South Africa and India’s Honour

Abstract

A new Immigration Bill passed by the Government of South Africa in March 1913 made things worse for the Natal Indians by adversely affecting even their existing rights. Gandhi saw the writing on the wall. He knew this to be a deliberate attempt to rid South Africa of its resident Indian population. The three friends were in no doubt that the Indian problem in South Africa was driven by racism. Given that premise, Andrews was overcome with joy when he discovered copies of Tagore’s Gitanjali (Song Offerings) verses in several houses in Durban and Pretoria. He was also pleased at being asked to speak about Tagore’s poetry to audiences there. His experience in South Africa confirmed what Tagore’s ideas could do in fractured environments.