JOHANNESBURG LETTER MIRACLE OF GAOL-GOING In the Transvaal and, if I am not mistaken, all over South Africa, Indians are discussing the gaol-going resolution. They feel certain that the Transvaal Indians will court imprisonment. Some say that gaol is a palace; others look upon it as a beautiful garden. Yet others consider it paradise. Again there are some who think that gaol will prove to be a key which will unshackle the Indians. Some others hold that, through the gaol gates, we shall pass from our present bondage to freedom. Thus in their several ways, people have shown enthusiasm about going to gaol. There are also some who, when the enthusiasm wanes, start worrying about what will happen to this person or that, and get into a panic. I have received a few letters of this kind and the questions they raise do deserve not to be rejected out of hand. For if we are to achieve success in the end, we should provide for the difficulties that are being felt. Indian Opinion as well as the Association has received some letters to this effect. I reply to them all in this letter, and, on behalf of the Association, I apologize to the writers for its inability to answer them individually. I do not refer to the writers by name as this is unnecessary. WHAT SHOULD TRADERS DO? An Indian writes that his shop is run by him and his son, and that he has debts to pay. What should they do if they are both arrested? To this question there can be many answers. First, let me give the one that comes readily to mind. Reply 1. Going to gaol is a great adventure, which will benefit not only the person concerned, but all the Transvaal Indians and, in fact, the Indian community as a whole. To win such great benefits (as repeal of an offensive law), one must put up with whatever loss may occur. I believe that going to gaol will please Khuda or Ishwar (names for God). The Creator always helps us in anything we do in fear of Him. The Prophet Mahomed and his disciples were once in a cave. A whole army was marching towards them. The disciples cried out in fear: 'O Prophet! We are only three, and the army consists of hundreds of men. How shall we save ourselves?' The Prophet replied, "We are not just three. God, Who is a match for all, is also with us.' It was oving to such superhuman faith that the Prophet succeeded in all that he attempted. The enemy could not do him the least harm. They passed the cave by; it did not occur to them even to look in. Likewise, if we turn to the Hindu scriptures, we find Prahlad, a steadfast devotee of God, who remained unharmed even when made to embrace a red-hot pillar, because he too had unshakable faith in God's help. In the same way, for an Indian who undertakes this adventure with Khuda as witness, there is nothing more to think about. The great God, the protector of the faithful and the preserver of their honour, is present everywhere and at all times. This reply implies reliance on fate. But, as we know, fate without human effort is of no avail. Hence, we need to think of other things too. Reply 2. While thinking of human effort, we have always to bear the first reply in mind. For those who cannot fully and sincerely trust in God, there is a remedy indicated by Mr. Coovadia: that is, even if all the men working in a shop are arrested simultaneously, they should go to gaol After returning from gaol, someone--not the proprietor of the shop--might take out a permit (not with the intention of obeying the law, but with that of getting it repealed) and run the shop. Every person will thus come out of gaol well trained. Reply 3. If anyone finds it difficult to act up to Reply 2, permits for all persons other than the proprietor of the shop may be taken out on the last day fixed in the Gazette for the purpose. Reply 4. The reader will remember what I said earlier: before it becomes necessary for an Indian to go to gaol, he will receive a notice to quit the Transvaal. He will be arrested after the expiry of the notice-period, then sentenced to pay a fine and to imprisonment in case of default. One must then go to gaol instead of paying the fine. It will thus be possible for the trader, during the notice-period, to make over his goods to his creditors. For the small trader this will be the best remedy. He is unlikely to find any difficulty in earning his daily bread after release from gaol. WHAT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN? The Act gives no power to arrest women, and children under sixteen. They will thus have to suffer nothing more than separation from husband or father. As for their maintenance, the answer has already been given that the Indian community will look after them. It is to be remembered that all the thirteen thousand Indians will not have to go to gaol at the same time. If, however, this should happen, our deliverance would be immediate. Since all the Indians will not be going to gaol at the same time, there will always be a few people outside to look after one another. WHAT IS A VALID PERMIT? A correspondent has raised a further query. Anyone who has obtained a permit after making a true affidavit and whose permit bears his signature or thumb-impression is the holder of a valid permit, irrespective of whether or not he is a refugee. Only these are to live on in the Transvaal and court imprisonment. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MEN IN SMALL VILLAGES This question has been asked by a correspondent from Belfast. The answer to this is contained for the most part in the foregoing replies. If, however, the villages come in for attack first, Mr. Gandhi will very probably rush there. Even if he happens to be busy in another part of the Transvaal, the people need not at all to be afraid. When an officer comes to investigate, whatever permit one holds should be shown to him. He should be told that taking out a new permit is humiliating to us and that it would never happen. If he asks for any finger-prints other than the thumb-impression, these should be flatly refused. If a notice is served on anyone, information should be immediately sent to the Association with particulars, such as name, address, etc. On the expiry of the notice-period, he should appear before the court and accept whatever gaol sentence is awarded. If a fine is imposed, it should not be paid. It is necessary that every Indian everywhere should communicate these instructions to those who may not know about them. BOYS OVER SIXTEEN Questions on this subject have been asked from Pietersburg. No boy, as long as he is under sixteen, will be arrested. Boys who are over sixteen, whether or not they hold permits or other documents, are in the same situation as the holders of valid permits. