Mahatma Gandhi 25 -An Unforgettable Train Journey To Pretoria

Gandhiji had come to South Africa for a specific work,
To settle a legal dispute between two families!
As he began to study the case,
He found that he had no idea of ‘accounts’.
The term ‘credits’ and ‘debits’ were Greek to him.
Gandhiji purchased a book on ‘Book-keeping’ and studied it, while
Sheth Abdulla explained the practical details of the case.
After a week of concentrated study,
Gandhiji began to understand the case and now,
He felt confident enough to deal with the legal dispute.
Sheth Abdulla booked a first class ticket by train
For Gandhiji’s journey from Durban to Pretoria!

Gandhiji left Durban by train seated
In a first class compartment.
As the train reached Maritzburg station,
An Englishman entered the compartment.
He saw Gandhiji seated therein,
He went out and returned with two officials and
Rudely ordered Gandhiji to shift to the van compartment!
Gandhiji asserted that he had a first class ticket
And would not budge from his seat!
Enraged, the officials called the police constable,
Forcefully pushed Gandhiji out of the compartment
Most unceremoniously, along with his bag and baggage!

Gandhiji refused to get into the van compartment.
The train sped away
Leaving Gandhiji in a state of shock!
The Maritzburg station was situated at a higher altitude.
It was cold winter, bitter and unbearable!
Gandhiji went into the waiting room
And sat there clutching on to his handbag!
His overcoat was kept in the main baggage
which was confiscated by the station authorities,
And so he had no access to it.
This was an unforgettable night of gross insult
That set him contemplating on human rights and dignity!

A pandemonium of thoughts greeted Gandhiji
On that cold night at Maritzburg station!
Should he fight for his basic human rights?
Or should he go back to India?
Should he not go ahead with his work,
Travel to Pretoria and complete the task
For which he had come to South Africa?
All these thoughts haunted him
As he sat shivering on that dark night!
This country was suffering!
Suffering from the chronic disease of colour prejudice!
Should he not attempt to root out this man created disease?

Gandhiji decided to go ahead with his work
And travel to Pretoria by the next train.
Meanwhile he sent a telegram
To the General Manager of the Railways
And informed Sheth Abdulla as well of
The unfortunate incident of the night!
The Indian merchants in Maritzburg
Came to meet him and comforted him.
They spoke of these hardships as a regular feature
With the railway officials and the white passengers!
Gandhiji listened to the tales of woe.
That evening, Gandhi boarded the train to Charleston.

At Charleston, he had to change into a stage coach
Wherein, trouble brewed again!
Addressing Gandhiji as a ‘coolie’
They pushed him to a side seat
Beside the coachman!
Though Gandhi knew it to be sheer injustice
He pocketed the insult without a protest
And sat quietly without a murmur!
After a while, the leader of the coach wanted
To exchange the seat with Gandhiji
So that he could smoke a cigarette.
He ordered Gandhiji to get up from his seat.

Gandhiji refused to get up from his seat
And spoke a few words in retaliation.
The man became furious
And came down on Gandhiji
And began to box his ears!
Swearing fiercely,
The man seized him and
Dragged him down!
The passengers who witnessed the scene were
Horrified and protested against this act of violence.
Suddenly the fellow, let go off Gandhiji’s arms
And stopped beating him!

Gandhiji was petrified!
He doubted whether he would reach his destination alive.
He sat speechless and silently prayed to God,
To help him out of this terrible situation!
At Standerton, Gandhiji was received by Dada Abdullah’s friends.
He told them of his story of assault in train.
In return, they told their tales of bitter experiences in South Africa.
Gandhiji wrote a letter to the coach company narrating the whole episode.
This time, with the help of his friends, he got a good seat in the train
And reached Johannesburg safely!
At Johanesburg, he met Abdul Gani Sheth
Who spoke of the plight of Indians in South Africa.

Gandhiji had yet to make the final part of
The journey to Pretoria!
Once again, he bravely boarded the train
And sat in the first class compartment as
He had a first class ticket and had the right to sit in it.
An English man entered the compartment,
But this time, the man was a gentleman,
A decent human being!
He took the guard to task for signaling
Gandhiji to move to a third class compartment!
So the last part of journey
Remained comfortable and peaceful!

Why is man obsessed with the colour of the skin?
Why does man inflict pain in the name of colour?
Why is colour a determining factor to progress?
Why is black or brown discriminated as dreadful?
Why is black degraded as dirty?
Whether a coloured man or a white man
What does it matter?
When you delve deep beyond the peripheral skin
What you see inside is the same red coloured blood!
Why then is this anger, hatred, violence?
We are all created by One Almighty! Can
We not live a life of tolerance as One large human family?