Sanitation Reform and Famine Relief

It has always been impossible for me to reconcile myself to any one member of the body politic remaining out of use. I have always been loathe to hide, or connive at, the weak points of the community, or to press for its rights without having purged it of its blemishes. Therefore, ever since my settlement in Natal, I had been endeavouring to clear the community of a charge, that had been levelled against it, not without a certain amount of truth. The charge had often been made that the Indian was slovenly in his habits and did not keep his house and surroundings clean. The principal men of the community had therefore already begun to put their houses in order, but house-to-house inspection was undertaken only when plague was reported to be imminent in Durban. This was done after consulting, and gaining the approval of, the city fathers, who had desired our co-operation. Our co-operation made work easier for them, and at the same time lessened our hardships. For, whenever there is an outbreak of epidemics, the executive, as a general rule, get impatient, take excessive measures and behave to such as may have incurred their displeasure with a heavy hand. The community saved itself from this oppression by voluntarily taking sanitary measures.

I have never been able to accept that any member of the community should remain idle. I have always been reluctant to hide or overlook the community’s weaknesses. Nor have I wanted to press for its rights without first removing its faults. So, ever since settling in Natal, I had tried to clear the community of an accusation that had some truth to it. People had often claimed that Indians were careless in their habits and did not keep their homes and surroundings clean. The community’s leading men had therefore already begun to put their own houses in order. But house-to-house inspections began only when plague was reported to be imminent in Durban. We undertook the inspections after consulting the city authorities and gaining their approval. They had asked for our cooperation. Our cooperation made their work easier and, at the same time, reduced our hardships. Whenever epidemics break out, officials generally become impatient and take excessive measures. They also treat anyone who has displeased them harshly. By voluntarily taking sanitary measures, the community saved itself from this oppression.

But I had some bitter experiences. I saw that I could not so easily count on the help of the community in getting it to do its own duty, as I could in claiming for it rights. At some places I met with insults, at others with polite indifference. It was too much for people to bestir themselves to keep their surroundings clean. To expect them to find money for the work was out of the question. These experiences taught me, better than ever before, that without infinite patience, it was impossible to get the people to do any work. It is the reformer who is anxious for the reform, and not society from which he should expect nothing better than opposition, abhorrence and even mortal persecution. Why may not society regard as retrogression what the reformer holds dear as life itself? Nevertheless the result of this agitation was, that the Indian community learnt to recognise more or less the necessity for keeping their houses and environments clean. I gained the esteem of the authorities. They saw, that though I had made it my business to ventilate grievances and press for rights, I was no less keen and insistent upon self-purification. There was one thing, however, which still remained to be done, namely, the awakening in the Indian settler of a sense of duty to the motherland. India was poor, the Indian settler went to South Africa in search of wealth, and he was bound to contribute part of his earnings for the benefit of his countrymen in the hour of their adversity. This the settler did during the terrible famines of 1897 and 1899. They contributed handsomely for famine relief, and more so in 1899 than in 1897. We had appealed to Englishmen also for funds, and they had responded well. Even the indentured Indians gave their share to the contribution, and the system inaugurated at the time of these famines has been continued ever since, and we know that Indians in South Africa never fail to send handsome contributions to India in times of national calamity.

But I had some bitter experiences. I found that I could not count on the community to do its own duty as easily as I could claim rights for it. In some places, I was insulted. In others, I met with polite indifference. People thought it was too much trouble to keep their surroundings clean. It was out of the question to expect them to provide money for the work. These experiences taught me more clearly than ever that getting people to do any work required infinite patience. The reformer is the one eager for reform. He should expect nothing from society but opposition, hatred, and even deadly persecution. Why should society not see as a step backward what the reformer values as dearly as life itself? Nevertheless, as a result of this campaign, the Indian community came to recognize, more or less, the need to keep their homes and surroundings clean. I also earned the respect of the authorities. They saw that although I made it my business to publicize grievances and press for rights, I was just as eager and insistent about self-purification. One thing, however, still remained to be done. The Indian settler needed to be made aware of his duty to his motherland. India was poor, and the Indian settler had gone to South Africa in search of wealth. He was therefore bound to contribute part of his earnings to help his countrymen in times of hardship. The settlers did so during the terrible famines of 1897 and 1899. They gave generously to famine relief, and more in 1899 than in 1897. We also appealed to Englishmen for funds, and they responded generously. Even the indentured Indians gave their share. The system begun during these famines has continued ever since. We know that Indians in South Africa never fail to send generous contributions to India in times of national calamity.

Thus service of the Indians in South Africa ever revealed to me new implications of truth at every stage. Truth is like a vast tree, which yields more and more fruit, the more you nurture it. The deeper the search in the mine of truth, the richer the discovery of the gems buried there, in the shape of openings for an ever greater variety of service.

Serving Indians in South Africa showed me new meanings of truth at every stage. Truth is like a vast tree. The more you nurture it, the more fruit it yields. The deeper you search in the mine of truth, the richer the gems you discover there. These gems are opportunities for an ever greater variety of service.