Page 34 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

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Gandhi got to work that very evening. He drafted a petition to the Legislature

and submitted it with the signature of 500 Indians. The Bill was passed in spite

of the petition. But the Indian cause and the Indian action in support of it,
drew public attention. Gandhi was not overwhelmed by the failure of the

petition to secure redress. He drafted another petition, this time to the

Secretary of State for Colonies in Britain. He secured 10,000 signatures within a
fortnight. Copies were distributed in England as well. Sections of the British

press took sympathetic note of the case that Gandhi presented in the petition.

Gandhi left no stone unturned. He tried to create public opinion in South

Africa, in England, in the Parliament, in the press, among public personages. He
wrote to Dadabhai Naoroji, who was a member of the British Parliament. He

had met Dadabhai once when he was in London. Now he wrote to Dadabhai

asking him to use his great influence to seek redress for the Indian community

in South Africa. He told the doyen of Indian leaders why he was praying for his
help. "I am yet inexperienced and young, and therefore, quite liable to make

mistakes. The responsibility undertaken is quite out of proportion to my ability.

I may mention that I am doing this without any remuneration. So you will see
that I have not taken the matter up, which is beyond my ability, to enrich

myself at the expense of the Indians. I am the only available person who can

handle the question. You will, therefore, oblige me very greatly if you will

kindly direct and guide me and make necessary suggestions which shall be
received as from a father to his child."

Gandhi's campaign had its effect. The British government vetoed the Bill passed

by the Natal Legislature. But Natal got round the veto with another Bill. What
more, the Government of Natal decided to impose a poll tax of 3 pounds on all

indentured labourers who wanted to stay back in South Africa without renewing

their indenture agreement.

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