Page 48 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

an ordinary resolution. It became a pledge or vow before God. There could be

no going back from a vow taken with God as witness. It became a spiritual

obligation. Would they still take the pledge and pass the resolution? There was
still time for those who were not sure, to desist. But for him, the leader, "only

one course is open to me ... to die rather than submit to the law". The listeners

were electrified. Some were in tears. All of them rose and took the pledge or

vow in the name of God.

Gandhi said that at that moment, he did not understand all the implications of

the new method of resistance that the vow symbolized. "I only knew that some
new principle had come into being, which was capable of revolutionizing

individual and social life." This was the birth of Satyagraha. To begin with he

called it passive resistance; but this did not clearly convey the inspiration

behind the fight or the nature of the fight. So the term 'Satyagraha' was coined
on the basis of suggestions that came from Indian friends.

Many Indians refused to register. Gandhi was ordered to leave Transvaal. He

refused. He was arrested on the 10th of January 1908. As was to become his
custom later, he asked the magistrate to award him the heaviest sentence that

the law prescribed, since he was the main culprit. He was sentenced to two

months in prison. By the end of January many Indians were in jail. General
Smuts who was the Prime Minister was perplexed. He sent Mr. Cartright, the

editor of a journal and a friend of Gandhi's, with a proposal for a compromise.

Cartright met Gandhi in prison and gave him the General's message. The

Government only wanted to prevent further immigration of Indians into
Transvaal. So, if the Indians in Transvaal registered themselves voluntarily he

would withdraw the Ordinance. Gandhi was taken to meet the General.

Gandhi believed in the General's intentions and his promise to repeal the Act,
and agreed to the compromise. Gandhi was released. But he found it hard to

convince many of his followers who had no faith in the government. Gandhi

explained his reasons and announced that he would be the first to register.

On the appointed day, Gandhi was proceeding to the office of the Registrar to

register voluntarily. He was surrounded by his friends and followers. Suddenly,

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