Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/106

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16 THE SOUTH APKIOAN INDIAN QUESTION

amount of rough treatment to get A orumb of bread,

Do not the Uitlanders make outa a terribly long list of grievances in the Transvaal? And yeb do they not flock to the Transvaal in thousands in spite of the ill- treatment they receive there because they can earn their bread in the Transvaal more easily than in fcbe old oounfcry ?

This, too, should be borne in mind that in making his statement, Mr. Peace has not taken into account the free Indian trader who goes to the Colony on bis own account and who feels moat* the indignities and disabilities* If it does not do to tell the Uitiander that he may not go to the Transvaal if he cannot bear the ill-treatment;, much* lees will ib do to say so to the enterprising Indian. We belong to the Imperial family and are children, adopted it may be, of the same august mother, having the same rights and privileges guaranteed to us as to the European children* lo was in that belief that we wenl bo the Colony of Natal and we trusb that our belief was well-founded.

The Agent-General has contradicted the statement made in the pamphlet that the railway and tramoar officials treat the Indians as beasts. Even if the state- ments I have made were incorrect, that would nofc disprove the legal disabilities which and which alone have been made the subject of memorials and to remove which we invoke the direct intervention of the Home and the Indian Governments. Bub I venture to aay that the Agent-General has been misinformed and beg to repeat that the Indians are treated as beasts by the railway and the tramoar officials. That statement was made- now nearly two years ago in quarters where ib could have been contradicted ab onoe. I had the honour to address

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