Gandhi And Jainism

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

Page 71

motherland who contributed to famine affected people in 1897 and 1899.
At the end of Boer War (1901), he felt compelled to return to India as he had set up Natal Indian Congress to look after the public and social work and to avoid the routine of just making money in South Africa. This urge to return was further enforced by calls from friends and family in India. His friends and supporters agreed to his return to India provided he would return when there was a need for him. He also learnt that without infinite patience, it was impossible to get any work done.15 He was given lavish and expensive gifts at the farewell function which he returned (even after strong persuasion of wife to keep them) to be kept as a trust and used for the social welfare of Indians. So he sailed for India towards the end of 1901.
In India he attended the Indian National Congress's convention in Calcutta where he stayed with Gokhale, met Dr. PC Roy and others to observe the working of the congress closely and had his first resolution adopted as well. As always he used the time to meet religious leaders, Sister Nivedita and visit Kali temple to be acquainted with religious practices. As per the advice by Gokhale, he travelled third class from Calcutta back home in Rajkot. He stopped at Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur and Palanpur en route. His stay in Calcutta and train journey gave him the first hand experience of the discrimination against Indians, life style of Congress leaders and their working, insanitary and dirty habits of Indians and their religious practices, and life of religious leaders. After setting up his successful practice in Rajkot, he left for Bombay to practice as a barrister in the High Court. He settled in Bombay (Revashankar Jagjivan Mehta's help) soon as a successful barrister when his second son Manilal aged ten got seriously sick. Sticking to his own faith of vegetarian diet and
Pg.48 | Gandhi & Jainism