n India during these distressing times. Under such circumstances, it is the duty of every Indian, who is able to get sufficient to feed himself, to part with something for the sake of the dying. It will not do for us to say, ‘I gave something only yesterday towards this fund or that.’ You would not say so if you saw a man dying at your door of hunger; you would give all you may have to satisfy the hunger of that dying man. In the present case, the only difference is that millions are dying of hunger far away from you in a place which is your Motherland, from which you derive your status whatever it may be, and with whose welfare yours is indissolubly bound up. It would not also do to say that what you may give will be of no use to the ocean of sufferers in India. This is a mistake. If all were to argue that way, there will be no help for them. It is the drops that make the ocean. It is, therefore, the duty of every one of us to give the utmost we can towards the Relief Fund.
If you are not in affluent circumstances, it should be a duty to deny yourself something—some luxury, some jewellery, anything that is not absolutely necessary for you.
The funds will be in the hands of a Committee. The names of all who give 10s. or more will be published in newspapers in India and everyone will get a receipt, signed by Mr. M. K. Gandhi for the Famine Relief Committee, countersigned by the person or persons receiving the contributions. The Committee consists of Messrs Dada Abdoolla and Co., Messrs Mahomed Cassim Camroodeen and Co., Messrs Azam Gulam Hussain and Co., Mr. Mohanlal Ray, Mr. Syed Mahomed, Rev. Simon Velaman, Mr. Adamji Miyakhan, Mr. Parsee Rustomji, Mr. Peermahomed Dawoodji, Mr. Moosa Hajee Cassim, Messrs Dawood Mahomed and Co., Mr. Dunn, Mr. Royappan, Mr Lawrence, Mr. Godfrey, Mr. Osman Ahmed, Mr. Joshua, Mr. Gabriel, Mr. Hajee Abdoola, Mr. Hasam Sumar, Mr. Peeran Mahomed, Mr. Mogararia, Mr. Gandhi and others.
It is expected that the Indians in the Colony will furnish at least £1,000 for the sufferers, though there is no reason why the funds should not amount to £2,000 and more. It will all depend upon your generosity and sympathy for your brethren in India. No money should be given without a receipt in English and Tamil, signed by Mr. M. K. Gandhi and countersigned by the receiver.
The Natal Advertiser, 4-2-1897
- 30↑ The appeal, which was published in the source under the title "The Black Famine in India", was issued by the Committee formed at a meeting of Indians on February 3, to make collections from various centres in Natal. It was translated into the several languages spoken by Indians in Natal as is shown by copies available at the Sabarmati Sangrahalaya.
