T he v e ry f i r st l e t t er ( J u ly 5, 1894), w r i t t e n by G a n d hi to D a d a b h a i,

T he  v e ry  f i r st  l e t t er  ( J u ly  5, 1894),  w r i t t e n  by  G a n d hi  to
D a d a b h a i,  is  of  p e c u l i ar  int e r e st  as  it  e m b o d i ed a  s t r i k i n g ly
mo d e st pe r sonal  e x p l a n a t i o n.
A  w o rd for mys e lf and I have done. I am yet inexperienced
and  y o u ng and therefore quite liable to make mistakes. The
responsibility undertaken  is quite  o ut of  p r o p o r t i on  to my  a b i l i t y.
I may me n t i on that I am  d o i ng this  w i t h o ut any  r emune r a t ion.
So  y ou  w i l l see that I have  n ot taken the matter up,  w h i ch is
beyond my  a b i l i t y,  in order  to enrich mys e lf  at the expense of
the Indians. I am the  o n ly available person  w ho can handle the
question.  Y o u  w i l l,  t h e r e f o r e, oblige  me  v e ry greatly  if  y ou  w i ll
k i n d ly direct and guide me and make necessary suggestions
w h i ch shall be received as  f r om a father to his  c h i l d.

HISTORY OF INDIANS IN SOUTH AFRICA:-


W i t h  t he  i n d e n t u r ed  l abour e rs  w e nt  p e t ty  I n d i an traders  a nd
t h e ir free servants  to  N a t a l,  t he  T r a n s v a a l,  t he  O r a n ge Free
State,  a nd Cape  C o l o n y .  S i m p le  in  t h e ir  m o de  of  l i fe  a nd  t h r i f t y
as  t h ey  w e r e,  t h ey  g e n e r a l ly  f l o u r i s h e d.  M o s t  of  t he  i n d e n t u r ed
l a b o u r e rs set  u p, after  h a v i ng served  t h e ir  t e rms, as  a g r i c u l t u r i s t s,
s m a ll  c r a f t sme n,  or traders.  T h is was  n o t,  h o w e v e r,  w h at  the
w h i t e  coloni s ts  h ad  l o o k e d  f o r .  T h e y  h ad  m e r e ly  c a l l ed  f or
l a b o u r e rs  w h o  s h o u ld  d r u d ge  f or  t h em  p e r p e t u a l l y,  or leave  the
c o u n t r y  a f t er a  s t i p u l a t ed  p e r i o d.  T h e  idea  t h at  t h ey  s h o u ld enter
i n t o  c o m p e t i t i o n,  e v en  to a  s m a ll  e x t e n t,  w i t h  t he  w h i te  i n h a b i -
tants  of  t he  C o l o n i e s,  as  a g r i c u l t u r i s ts  a nd traders,  h ad never
e n t e r ed  t h e ir heads.  I f  I n d ia  c o n t i n u ed  to  p o ur  i n to the  C o l o n y
e v en a  f ew thousands  e v e ry ye ar  o ut  of her vast  p o p u l a t i o n,
w h e re  w o u l d  t h ey  s t and  w i t h i n a  f ew years?  " A w a y  w i t h  t he
A s i a t i c s !" became  t h e ir  w a t c h w o r d



MAHATMA GANDHI'S ARRIVAL IN SOUTH AFRICA AS AN ADVOCATE:-

[It was a purely professional visit  w h i ch  took Mahatma Gandhi
f r om India to South Af r i ca in  A p r il 1893. The hardships he
encountered dur ing the  j o u r n ey on railway trains, the indignities
to  w h i ch he was subjected, and even the assaults made on  h i m,
all because he was an Indian, so disgusted  h im that his first
impulse was to quit the  count ry  f o r t h w i t h.  B ut what about the
professional engagement?  C o u ld he return  w i t h o ut  f u l f i l l i ng it?
W h i le he was  s t i ll undecided, he was pushed out of the train one
night by a European police constable at Ma r i t z b u r g. Late that
night he came to the conclusion that it  w o u ld be a  c owa i d ly act
to hasten back to India. He, therefore, proceeded to Pretoria,
pocketing further insults, and attended to his professional  w o r k.
Just as he was preparing to return to India, early in the year
1894, Gandhi found that the Government of Na t al was about
to introduce a  B i ll to disfranchise Indians. He advised them to
resist strongly such an encroachment on their rights. "Stay and
help us," they prayed. The same  n i g ht he drew up a petition to
be presented to the Legislative  C o u n c i l. Then he founded the
Na t al Indian Congress, and carried on an agitation not only in
South Af r i ca but also in England against the iniquities of the
authorities.  W e e k ly letters were  w r i t t en to Dadabhai, as member,
and to Wedde rburn, as Chairman, of the Br i t i sh Committee of
the Indian Na t ional Congress. Whenever there was need to send
copies of representations, a sum of at least  £ 10 was remitted
to Dadabhai as a  c o n t r i b u t i on towards postage and other
charge]
MAHATMA GANDHI'S  INVOLVEMENT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN PROTEST-_


I n d i an me r chants  in  t he  T r a n s v a al also sent  D a d a b h ai  a'
c a b l e g r am  ( O c t o b er 13)  to  the effect  t h at  the  V o l k s r a ad  h ad
passed a  r e s o l u t i on  i n s t r u c t i ng  the  G o v e r n m e nt  to  c a r ry  o ut
L a w 3  of 1885  in respect  of  I n d i an me r chant s,  p r o h i b i t i n g  t h em
f r om  c a r r y i ng  on  v o c a t i o ns  in  t o w n s,  a nd  t h at  t h ey  p r a y ed  f or
t he  Q u e en Empress's  i n t e r v e n t i on  in  p r o t e c t i on  of her  I n d i an
subjects.  O t h er letters  f o l l o w ed  c o n c e r n i ng  t he  p o s i t i on  of  I n d i an
subjects  in  t he  S o u th  A f r i c an  R e p u b l ic  a nd  t he  O r a n ge Free State.
D a d a b h ai  f a i t h f u l ly passed  on  a ll  c o m m u n i c a t i o ns  to  L o r d  R i p o n
w i t h a request  t h at  he  w o u l d  do his best  to  do  j u s t i ce  to  t he
a g g r i e v ed pa r t i e s




 The authorities in South
Af r i ca were not in a  m o od to listen  u n t il there appeared on the
scene a sagacious leader  w ho taught his countrymen in that
f a r -off land, powerless as they were, the secret of the efficacy of
soul-force in  w i n n i ng a  v i c t o ry for the  T r u t h,  w i t h o ut recourse
to violence.