Chapter 81 Chapter 2 The Boss from Asia

The officer in charge of the new department was baffled as to how I had gotten into the Transvaal.They questioned the Indians who used to come to them, but none of these people could tell.Those officials had no choice but to guess, thinking that I probably did not have a permit and had entered the city illegally through old connections.If so, then I can be arrested! The general practice at the time was that, after the First World War, the government was given many special powers.This is the case in South Africa.The government issued a peacekeeping decree that anyone entering the Transvaal without a permit was liable to arrest and imprisonment.The question of my arrest under the regulations was discussed, but no one could muster up the courage to ask me to show my permit.

The officials, of course, telegraphed to Durban to inquire, and were disappointed when they learned that I had come with a permit.But they are not the type to resign themselves to such disappointments.Although I managed to get into the Transvaal, they could prevent me from waiting for Mr. Chamberlain. So they notified the local Indian overseas Chinese group to submit a list of representatives for the upcoming delegation.Racial prejudice is, of course, everywhere in South Africa, but I did not expect to run into the sordid officials I was familiar with in India here.Public organizations in South Africa are organized for the benefit of the people and are accountable to public opinion.So responsible officials have a certain courtesy and humility towards people, and colored people get some benefits from this kind of department.Those officials from Asia brought their arbitrariness with them, and they also brought in the habits of those tyrannical people.South Africa has a responsible government or democracy, whereas the Asian population has a pure and simple despotism; for the Asians have no responsible government, they are governed by foreign regimes.Europeans are already settled immigrants in South Africa.They have become citizens of South Africa and have supervisory powers over government officials.But now despots from Asia are on the scene, and the result is that Indians are caught between the devil and the ocean.

I got a taste of this tyranny.At first I was summoned to meet the head of the department, an official from Ceylon.I said that I was "called" to meet the chief. In order to show that this statement is not an exaggeration, I want to make things clear.He did not send me a written order.Indian diaspora leaders often go to meet officials of the Ministry of Asian Affairs, the late Tebu Hazihan Muhammad Sai was one of the leaders of the Indian diaspora.The chief asked him who I was and why I came here. "He is our advisor," said Tebusay. "He is here at our request." "Then what are we doing here? Aren't we appointed to protect you? How much did Gandhi know about the situation here?" asked the dictator.

Tie Busay answered him as best he could: "Of course you are here, but Gandhi is our man, he understands our language and understands us. How about you, you are also an official." Ordered Tebsay to bring me to him, and I was accompanied by Tebsay and several others to the magistrate.There were no chairs for us to sit on, we all stood there. "What are you doing here?" the official asked me. "I have come here at the request of my fellow countrymen to give them advice," I answered. "But don't you know that you have no right to come here? You have been issued the wrong permit. You cannot be counted as a settled Indian, and you must go back. You cannot wait here for Mr. Chamberlain, Asian." The Ministry of Affairs was specially set up to protect the Indians here. Now, let’s go!” After saying this, he fired me without giving me a chance to reply.

Yet he left my companion behind.He scolded them and advised them to send me away. They came back, absolutely pissed off.Now we are faced with an unexpected situation.