Page:Masani - Gandhi's story.pdf/36

32 Soon after his return, Mohan started to work He was determined to do well as a lawyer.

One day a big Indian firm asked him if he could go to South Africa as their lawyer. Mohan readily accepted the offer as he was promised a large fee. He was sad to leave his wife and family once again, but he thought that it would be for just a few months. Mohan did not know then that this trip to South Africa was not to be a short one and that it was going to change the course of his whole life.

During his stay in that country he saw the sufferings and hardships his fellow countrymen were enduring there. He was sad to see that the Indians in South Africa, instead of fighting unitedly against injustice, were divided among themselves. He decided that he would try and bring them together to fight for their rights. He organized them into a society which he called the Natal Indian Congress. He also appealed to the Indians at home to help their countrymen in South Africa by working in India.

His work in South Africa gave fresh hope to the downtrodden Indians there, and he became their leader. They called him by many affectionate names. Some addressed him as Gandhiji. In India when you want to be respectful, you add ji at the end of a person's name. He was also know as Bapu, which means Father. From now on we shall call him Gandhiji as