Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/103

 a duplicate copy. This is nothing bub a system of blackmail.

The 9 o'clock rule in Natal which makes it necessary for every Indian to carry a pasa if he wants to ha oub after 9 P.M.. at the pain of being locked up in a dungeon, causes much heart-burning especially among the gentlemen Iron) this Presidency. You will be pleased to hear that children of many indentured Indians receive a pretty good education ; and then wear an a rule the European dress. They are a most sensitive class and yei unfortu- nately most liable to arrest under the 9 o'clook rule. The European dress for an Indian is no recommendation in Natal, It is rather the reverse, For the flowing robe of a Memon frees the wearer from suoh molestation, A happy incident described in the Graen Pamphlet led the police in Durban some years ago to free Indians thn& dressed from liability to arrest after 9 P.M. A Tamil eohool-mistresa, a Tamil school-master and a Tamil Sunday school-teacher were only a few months aga arrested and looked up under this law, They all got justice in the law courts, but that was a poor consolation* The result, however, was that fcha Corporations in Natal are clamouring for an alteration in the law so that if* might be impossible for suoh Indians to get off scot-fre& in the Law Courts,

There is a Bye-Law in Durban which requires registration of coloured servants. This Rule may be and perhaps is necessary for the Kaffirs who would not work, but absolutely useless with regard to the Indians, But the policy is to class the Indian with the Kaffir whenever possible,

�� �