Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/132

 42 THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN QUESTION VVe feel that, if those two measures were passed, and Law 3 of ]885 were repealed, some measure and only some measure of justice would he done to Indians. `\’Ve sub- mit that we ought to have perfect freedom of owning landed property and of living where we like under the general municipal regulations as to sanitation and appear- ance of buildings, and during the time that the legislation is being formed, the Peace Preservation Ordinance should he regulated in accordance with the spirit of such regula- tion, and liberal interpretation should be placed upon Law 3 of 1885. It seems to me to be foreign to the nature of the British Constitution as I have been taught from my childhood, and it is difficult for my countrymen to understand that, under the British Hag which protects aliens, its own subjects should be debarred from holding a font of landed property so long as good use is made of it. Uuder the conditions, therefore, submitted by the Association, it ought to be possible for the Government to free the Statute Book of the Colony from legislation that necessarily insults British Indians. I do not wish to touch on such questions as footpath regulations, when we have to consider the question of bread and butter and life and death. What we want is not political power; but we do wish to live side by side with other British subjects in peace and amity, and with dignity and self- respect. We, therefore, feel that the moment His Majes- ty’s Government decide so pass legislation differentiating between class and class, there would he an end to that freedom which we have learned to cherish as a priceless heritage of living under the British Crown.