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ADDRESS TO THE INDENTURED INDIANS

The following speech is the text of Mr. Gandhi’s address to Indentured Indians at Verulam on the 12th July, 1914:—

Please understand, my indentured countrymen, that it is wrong for you to consider that relief has been obtained because I or you have gone to gaol, hut because you had the courage to give up your lile and sacrifice yourselves and in this instance I have also to tell you that many causes led to this result. I have to specially refer to the valuable assistance rendered by the Hon. Senator Marshall Campbell. I think that your thanks and my thanks are due to him for his work in the Senate while the Bill was passing through it. The relief is of this nature; the £3 tax you will not have to pay, and arrears will be remitted. It does not mean that you are free from your present indentures. You are bound to go through your present indentures faithfully and honestly, but when these finish you are just as free as any other free Indian under Act 25, 1891, and can receive the same protection as set forth in that Act. You are not bound to re-indenture or return to India. Discharge certificates will he issued to you free of charge. If you want to go to India and return therefrom you must first spend three years in Natal as free Indians. If you, being poor, want assistance to enable you to go to India, you can get it on application to the Government; but in that case you would not be allowed to return. If you want to return, fight shy of this assistance, and use your own money or borrow from your friends. If you re-indenture you come under the same law—namely, 25 of 1891. My