Unit  -  8

Nationalism: Gandhian Phase On returning to India, Gandhi’s attempt to practice in Bombay failed. It was during this time that a Gujarati firm in South Africa, sought the services of Gandhi for assistance in a law-suit. Gandhi accepted the offer and left for South Africa in April . Gandhi faced racial discrimination for the first time in South Africa.

On his journey from Durban to Pretoria, at the Pietermaritzburg Railway Station, he was physically thrown out of the first class compartment. Gandhi was determined to fight. Gandhi called a meeting of the Indians in the Transvaal and exhorted them to form an association to seek redress of their grievances. He continued to hold such meetings, petitioned to the authorities about the injustices which were in violation of their own laws.

Indians in the Transvaal had to pay a poll tax of £ , could not own land except in areas marked for them, and could not move outdoors after p.m. without a permit. He launched a struggle against such unjust laws. Gandhi was introduced to the works of Tolstoy and John Ruskin.

He was deeply influenced by Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God is