Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 2.djvu/136



Of course, you firmly believe that Natal has no right to stop Indians coming here?


 * I certainly think so.

On what grounds?


 * On the ground that they are British subjects and, also, because the Colony of Natal has been importing one class of Indians and does not want to have another class.

Yes.


 * It is very inconsistent. It seems to be a sort of leonine partnership. They want to get all the advantages that can possibly be gained from the Indians, but do not want the Indians to have any advantage whatever.

What attitude will the Indian Government take on this question?


 * That I am unable to say. So far I don’t know what the feeling of the Indian Government is. The feeling cannot be apathetic towards the Indians. They are bound to sympathize, but what attitude they will take depends upon so many circumstances that it is very difficult to conjecture what it will be.

Is it probable that, if free Indians are stopped, the Indian Government will stop the indentured Indians?


 * I hope so; but whether the Indian Government will do that is a different thing.


 * What I think most of is that the demonstrators have not taken any notice whatever of the Imperial aspect of the question. It is an admitted fact that the Indian Empire is the brightest jewel in the British Crown. Most of the trade of the United Kingdom is carried on with the Indian Empire, and it furnishes some of the bravest soldiers to fight the wars of Great Britain in almost all parts of the world.

“They have never been further than Egypt,” interpolated the interviewer, and Mr. Gandhi tacitly admitted the correction.


 * The policy of the Imperial Government has throughout been a policy of conciliation — a policy of winning over the Indians by love and not by force. Every Britisher is agreed