In 1906 a Muslim delegation under the leadership of Agha Khan went to Simla and met Lord Minto. It demanded fifty per cent of whatever Indians got for the Muslim community.
Seeds of differences between Hindus and Muslims had already been sown by Fuller in the shape of the division of Bengal. Thus, the real architect of Pakistan was Fuller. Muslim League only raised the edifice of Pakistan on the ground prepared by Fuller.
Ramsay MacDonald has admitted in his book ‘The Awakening of India’ in the following words :
‘With the formation of Muslim League, the successes it got was due to the doings of British authorities. The people so suspected. The authorities by showing extraordinary warmth to Muslim delegation at Simla had done the damage.’
In Africa
In 1912 Gokhale went to South Africa on the invitation of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Gandhi had gone to South Africa in 1893 where in Natal province 1½ lac Indians had settled down. Most of them were contract labourers of Europeans. As long as the contract work lasted the things were normal. But as soon as the work ended Indians became unwanted people. They were subjected to several restrictions and humiliating conditions.
In 1888 Orange Free State took away all human rights from Indians through an ordinance. In 1893 black and browns were exclusively taxed on racial grounds.
In 1909, Gandhi narrated the sorry state of Indians in South Africa in Lahore Congress Session. Gokhale got an resolution passed in support of Indians in S. Africa.
Infact, Gandhi wanted to return to India and start practice with Gokhale in Bombay. But he had to go back to South Africa on an urgent call from there.
Gokhale was also very impressed with Gandhi and his non-violent ‘Satyagraha’ so successfully used by him in South Africa.
As far as Gandhi was concerned he had already accepted Gokhale as his guru.
As a result of the Gokhale’s resolution Tata, Nizam Hyderabad and Agha Khan sent money to Gandhi to help him fight for Indians in S. Africa.
On 25th February, 1910 Gokhale demanded immediate ban on contract labourers from India being taken to S. Africa in Imperial Legislative Council.
His demand was accepted.
Gokhale went to England and then proceeded to South Africa when Gandhi sent him the invitation to visit Africa. He reached the port of Capetown on 22 October, 1892. The South African white government welcomed Gokhale and arranged a special railway saloon for his travel.
An official was appointed to take care of Gokhale.
It was a puzzle why the racialist government had suddenly become so generous to an Indian, Gokhale.
Indians also gave a rousing reception to Gokhale. His speech was admired by whites as well Indians for being impartial. He was taken through the city in a grand procession.
From Capetown Gokhale went to Johanesberg where Gandhi’s satyagraha was on. A meeting was organised to honour Gokhale which was attended by whites too in large numbers.
The Mayor of the city greeted Gokhale.
For Gokhale a magnificent office was prepared with a car to take him around. The dinner given by the Congress in honour of Gokhale was attended by 150 Europeans.
At a public meeting, Gokhale was in a fix about the language he should speak in. English appeared out of place as he was addressing labour class Indians. He could not speak Hindi well.
Gandhi suggested that he speak in Marathi.
So, he spoke in Marathi and Gandhi translated his speech in Hindi. The same pattern followed in the other meetings too. Later it was discovered that Gandhi didn’t know Marathi.
Gokhale asked in surprise how he could translate a language he did not know.
Gandhi said with a smile, “I understand everything spoken in public interest in whatever language. The sentiment of public good needs no language. It is the voice of heart.”
Gokhale stared at Gandhi amazed.
He went to Pretoria and let himself be hosted by General Schmutts and General Botha. He talked to the generals. Gandhi had already given him the agenda.
On 15 November formal talks took place. Schmutts and Botha promised Gokhale that his demands would be considered positively. They promised that anticoloured people laws and taxes would be withdrawn.
Gandhi was sceptical.
Gokhale sailed for India on 17 November 1912. Then what Gandhi suspected happened.
As soon as Gokhale was safely away the generals went back on their promises. It appears that Gokhale was feted by the generals in South Africa as they knew that Gokhale was on friendly terms with Marley and Lord Minto. They could not mistreat him personally.
On his return Gokhale faced severe criticism from Ferozeshah Mehta and Vacha.
Inspite of that Gokhale got the S. Africa agreement passed in the Congress session.
Then, came the bad news. The supreme court of South Africa gave a verdict that the marriages of Indians settlers taking place outside South Africa would be invalid. The Indian wives of the settlers could not step on the land of S. Africa.
Infact, the wife of an Indian was ordered to leave S. Africa. Their marriage had taken place in India.
Gandhi’s wife Kasturba defied the law and went to the jail. Gokhale helped the satyagrahis financially and by extending political support.
S. African government set up an one man commission to look into the matter. Meanwhile Gokhale talked with Lord Harding on this matter because he thought that the one man commission could be an eye wash.
Lord Harding severely criticised S. African government. It shocked the South African white regime and British politicians. Some people began to demand the call back of Lord Harding. But the British government ignored the demand because the removal of the popular Viceroy could spell trouble in India. Lord Harding’s tough stand resulted in the appointment of a committee under a neutral person Sir Benjamin Robertson to look into the matter. Later the de-facto law was revoked.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale advised Gandhi to wind up his work in S. Africa and return to the homeland where the real battle against the colonial rule needed to be fought.
