The Making of the Mahatma Page #11

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March!

These have just come in, sir.

- What are they?

Telegrams.

Bombay, Calcutta, Madras...

Delhi, London, Cape Town, Johannesburg,

Durban, Pietermaritzburg...

and this batch here

from businessmen and farmers

One from the Prime Minister,

Mr Chamberlain

The president of the Indian National

Congress, Sir Ferozeshah Mehta

And one from the Viceroy.

- What do they say?

In short sir, we're

called murderers by one group...

and being blamed for ruining

Natal's economy by the other

That Gandhi.

Get me the Prime Minister

We have to call

an emergency cabinet meeting

Long live Gandhi-bhai!

Welcome, Gandhi-bhai

That reception committee

is not for you

That's because of

the railway strike.

I heard that they put

the Johannesburg station on fire

The leaders of the railway strike

want you to meet with you.

They want to make common cause with you.

Tell them I cannot, unless they

adopt non-violent means

Gandhi-bhai, her husband

was shot by the police

Please don't cry, it's all right

You must forgive me,

because I'm responsible

Your husband has given up his life

and become a martyr

Your suffering will only end when

your sisters including my own wife...

become widows like you

Don't cry

"God's true saint is he"

"who holds others' woes

to be his own"

"No pride has he"

"he speaks ill of none"

"He holds all alike

in honour"

So we meet again like

two battle-worn generals

To sign a treaty, I hope

Treaty? With you holding a sword

of passive resistance over my head?

No sword, no violence,

not even by a way of retaliation

I know, I know

It would be easier to deal with you

if like the railway strikers

You just got on with

plain old-fashioned violence

I know that

Why else do you think

we have embraced satyagraha?

You reduce me to sheer helplessness,

Gandhi. What am I to do with you?

How can we lay hands upon you?

You do not appear to be like villains

You have already sent

municipal workers back to work

You refused to support the railwaymen

strike only because it was violent

So Gandhi, what do you want?

It's all there

in our letters, General

Cullinburg's, Pollock's,

Cachalia's and mine

All your faithful followers

Not followers,

colleagues, General

The commission papers, sir

You have asked to change two names

on the commission. I cannot do that

The other points will be

put before the commission

We were not consulted, so we refuse to

appear before the commission, General

I do not mind that. But you should not

prevent others from giving evidence

What about the three pound tax?

- That will be abolished

You will find it all

in the final draft

And the marriage question?

We will recognise all monogamous

marriages contracted by whatever rites

Hindu and Muslim priests

can also legalise marriages

This leaves us with the question of

the entry of domiciled Indians...

into the Orange Free State

in the Cape

The government can be persuaded

to accept that

So, can I take this

as a provisional agreement?

Call it what you wish

But I want it in writing

this time, General

No verbal assurances,

you may deny it later

Touche! You will have

your written statement

And of course

you will be consulted...

once the Indian Relief Act

is promulgated

Well, the specific demands

in this campaign have been met

But we shall continue to fight

against racial discrimination

What if the local natives

follow your example?

They will gain their country.

- You are promising me more trouble

Not me

I plan to leave for India

No doubt we shall hear

a great deal about you over there

If I may say so, those clothes

don't really suit you

I have worn these clothes

and shorn my head...

as a symbol of mourning for those

who were killed during the satyagraha

What on earth is this?

Why thank you

I made these sandals for you

while I was in prison

They are very sturdy

You are leaving now

But it is clear I shall be walking

in your shoes for a long time

He came to a strange land

and made it his own

When he sailed for India, it was with

mixed feelings of pleasure and regret

Pleasure, because he was

returning home after many years

Regret, because it was great wrench

for him to leave South Africa...

where he had lived 21 years and where

he had realised his vocation in life

I will remain forever

a South African Indian

How can I forget

the lesson learnt...?

That, the greatest conflict

can be resolved in peace

If we allow the resolution

to come through the soul...

that, humanity is one,

intended to live in

peace and in equality

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