Gandhi And Jainism

Author(s): Shugan C Jain
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 65

His employer, Abdulla Sheth helped him adjust and took him to meet different people including the district magistrate who asked Gandhi to take off his Bengali hat in the court. This was his first taste of insult. Abdulla Sheth explained to him the prevailing practices and requested him to observe accordingly to carry out the mission he has come for. He sent a paper to the local newspaper about this incidence to arouse interest of Indians. Unfortunately, the opposite happened and the press responded by describing Gandhi as an "unwelcome visitor”. Gandhi perceived this negative sentiment positively, saying that the incident gave me an unexpected advertisement in South Africa within a few days of my arrival there... My turban stayed with me practically until the end of my stay in South Africa.” He used this art of writing and venting his displeasure publicly all through successfully. Gandhi used his stay in Durban to learn about Indians and also the book keeping (accounting) from Christian clerks there so that he was better equipped to do the job he came for.
Gandhi was required to go to Pretoria to help present the legal case in the courts there. Abdulla Sheth made all the arrangements. However his journey from Durban was full of hardship as he was first thrown out of first class compartment at Martizburg where he spent the night shivering and freezing at the station; then taking the train to Charlestown in first class (after writing to the Station master) and finally taking the coach from Charlestown to Johannesburg in which he was required to sit at the driver's seat or at the footboard even though he had the ticket to travel in the coach itself. He travelled first class from Johannesburg to Pretoria due to the acceptance by the only white co-passenger travelling in spite of the ticket checker insisting that he move to third class. By now Gandhi was debating whether to go back to India or pocket these insults and complete
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