Page 39 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

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As Gandhi was settling down in Johannesburg with his family, and building up

the Natal Indian Congress as the spearhead of the struggle for the rights of the

Indian Community, other developments took place. South Africa had to go
through the ordeal of a civil war. The two sides who were ranged against each

other were the descendants of the original Dutch settlers who had colonized

large areas of South Africa, and the descendants of the whites who came later,
particularly from Great Britain. They had their differences in attitudes and

beliefs. The descendants of the Dutch were called Boers. They spoke 'Afrikaans'

which was very similar to Dutch. They were tough farmers. They looked down

upon the Indians and wanted only to use them as slave labour, confined to their
locations. The attitudes of other whites were not very different.

Gandhi was in a quandary. What attitude should the Indians adopt in the war

between these two white groups fighting for supremacy? Were they to side with
the Government or with those who were challenging the Government that they

were fighting? Or were they to remain neutral?

Gandhi believed that rights and duties were related. If Indians asked for equal

rights they should be prepared to accept equal responsibility for discharging the

duties of citizenship. A primary duty of the citizen was to defend the state

when it was in danger. They could not claim exemption on the ground that they
believed in pacifism or non-violence unless their faith in non-violence was well

known even before the war. Moreover, even a symbolic participation by the

Indian community would raise their standing in the eyes of the whites.

Gandhi therefore offered to raise a Corps of stretcher bearers to serve with the

Army. His offer was accepted. With characteristic efficiency he recruited and

trained an Indian Ambulance Corps. The members of the corps won admiration
and praise for the exemplary courage they displayed on the field of battle

carrying out their duties even in danger zones that they were not bound to

enter. They surprised the Army and civilians with their feats of endurance,

trudging through rough terrain, often doing more than 25 miles a day. All this

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