergymen, in turn, are subject to the Government.’

This opened my eyes. I felt, that this class should be claimed as our own. Was this the meaning of Christianity? Did they cease to be Indians, because they had become Christians?

This opened my eyes. I felt that we should claim this group as our own. Was this what Christianity meant? Did they stop being Indians because they had become Christians?

But I was on the point of returning home, and hesitated to express what was passing through my mind in this matter. I simply said to Abdulla Sheth: ‘This Bill, if it passes into law, will make our lot extremely difficult. It is the first nail into our coffin. It strikes at the root of our self-respect.’

But I was about to return home, so I hesitated to say what I was thinking about the matter. I simply said to Abdulla Sheth: ‘If this bill becomes law, it will make life extremely difficult for us. It is the first nail in our coffin. It strikes at the root of our self-respect.’

‘It may,’ echoed Sheth Abdulla. ‘But I will tell you the genesis of the franchise question. We knew nothing about it. But Mr. Escombe, one of our best attorneys, whom you know, put the idea into our heads. It happened thus. He is a great fighter, and there being no love lost between him and the Wharf Engineer, he feared that the Engineer might deprive him of his votes, and defeat him at the election. So he acquainted us with our position, and at his instance we all registered ourselves as voters, and voted for him. You will now see how the franchise has not for us the value that you attach to it. But we understand what you say. Well, then, what is your advice?’

‘It may,’ echoed Sheth Abdulla. ‘But I will tell you how the question of voting rights arose. We knew nothing about it. But Mr. Escombe, one of our best lawyers, whom you know, put the idea into our heads. This is how it happened. He is a great fighter, and he and the Wharf Engineer disliked each other. Mr. Escombe feared that the Engineer might take away his votes and defeat him in the election. So he explained our position to us. At his urging, we all registered as voters and voted for him. You will now see why voting rights do not have the value for us that you give them. But we understand what you say. Well, then, what is your advice?’

The other guests were listening to this conversation with attention. One of them said: ‘Shall I tell you what should be done? You cancel your passage by this boat, stay here a month longer, and we will fight as you direct us.’

The other guests listened carefully to the conversation. One of them said: ‘Shall I tell you what you should do? Cancel your passage on this boat and stay here another month. We will fight as you direct us.’

All the others chimed in: ‘Indeed, indeed. Abdulla Sheth, you must detain Gandhibhai.’

All the others joined in: ‘Yes, yes. Abdulla Sheth, you must ask Gandhibhai to stay.’

The Sheth was a shrewd man. He said: ‘I may not detain him now. Or rather, you have as much right as I to do so. But you are quite right. Let us all persuade him to stay on. But you should remember that he is a barrister. What about his fees?’

The Sheth was a shrewd man. He said: ‘I cannot keep him here now. Or rather, you have as much right as I do to keep him here. But you are quite right. Let us all persuade him to stay. But you should remember that he is a barrister. What about his fees?’

The mention of fees pained me, and I broke in: ‘Abdulla Sheth, fees are out of the question. There can be no fees for public work. I can stay, if at all, as a servant. And as you know, I am not acquainted with all these friends. But if you believe that they will co-operate, I am prepared to stay a month longer. There is one thing however. Though you need not pay me anything, work of the nature we contemplate cannot be done without some funds to start with. Thus we may have to send telegrams, we may have to print some literature, some touring may have to be done, the local attorneys may have to be consulted, and as I am ignorant of your laws, I may need some law-books for reference. All this cannot be done without money. And it is clear that one man is not enough for this work. Many must come forward to help him.’

The mention of fees pained me, and I interrupted: ‘Abdulla Sheth, fees are out of the question. There can be no fees for public work. If I stay, I can only stay as a servant. And as you know, I do not know all these friends. But if you believe they will cooperate, I am prepared to stay another month. There is one thing, however. Though you need not pay me anything, the work we are considering cannot be done without some funds to start with. For example, we may have to send telegrams and print some materials. Some travel may be necessary, and we may have to consult the local lawyers. Since I do not know your laws, I may also need some law books for reference. None of this can be done without money. And clearly, one man is not enough for this work. Many must come forward to help him.’

And a chorus of voices was heard: ‘Allah is great and merciful. Money will come in. Men there are, as many as you may need. You please consent to stay, and all will be well.’

A chorus of voices said: ‘Allah is great and merciful. Money will come in. There are as many men as you may need. Please agree to stay, and all will be well.’

The farewell party was thus turned into a working committee. I suggested finishing dinner etc, quickly and getting back home. I worked out in my own mind an outline of the campaign. I ascertained the names of those, who were on the list of voters, and made up my mind to stay on for a month.

The farewell party thus became a working committee. I suggested that we quickly finish dinner and everything else, then go home. I worked out a rough plan for the campaign in my mind. I found out who was on the list of voters and decided to stay for a month.

Thus God laid the foundations of my life in South Africa and sowed the seed of the fight for national self-respect.

In this way, God laid the foundation for my life in South Africa and planted the seed of the fight for national self-respect.