Gandhi And Jainism

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

Page 73

He had to leave for Durban to attend to some professional work. Mr. Polak" gave him the book Unto The Last by Ruskin to read while travelling from Transvaal to Durban. He read it deeply during his 24 hour train journey and decided to translate it in Gujarati and titled it as Sarvodaya. It became his guiding spirit to uplift Indian masses from their miseries.
He set up Indian Opinion as his mouth piece newspaper that carried his daily views on items of interest to Indians. On June 6, 1903, he released the first copy of newsletter Indian Opinion. It became very successful in mobilising involvement of Indians, Europeans and the ruling class. He funded any deficit incurred in running the paper. Further he along with his friends decided to set up a cooperative Farm community and shift Indian Opinion offices there. As a result, Phoenix Settlement (Phoenix Ashram) was set up in 1904 as a large agriculture community on 100 acre land near Phoenix railway station. His old friend and benefactor Dr. Pranjivan Mehta supported him financially in this venture. Here people lived, earned same wages and attended to Indian Opinion work in spare time. Most of the work was done manually (self reliance principle) including running the press and grinding wheat as flour for bread. Each settler was given a 3 acre land for cultivation. Soon Indians with their families as well as a few whites like Polak and West also started living in Phoenix. Thus Phoenix became a village community which adopted Gandhi's philosophy and way of life including food habits and imparting education to children with emphasis on spiritual training and avoiding corporeal punishment.
He returned to Johannesburg to continue his practice. While everything was going on well in Johannesburg, he heard of the Zulu rebellion in Natal. He offered his services to the Governor. He was inducted as leader of a contingent of 20 Indians to look after wounded Zulus. This work went on for one month. He got
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