In India

On my way to Bombay the train stopped at Allahabad for forty five minutes. I decided to utilise the interval for a drive through the town. I also had to purchase some medicine at a chemist’s shop. The chemist was half-asleep, and took an unconscionable time in dispensing the medicine, with the result that when I reached the station, the train had just started. The Station Master had kindly detained the train one minute for my sake, but when he did not see me coming, he carefully ordered my luggage to be taken out of the train.

On my way to Bombay, the train stopped at Allahabad for forty-five minutes. I decided to use the time to take a drive through the town. I also had to buy some medicine at a pharmacy. The pharmacist was half-asleep and took an unreasonable amount of time to prepare the medicine. As a result, the train had just started when I reached the station. The station master had kindly held the train for a minute for me. But when he did not see me coming, he took care to order my luggage removed from the train.

I took a room at Kellner’s, and decided to start work there and then. I had heard a good deal about the Pioneer published from Allahabad, and I had understood it to be an opponent of Indian aspirations. I have an impression that Mr. Chesney Jr, was the editor at that time. I wanted to secure the help of every party, so I wrote a note to Mr. Chesney, telling him how I had missed the train, and asking for an appointment, which would enable me to leave the next day. He immediately gave me one, for which I was very happy, especially when I found that he gave me a patient hearing. He promised to notice in his paper anything that I might write, but added that he could not promise to endorse all the Indian demands, inasmuch as he was bound to understand and give due weight to the view-point of the Colonials as well.

I took a room at Kellner’s and decided to start work right away. I had heard a good deal about the Pioneer, published in Allahabad. I understood that it opposed Indian aspirations. I believe Mr. Chesney Jr was the editor at the time. I wanted to secure help from every party, so I wrote him a note. I told him how I had missed the train and asked for an appointment that would let me leave the next day. He immediately gave me an appointment, which made me very happy. I was especially pleased when I found that he listened to me patiently. He promised to mention anything I might write in his paper. But he added that he could not promise to endorse all the Indian demands. He said he also had to understand and give due weight to the Colonials’ point of view.

‘It is enough,’ I said, ‘that you should study the question, and discuss it in your paper. I ask and desire nothing but the barest justice, that is due to us.’ The rest of the day was spent in having a look round, and admiring the magnificent confluence of the three rivers, the Triveni, and planning the work before me.

‘It is enough,’ I said, ‘for you to study the question and discuss it in your paper. I ask for nothing more than the most basic justice we are owed.’ I spent the rest of the day looking around, admiring the magnificent meeting of the three rivers at the Triveni, and planning the work ahead of me.

This unexpected interview with the editor of the Pioneer laid the foundation of the series of incidents, which ultimately led to my being lynched in Natal.

This unexpected interview with the editor of the Pioneer set off a series of events that ultimately led to my being lynched in Natal.

I went straight to Rajkot without halting at Bombay, and began to make preparations for writing a pamphlet on the situation in South Africa. The writing and publication of the pamphlet took about a month. It had a green cover, and hence came to be known afterwards as the Green Pamphlet. In it I drew a purposely subdued picture of the condition of Indians in South Africa. The language I used was more moderate than that of the two pamphlets which I have referred to before, as I knew that things heard of from a distance appear bigger than they are.

I went straight to Rajkot without stopping in Bombay and began preparing a pamphlet on the situation in South Africa. Writing and publishing the pamphlet took about a month. It had a green cover, so it later became known as the Green Pamphlet. In it, I deliberately presented a restrained picture of the condition of Indians in South Africa. I used more moderate language than in the two pamphlets I mentioned earlier. I did this because I knew that things heard about from a distance seem bigger than they are.

Ten thousand copies were printed, and they were sent to all the papers and leaders of every party in India. The Pioneer was the first to notice it editorially. A summary of the article was cabled by Reuter to England, and a summary of that summary was cabled to Natal by Reuter’s London office. This cable was not longer than three lines in print. It was a miniature, but exaggerated, edition of the picture I had drawn of the treatment accorded to the Indians in Natal, and it was not in my words. We shall see later on the effect this had in Natal. In the meanwhile every paper of note commented at length on the question.

Ten thousand copies were printed and sent to all the newspapers and leaders of every party in India. The Pioneer was the first to comment on it in an editorial. Reuter cabled a summary of the article to England. Reuter’s London office then cabled a summary of that summary to Natal. This cable was no more than three printed lines long. It gave a condensed but exaggerated version of my account of the treatment of Indians in Natal. It did not use my words. We shall see later what effect the cable had in Natal. Meanwhile, every major newspaper commented at length on the issue.

To get these pamphlets ready for posting was no small matter, and an expensive one too, if I should employ paid help for preparing wrappers etc. But I hit upon a much simpler plan. I gathered together all the children in my locality, and asked them to volunteer two or three hours’ labour of a morning, when they had no school. This they willingly agreed to do. I promised to bless them, and to give them, as a reward, used postage stamps which I had collected. They got through the work in no time. That was my first experiment of having little children as volunteers. Two of those little friends are my coworkers today.

Getting these pamphlets ready to mail was no small task. It would also have been expensive if I had hired people to prepare the wrappers and do the other work. But I came up with a much simpler plan. I gathered all the children in my neighborhood and asked them to volunteer for two or three hours one morning when they had no school. They willingly agreed. I promised to bless them and reward them with used postage stamps I had collected. They finished the work in no time. That was my first experiment with having young children as volunteers. Two of those young friends are my coworkers today.

