Gandhi was passionately prejudiced towards black Africans, as clearly
displayed by his own writings over his 21-year stint in Gandhi’s writings during
his 20 years in South Africa. He promoted racial hatred, in theory, and
campaigned for racial segregation, in practice. In his newspaper, The
Indian Opinion, he frequently wrote diatribes against the black community.
Of particular concern to him was any contact between Indians and Africans. The
following series of quotes, which is but a small selection of his extensive
writings on the topic, documents Gandhi’s intense hatred for equal treatment of
blacks and Indians, whether in culture or under the law. Indeed, his efforts to
improve the status of the Indian community in South Africa were primarily
focused on ensuring Africans were treated worse than Indians. His goal, thus was
greater social inequality rather than universal equality.
All quotes taken from Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi
(CWMG).
Sept. 26, 1896: “Ours is one continual struggle against a degradation
sought to be inflicted upon us by the Europeans, who desire to degrade us to the
level of the raw Kaffir* whose occupation is hunting, and whose sole ambition is
to collect a certain number of cattle to buy a wife with and, then, pass his
life in indolence and nakedness.” — Vol. 1, p. 410
Sept. 24, 1903: “We believe as much in the purity of race as we think
they do… We believe also that the white race of South Africa should be the
predominating race.” — Vol. 3, p. 256
Feb. 15, 1904: “Under my suggestion, the Town Council must withdraw the
Kaffirs from the Location. About this mixing of the Kaffirs with the Indians, I
must confess I feel most strongly. I think it is very unfair to the Indian
population.” — Vol. 3, p. 429
Sept. 5, 1905: “The decision to open the school for all Coloured children
is unjust to the Indian community, and is a departure from the assurance given…
that the school will be reserved for Indian children only.” — Vol. 4, p. 402
OFMI.
