Mahatma Gandhi and Indian Diaspora

?An exemplary Indian and planetary citizen Mahatma Gandhi stands out in history as an exceptional Pravasi Bharatiya. He made pioneering contributions in understanding the challenges faced by people of Indian origin in different parts of the globe and outlining their immense talent and caliber in diverse areas of human endeavour. His arrival in Mumbai from South Africa on 9th January 1915 is being commemorated as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in India.

His unprecedented non-violent struggle for the restoration of rights of Indians in South Africa constitutes an epoch making event in history. He explained that Indians there, mostly consisting of coolies and labourers, were discriminated due to their ability to compete with the white settlers in the field of business. He wrote in numerous articles that trade jealousy against Indians prompted the British authorities in South Africa to take measures to impair their capacity to pursue trade and commercial activities.

His first Satyagraha was therefore a Satyagraha to restore the inherent right of Indians  to engage themselves in business. Indians in South Africa with hardly any access to education and political power could display their business intelligence and garnered better profits than white settlers. Mahatma Gandhi mingled with them and elicited their opinion to draft petitions in defence of their rights. He insightfully observed that brain splitting was as much the right of the educated and awakened as it was of those who are immersed in deprivation and exploitation. Such an approach in the context of colonial policy of excluding Indians assumes significance in putting an end to all discriminations and proclaiming the principle and practice of inclusion.

In 1897 in an interview to the Natal Advertiser he insightfully observed that the “The policy of exclusion is obsolete”. He stressed on repealing  all the exclusivist policies to establish harmony among different parts of the British Empire. 

?That observation of Mahatma Gandhi that the policy of exclusion had become obsolete is of paramount significance in the globalised world of twenty first century the architecture of which is inevitably going to the based on inclusion and understanding.

?He boldly declared  in South Africa that Indians were born traders and therefore the colonial policy of denying them the right to pursue business was a denial of a right which was inherent to them. Today India is a major centre of trade and commerce in the world. If Indian settlers in South Africa were succeeding in adverse circumstances in displaying their business intelligence against the British settlers, Indians, in twenty first century with favourable indices of human development index and residing in almost all parts of  the world  are bound to register unprecedented success in the domain of business. We need to underline these insights of Mahatma Gandhi while discussing Indian Diaspora in the era of globalization.

The late President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan while serving as India’s Ambassador to America during 1980-84 had described in his book India and America that Indians in that country constituted  a brain bank. It is fascinating to note that in 1924 Mahatma Gandhi expressed the opinion that Indians going out of the country did not result in draining our resources. He was responding to a remark that “every Indian worker going out of India was so much economic waste”. He categorically asserted that “My residence in South Africa was not an economic waste of power”. Today the Indian Diaspora has emerged as  a vast reservoir of talent, innovation and culture. It is more than brain bank. It is a vibrant and lively source of our civilisational  values.

?In the globalised world of twenty first century proponents of the dangerous theory of clash of civilization are  becoming  more strident. It is interesting to note that in nineteenth century similar theories were cited to discriminate Indians and deny them their rights. Mahatma Gandhi quoted two observations one from General Smuts and the  other from Lord Selborne. Both of them said that east and west could never meet. General Smuts went to the extent of writing that there would be explosion if people of eastern civilization came  in contact with people of western civilization. Stating that  worldviews of these two civilizations were different he  elaborated that the   western civilization believed in multiplying wants an desires and the  eastern civilization stressed on simplicity and moderation  in life. He, therefore, said that people with such differing outlook and approach could not have same set of rights.  Mahatma Gandhi however underlined the  commonalities of civilizations and stressed on their essential unity. That larger vision of unity and understanding informed all his actions  which aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the Indian Diaspora. India is a standing refutation of the theory of clash of civilizations. Indians anywhere in the world stand testimony to our long cherished values which spring from the confluence of civilizations. When Indian Diaspora is more vibrant  and wide spread we need to rediscover these ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and recapture his vision based on care and compassion for the larger humanity.

?As early in 1908 Mahatma Gandhi wrote that if Indians intended to settle in diverse regions of the world and prosper they should follow their faith scrupulously, establish unity among Hindus and Muslims and acquire right kind of education.

?These seminal observations of Gandhiji are of critical  relevance  for the world often facing mayhem and violence from terrorists.  Such an approach will dispel the notion that one particular religion promotes terrorism. His emphasis on Hindu- Muslim unity and interfaith harmony as a precondition for the settlement and prosperity of Indians in diverse regions of the world are indispensable factors for peace and security of the Indian Diaspora.

?Mahatma Gandhi reflected on Indian settlers in Canada and other parts of the world. When he was informed that Indians faced discrimination in Canada he cited the example of Japanese who confronted the same challenge. While he admired the courage of Japanese in fighting against discriminatory  polices he regretted that Indians confined themselves to home in face of the threat to their livelihood. Eventually he attributed the fiercely independent spirit of Japanese to the freedom enjoyed by their home country which never came under colonial rule.

?Our freedom struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi  was an extension of his first Satyagaraha launched in South Africa on the strength of Indian settlers. When he was being given a farewell in South Africa he saw a news item which informed him of a legislative measure which withdrew franchise rights of Indians. The Indian settlers were not aware of the magnitudes of the deprivation and discrimination arising out of that legislative measure. It was Mahatma Gandhi who made them aware of its crippling effect on their ability to lead a dignified life. He was thus instrumental in sensitizing them about the value of right to vote and its role in making informed choices. They were reading newspapers only to find out the price of commodities and were ever ready, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “to pocket insult  and pocket profit” He brought about a change in  their thinking and mobilized them to successfully participate in the first ever non-violent struggle for freedom and independence.

?Even as he was doing that he was educating them  about the values of cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene which they lacked.

?In fact Gandhiji not only educated the members of the Indian Diaspora  but also educated Indians to appreciate their plight. During his stay in South Africa he authored a green pamphlet and gave reasons for writing it.

My Object in publishing it was to place the entire facts regarding the position of Indians in South Africa before the Indian public. The people have belief that India does not know exactly how many Indians were outside the country, and what their status was, and the object was to draw their attentions to the subject, and it was with that view that the pamphlet  was published.

?He thought that independence of India from British rule would eventually enable India to effectively address the challenges faced by the Indian Diaspora.  When he and  his wife arrived in Mumbai from South Africa they were given a rousing welcome. On that occasion he had said that “I can only hope that by our future conduct we shall have deserved this welcome”. He did excel in world history by his exemplary conduct. The Indian Diaspora and Indians need to replicate his example to carry forward his vision. It is important to study and analyze the thoughts of the Mahatma Gandhi vis-à-vis Indian Diaspora and creatively understand their relevance  for our own time.

The author served as Officer on Special Duty and Press Secretary to President of India late Shri K R Narayanan and had a tenure as Director in Prime Minister's Office and Joint Secretary in Rajya Sabha Secretariat.