Chapter XXVI
Resumption of the Struggle
If on the one hand we were trying to induce General Smuts to fulfil his part of the settlement, we were on the other hand enthusiastically engaged in ‘educating’ the community. We found the people everywhere ready to resume the struggle and go to jail. Meetings were held in every place, where we explained the correspondence which was being carried on with the Government. The weekly diary in Indian Opinion kept the Indians fully abreast of current events, and they were warned of the impending failure of the voluntary registration, and asked to hold themselves in readiness to burn the certificates if the Black Act was not repealed after all, and thus let the Government note that the community was fearless and firm and ready to go to prison. Certificates were collected from every place with a view to making a bonfire of them.
The Government bill we have referred to in the previous chapter was about to pass through the Legislature, to which a petition was presented on behalf of the Indians but in vain. At last an ‘ultimatum’ was sent to the Government by the Satyagrahis. The word was not the Satyagrahis’ but of General Smuts who thus chose to style the letter they had addressed to him signifying the determination of the community. The General said, ‘The people who have offered such a threat to the Government have no idea of its power. I am only sorry that some agitators are trying to inflame poor Indians who will be ruined if they succumb to their blandishments.’ As the newspaper reporter wrote on this occasion, many members of the Transvaal Assembly reddened with rage at this ‘ultimatum’ and unanimously and enthusiastically passed the bill introduced by General Smuts.
198