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO EXISTING PERMITS A correspondent from Lindlespoort seeks to know what will happen to those who hold permits now, but go to India on business while the struggle is on, and then wish to return. He asks whether their permits will hold good then. For those who are preparing to go to gaol, this question will not arise. For no one can tell what the end of the struggle will be. However, generally speaking, the reply to this question is that such a permit-holder will probably find no difficulty in returning. HOW TO ACT DURING POLICE INVESTIGATION A correspondent from Volkstroon asks: what are the police to be told when they come to investigate? What is to be done if the police forcibly take away the permits? The answer to these questions is only this: produce the permit when they come. If required, give one thumb-impression only. If asked to take out new permits, refuse to do so, and say that you have no intention at all of taking out one, and that, if, for not doing so, the Government sends you to gaol, youi will be ready for it. The police do not have the authority to take away permits by force. Therefore, if they threaten you in any way, reply boldly that you will not give up the permit. If any such thing happens, report it to the Association. The same person also inquires what arrangements will be made for the dependants of those who go to gaol according to the Fourth Resolution, and whether the Association will pay the counsel's fees, etc. Answers to these questions have already been given above. CURTIS'S LETTER Mr. Curtis has addressed a letter to The Times of London. A comment on it has already appeared in this journal. The whole letter is reproduced in The Star. It is not necessary to offer a translation of it, as most of the facts in it are a matter of history. There are, however, some points in the letter that deserve to be noted. For Mr. Curtis is a member of the Council, and importance will always be attached to his statements. Every Indian will therefore have to think about the matter. Mr. Curtis says: (1) that Englishment and Indians ought never to have equal rights; (2) that the law which has been enacted lays down quite properly that their rights are not equal; (3) that this law is only the beginning of a series of many similar laws to come; and (4) that Lord Selborne's promise that no new Indian would be allowed into the Transvaal should be honoured. Mr. Curtis goes on to make other points, but those mentioned above are sufficient to put the Indian community on its guard. The letter shows that the Transvaal Act is intended not merely to provide for registration, but to humiliate us also, to show that we are not their equals in any way, and to brand us as slaves. From the letter one thing at least becomes certain: if the Act comes into force, and if we submit to it, instead of fresh rights being granted to us, we shall be deprived of what little remains to us, not merely in the Transvaal, but all over South Africa. We shall, therefore, do well to remember what kind of law this is. It will be better for every worthy son of India to leave the Colony or commit suicide than to submit to a law with such dire consequences. Mr. Polak, the editor of this journal, has given Mr. Curtis a biting and powerful reply. There is no time for translating it here. But it may be read in the English section. WELL DONE, STANDERTON! The Indian community in Standerton has been carrying on a vigorous campaign against the new Act. A correspondent of The Star went there to interview the local leaders. They told him plainly that Indians thought nothing of the hardships of imprisonment as compared to those that would result from submission to the new Act. They were well prepared to resist it, and had even raised funds for the purpose; but they would never submit to it. I hope that, following the example of Standerton, every Indian everywhere will boldly give the same reply. Now that we are on the battle-field, we have nothing to fear and nothing to hide. THREAT BY "THE STAR" The editor of The Star was somewhat piqued that the Klerksdorp Indians should have held a meeting about gaol-going. Mr. Polak therefore replied to him that not only in Klerksdorp but in Germiston and other places also such meetings had been held and that news was coming in from all over concerning the gaol-going resolution. This has enraged the editor all the more. He has said in his comment that there were only a few leaders who were inciting the Indian community, and that, if they were deported, the other Indians would not utter a word but would cheerfully accept the new Act. Mr. Gandhi has replied to him as follows: GANDHI'S REPLY You say in your leaderette that those who oppose the Indians would not be sorry if their leaders were deported. But I ought to point out to such opponents that there is no law authorizing the Government forcibly to deport anyone. If that is to be done, another law will have to be passed. Then the Transvaal Government will be able to deport those Indians who are ready to serve their country and even the Government. You say that, if the leaders are deported, the remaining Indians will obey the Act. They will then realize how the Act protects them and how they had been misled about it. It is readily seen that, in saying this, you cannot appreciate the feelings of Indians. You are mistaken if you think that there is a single Indian who takes the Act as being meant for his protection. I have repeatedly gone through the Act without coming across any section which might protect Indians. Moreover, there can be no question of misleading any Indians in this regard for what is placed before them is a very simple matter: the new Act only insults Indians by branding them as slaves. In several ways the Act reduces Indians to the position of slaves since it is an attack on them as a community. They have therefore been advised not to forego in any circumstances the existing rights by submitting to the new Act. If the new Act comes into force, I believe that the Indian community will be reduced to that position. To ward off this deadly blow, I have advised people to do three things as under: (1) They should not take out new registers. (2) As the Indians residing in the Transvaal have no right to vote, the resolution about going to gaol is the only means they have to oppose any particular law. They should not take out a permit, nor leave the country, nor pay a fine; the only straightforward and effective course for them is to go to gaol. (3) If they do this, they should have nothing to do with the Permit Office, and should also write to their friends to persuade them not to ask for new permits, whether temporary or permanent. If anyone should say that, by doing so, they would be doing just what the whites wanted, let the whites think so. This will prove what I have always said, viz., that the Indian community is not out to save its trade in the Transvaal, but to stay here with honour. The Indian community will not sacrifice its good name just for the sake of a living. Many English friends have told me--and I myself believe that --not all Indians will perhaps accept this advice. Even so, I have no fear. I can only say that in that case we desrve the Act. It is certain that we are now being put to the test. It remains to be seen whether we stand it well or not. I assert that no one can have anything to say against the position as set out above. Instead of looking down upon it, the brave colonists should admire our stand. But I think it to be a degrading and sinful thing to turn away from the path that we have chosen with true sincerity without caring whether others admire or condemn. [From Gujarati] -- Indian Opinion, 18-5-1907