Lobito Bay and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

E-mail- [e-mail];

[e-mail]                                    

Mailing Address- C- 29, Swaraj Nagar, Panki, Kanpur- 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India

 

 

Lobito Bay and Mahatma Gandhi

 

An Englishman named Stone intends to take Indian labourers to a place called Lobito Bay in Portuguese Africa a thousand miles to the north of the Cape. He wants to take Indians there to work on the railway which a British company is constructing. The question has arisen if the Indian community should encourage this proposal. The President of the Durban Sanitary Association has published certain facts which indicate that the arrangements made by Mr. Stone in Durban for the Indians are altogether bad. The building that he has rented for them is small and insanitary. If this is true, we should consider whether Indian labourers are likely to gain anything by going to Lobito Bay. Mr. Stone has also received the permission of the Government of India. He therefore stands in no need of help from the Indian community. But the above instance should make us realize that the Indian community cannot give its consent to such proposals. If need be, it can even register its opposition. We hear that the climate of Lobito Bay is pleasant. It is therefore probable that the Indian labourers will be happy there. Much will depend upon whether the foremen who will accompany them are good men or not. 1

The local agent of the employer informs me that all the Natal Indians have reached Lobito Bay safely. The climate in that part of Lobito Bay is very good. 2 Our correspondent had reported that the condition of Indians in Lobito Bay was very bad. Hence we made inquiries through the agent of Messrs Griffith. He has replied as follows: The report utterly without foundation, Medical attendance ample. Field Hospital fully equipped. Doctor specially appointed to attend coolies. If you think it advisable communicate with Natal Government ask them to send Inspector satisfy themselves. Reports utterly without foundation, Coolies are satisfied. Water supply well, plenty food. This report is at variance with the report of our correspondent. Our correspondent is a very exact and disinterested person. Hence his report is not to be set aside. Putting the two reports together we conclude that, when the labourers reached there, they were put to much hardship. This news reached our correspondent. Now their condition is not as bad as it had been. The labourers must be reasonably happy. Even then, it is obvious that it is not worth while just now for any Indian to take the risk of going there. There is no doubt that there is much hardship before one reaches Benguella. Even after reaching there, a free man will not be able to take up any profession there in the present condition. 3 

We print elsewhere a heart-rending account of the condition of Lobito Bay Indian. They are in Natal, a stone’s throw from Durban. It appears that the Government has put them in quarantine with the intention ultimately of sending them back to India. 4

 

References:

 

1. Indian Opinion, 30-3-1907
2. Indian Opinion, 4-5-1907 
3. Indian Opinion, 20-7-1907 
4. Indian Opinion, 18-4-1908