Mahatma Gandhi and Green Pamphlet

The Green Pamphlet occupies an important place in the early political life of Mahatma Gandhi, as it marked his first significant public engagement with imperial politics and racial discrimination. Written and circulated in 1896, during his years in South Africa, the pamphlet exposed the injustices faced by Indian immigrants under discriminatory colonial policies. Its publication not only demonstrated Gandhi’s growing awareness of social injustice but also reflected his evolution from a lawyer to a political activist committed to truth and non-violence.

Background: Gandhi’s Early Years in South Africa

Mahatma Gandhi arrived in South Africa in 1893, at the age of twenty-four, to serve as a legal representative for an Indian firm, Dada Abdulla & Co., based in Natal. His initial experiences in the country profoundly shaped his political consciousness. Soon after his arrival, Gandhi encountered racial prejudice firsthand, most famously when he was thrown out of a train at Pietermaritzburg for refusing to move from a first-class compartment reserved for whites.
These humiliations opened his eyes to the systemic discrimination faced by Indian immigrants—both Hindus and Muslims—who had settled in South Africa as traders, labourers, and indentured workers. The white settler community, backed by British colonial authorities, enforced numerous discriminatory laws, denying Indians civil rights, land ownership, and equal treatment before the law. Indians were also subjected to harsh residence restrictions and humiliating registration systems.
Realising the need for organised resistance, Gandhi founded the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) in 1894, aiming to unite Indians and petition the government for justice. The Green Pamphlet was born out of these early struggles, as Gandhi sought to inform the British public about the real conditions of Indians in South Africa.

The Publication of the Green Pamphlet (1896)

In 1896, Gandhi returned briefly to India to bring his wife Kasturba Gandhi and children to South Africa. During this visit, he was urged by friends and supporters to share his experiences of racial injustice. In response, he prepared a detailed written account, which was later printed as a pamphlet with a green cover, hence the name “The Green Pamphlet”.
The pamphlet was formally titled The Grievances of the British Indians in South Africa: An Appeal to the Indian Public. It was written in a calm, factual tone, supported by specific examples of discriminatory laws, and aimed to arouse both Indian and British public opinion against the unjust treatment of Indians in South Africa.

Contents and Key Themes

The Green Pamphlet served as both a political document and a humanitarian appeal. It contained a systematic description of the legal, social, and economic conditions of Indians in the Natal and Transvaal regions, highlighting the contradictions between British imperial ideals and colonial realities.
Some of the principal issues addressed included:

• Disenfranchisement: The denial of voting rights to Indians despite their status as British subjects.
• Discriminatory Taxation: The imposition of the £3 tax on indentured labourers who completed their contracts but chose to remain in the colony.
• Trade Restrictions: Legal barriers preventing Indian traders from owning land or conducting business freely.
• Social Segregation: Laws that confined Indians to specific areas and prohibited them from using public facilities reserved for Europeans.
• Racial Insults and Humiliation: Everyday acts of social discrimination and verbal abuse inflicted upon Indians, reducing them to second-class subjects.

Gandhi’s tone in the pamphlet was not inflammatory but moral and persuasive. He invoked the principles of justice, equality, and the rule of law, appealing to the conscience of British liberal opinion. He argued that the treatment of Indians in South Africa violated the very principles Britain claimed to uphold as a civilised power.
A notable feature of the pamphlet was its emphasis on truthful representation. Gandhi meticulously avoided exaggeration, reflecting his early commitment to Satya (truth), a value that would later become the cornerstone of his political philosophy.

Reaction in South Africa

The publication of the Green Pamphlet created an uproar among the white settler community in South Africa. The colonial authorities and the local press denounced Gandhi as a “troublemaker” and accused him of spreading falsehoods. The Natal press, in particular, alleged that the pamphlet was intended to incite hostility against Europeans and misrepresent conditions in the colony.
When Gandhi returned to South Africa later in 1896 with his family, he faced violent opposition. A mob of white settlers in Durban attacked him upon his arrival, dragging him through the streets and nearly killing him. He was rescued by the wife of the police superintendent and later refused to press charges against his attackers, demonstrating his commitment to non-violence (Ahimsa) even in the face of personal danger.
The incident, widely publicised, ironically gave Gandhi’s cause greater visibility. It drew attention to the very racial prejudice he had exposed in his pamphlet and gained him sympathy among progressive circles both in India and Britain.

Significance and Legacy

The Green Pamphlet was Gandhi’s first major political document, marking the beginning of his public life as a reformer and spokesperson for the oppressed. It carried several long-term implications:

• Awakening Indian Opinion: It sensitised educated Indians to the plight of their compatriots abroad, linking the struggles of overseas Indians with the larger anti-colonial cause.
• International Awareness: The pamphlet reached British officials and members of Parliament, prompting questions about imperial policy and the treatment of British subjects in the colonies.
• Foundation of Satyagraha: Although Gandhi had not yet developed his doctrine of Satyagraha, the moral courage and adherence to truth evident in the pamphlet foreshadowed his later philosophy of non-violent resistance.
• Growth of Political Leadership: The incident elevated Gandhi’s stature among the Indian community in South Africa, who increasingly looked to him for leadership and guidance in their struggle for civil rights.

Broader Historical Context

The late nineteenth century saw rising racial hierarchies across British colonies, particularly in regions like South Africa, Kenya, and Fiji, where Indian labourers and traders had migrated. The Green Pamphlet thus forms part of a broader historical pattern of diasporic resistance against imperial racism. Gandhi’s work anticipated later movements for civil rights and equality, influencing not only Indian nationalism but also global liberation struggles.
By linking colonial injustice abroad with moral awakening at home, Gandhi transformed what might have remained a local grievance into an ethical issue of international concern. His methods combined reason, evidence, and empathy—qualities that would later define his leadership during India’s freedom movement.

Gandhi’s Reflection on the Episode

In his later writings, particularly in his Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Gandhi reflected on the Green Pamphlet episode as a turning point. He admitted that while his style was still that of a young lawyer appealing to logic, the experience taught him the power of truth and courage in confronting injustice. The violent response he faced reinforced his conviction that hatred could only be countered with non-violence, a principle that would guide his future campaigns in both South Africa and India.