In 1899, Boar war broke out in South Africa. A tribe called Boar had started unjust war against the white regime. Gandhi thought that Boars were on the wrong side. Inspite of his own complaints against Whites he supported their case.
Gandhi and his supporters helped the injured soldiers. He didn’t ignore Boars altogether. He rendered help to injured Boar soldiers as well. It is an interesting coincidence that on the side of the Whites an English soldier name Winston Churchill fought Boar war. The same soldier later became the Prime minister of England during the time when Gandhi took charge of India’s freedom struggle. Needless to say that the both were bitter foes.
As the time went by the social hatred decreased. In many of Gandhi’s campaigns Whites donated money generously.
Gandhi had become a big political force who used non-violence and Satyagraha as weapon of peaceful protest. Many political leaders from India were exerting pressures on Gandhi to return to India where the real challenge lay.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi made up his mind to go back to India. He promised Indians in South Africa that he would return if ever badly required. The Indians there didn’t want to lose Gandhi.
A grand farewell meeting was organised for Gandhi where all the services rendered by him to Indians were lavishly praised and he was presented citation letters.
Gandhi family was given costly presents. Gandhi didn’t like to keep the presents on moral grounds. He decided to give the presents to the public welfare organisation. But there were a lot of presents given specially for his wife and children. What about them?
He told his children how unethical it would be to keep those presents. But could not convince his wife Kasturba easily.
She refused to part with her presents saying, “Alright, you don’t want them. But we are family people.”
“So what? The family is not starving.”
“Some living! You only think of public service and Natal Indian Congress. Have you given a thought to our future?”
“Future? We will think about when the future comes. Today let’s talk of the present.”
“Excellent! If I were to start thinking like you our family will go bankrupt.”
“But what use are these gifts to our family?”
“By family, I don’t mean you and me. The children will grow up and marry. What have we got for them saved in our home?”
“We will save and have things by then.”
“I don’t hope so. It is impossible. And all these things have been gifted. We didn’t ask for them. They gave us with love and of their own will. Returning or giving them away is wrong.”
“I promise that if daughters-in-law of our family demand ornaments I will order for them.”
“Very good. I know how good ornament giver you are. For your needs you squandered all my ornaments one by one. I have no ornament today. Will our daughters-in-law live like me?”
“Our case is different.”
“Why different? You live like a monk and are hell bent on making our children too monks. If you want to return the other gifts you may. But I am not going to surrender my necklace.”
Gandhi felt annoyed. He said sharply, “That necklace does not belong to you. It is the gift of my social services.”
“Are we two separate entities? My domestic service is also a part of your social service. Didn’t I take care of your home and all social service friends?”
Kasturba’s claim was logical and valid. But Gandhi stuck to his principle. In the end Kasturba had to give in.
The exchange had hurt them both. But the gifts were deposited with a trust made for the same purpose. Decades later Kasturba admitted that her husband had done the correct thing.
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