Plague broke out in Bombay about this time, and there was panic all around. There was fear of an outbreak in Rajkot. As I felt, that I could be of some help in the sanitation department, I offered my services to the state. They were accepted, and I was put on the Committee which was appointed to look into the question. I laid especial emphasis on the cleanliness of latrines, and the Committee decided to inspect these in every street. The poor people had no objection to their latrines being inspected, and what is more, they carried out the improvements suggested to them. But when we went to inspect the houses of the upper ten, some of them even refused us admission, not to talk of listening to our suggestions. It was our common experience, that the latrines of the rich were more unclean. They were dark and stinking and reeking with filth and worms. The improvements we had suggested were quite simple, e.g., to have buckets for excrement instead of allowing it to drop on the ground; to see that urine also was collected in buckets, instead of allowing it to soak into the ground, and to demolish the partitions between the outer walls and the latrines, so as to give the latrines more light and air, and to enable the scavenger to clean them properly. The upper classes raised numerous objections to this last improvement, and in most cases it was not carried out.

Around this time, plague broke out in Bombay, and there was panic everywhere. People feared an outbreak in Rajkot. I felt I could help with sanitation, so I offered my services to the state. My offer was accepted, and I was appointed to the committee set up to investigate the matter. I placed special emphasis on keeping latrines clean. The committee decided to inspect them on every street. Poor people had no objection to the inspections. What is more, they made the improvements we suggested. But when we went to inspect the homes of the wealthy, some people would not even let us in, much less listen to our suggestions. We all found that the latrines of the rich were dirtier. They were dark and foul-smelling, full of filth and worms. The improvements we suggested were quite simple. For example, we proposed using buckets for excrement instead of letting it fall on the ground. We also suggested collecting urine in buckets instead of letting it soak into the ground. Finally, we suggested removing the partitions between the outer walls and the latrines. This would give the latrines more light and air and allow the scavenger to clean them properly. The upper classes raised many objections to this last improvement, and in most cases it was not made.

The Committee had to inspect the untouchables’ quarters also. Only one member of the Committee was ready to accompany me there. To the rest it was something preposterous to visit those quarters, still more so to inspect their latrines. But for me those quarters were an agreeable surprise. That was the first visit in my life to such a locality. The men and women there were surprised to see us. I asked them to let us inspect their latrines.

The Committee also had to inspect the untouchables’ quarters. Only one Committee member was willing to go there with me. The others thought it was absurd to visit those quarters, let alone inspect their latrines. But the quarters were a pleasant surprise to me. It was the first time in my life that I had visited such a place. The men and women there were surprised to see us. I asked them to let us inspect their latrines.

‘Latrines for us!’ they exclaimed in astonishment. ‘We go and perform our functions out in the open. Latrines are for you big people.’

‘Latrines for us!’ they exclaimed in surprise. ‘We go out in the open. Latrines are for important people like you.’

‘Well, then, you won’t mind if we inspect your houses?’ I asked.

‘Well, then, you won’t mind if we inspect your homes?’ I asked.

‘You are perfectly welcome, sir. You may see every nook and corner of our houses. Ours are no houses, they are holes.’

‘You are very welcome, sir. You may see every corner of our homes. They are not houses. They are holes.’

I went in, and was delighted to see, that the insides were as clean as the outsides. The entrances were well swept, the floors were beautifully smeared with cowdung, and the few pots and pans were clean and shining. There was no fear of an outbreak in those quarters.

I went inside and was delighted to see that the interiors were as clean as the exteriors. The entrances were well swept, and the floors were beautifully coated with cow dung. The few pots and pans were clean and shining. There was no fear of an outbreak in those quarters.

In the upper class quarters we came across a latrine, which I cannot help describing in some detail. Every room had its gutter, which was used both for water and urine, which meant that the whole house would stink. But one of the houses had a storeyed bedroom with a gutter, which was being used both as a urinal and a latrine. The gutter had a pipe descending to the ground floor. It was not possible to stand the foul smell in this room. How the occupants could sleep there I leave the readers to imagine.

In the upper-class quarters, we came across a latrine that I cannot help describing in some detail. Every room had a gutter used for both water and urine, so the whole house would stink. But one house had an upstairs bedroom with a gutter used as both a urinal and a latrine. A pipe ran from the gutter down to the ground floor. The smell in the room was unbearable. I leave readers to imagine how the occupants could sleep there.

The Committee also visited the Vaishnava Haveli. The priest in charge of the Haveli was very friendly with my family. So he agreed to let us inspect everything, and suggest whatever improvements we liked. There was a part of the Haveli premises, that he himself had never seen. It was the place, where refuse and leaves used as dinner-plates used to be thrown over the wall. It was the haunt of crows and kites. The latrines were of course dirty. I was not long enough in Rajkot to see how many of our suggestions the priest carried out. It pained me to see so much uncleanliness about a place of worship. One would expect a careful observance of the rules of sanitation and hygiene in a place which is regarded as holy. The authors of the Smritis, as I knew even then, have laid the greatest emphasis on cleanliness both inward and outward.

The Committee also visited the Vaishnava Haveli. The priest in charge of the Haveli was a good friend of my family. So he agreed to let us inspect everything and suggest any improvements we wanted. There was one part of the Haveli grounds that he had never seen himself. It was where rubbish and leaves used as dinner plates were thrown over the wall. Crows and kites gathered there. The latrines were dirty, of course. I did not stay in Rajkot long enough to see how many of our suggestions the priest carried out. It pained me to see so much dirt around a place of worship. One would expect careful attention to sanitation and hygiene in a place regarded as holy. Even then, I knew that the authors of the Smritis placed the greatest emphasis on cleanliness, both inward and outward.