Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/184

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

'94 THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN QUESTION Vance their material well-being, but had always to remain servants of India. It was no joke, and yet Mr. and Mrs. Naidoo had certainly done that. He could not appeal to them too strongly that they of all sections should rid themselves of all those bickerings, petty jealousies and quarrels amongst themselves. He would also ask them whenever they chose a President or a Chairman to obey him, to follow him, and not always listen to the views of this or that man. If they did that their usefulness would be curtailed. And then too they should not worry if others and not they might reap the reward. Their re- ward would be all the greater if it was not of this earth; they were not fighting for material reward, and a true Passive Resister never thought of material reward. They should not worry about material prosperity, but always have higher things before them. Then indeed they would he like the eleven working in the community which could raise the community as one to look upto. The privilege was certainly theirs and time also was at their disposal, and if they make good use of that time it would be a splendid thing for the whole of South Africa, and would certainly be a splendid thing for them; and if he heard in India that all those little things to which he had drawn attention had also been got rid of by the Indian community he would indeed he rejoiced. One thing more. He had known something of Madras, and how sharp caste distinctions were there. He felt they would have come to South Africa in vain if they were to carry those caste prejudices with them. The caste system had its uses, but that was an abuse. It they carried caste distinc- tions, to that fatuoue extent and drew those distinctions, and called one another high and low and so on, those things would be their ruin. They should remember that