# Settled in Natal explained — The Story of My Experiments with Truth

> Chapter companion for The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi.

## What happens

Gandhi describes his early political work in Natal, organizing the Indian community to oppose a discriminatory Franchise Bill. He leads petition drives, mobilizes volunteers across religious and ethnic lines, and ultimately decides to settle in Natal after securing legal retainers from local merchants.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Justice and Anti-Colonialism

Gandhi leads the Indian community in opposing the discriminatory Franchise Bill, organizing petitions and mobilizing volunteers across ethnic and religious lines.

### Service and Community Leadership

Gandhi refuses a salary for public work, insisting on legal retainers instead, and emphasizes voluntary service and community unity.

## Character check-ins

### Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Organizes the community's opposition to the Franchise Bill, drafts petitions, and decides to settle in Natal after securing legal retainers.

### Abdulla Sheth

Hosts the meeting at his house and later purchases furniture for Gandhi.

### Dada Abdulla

His house becomes a caravanserai and public office; he purchases furniture for Gandhi.

### Parsi Rustomji

Active volunteer in obtaining signatures for the petition.

### Adamji Miyakhan

Notable volunteer who helped gather signatures for the petition.

### Mr. Harry Escombe

Friend of Dada Abdulla's, receives a telegram requesting postponement of the Bill's discussion.

## Key lines

> In face of the calamity that had overtaken the community, all distinctions such as high and low, small and great, master and servant, Hindus, Mussalmans, Parsis, Christians, Gujaratis, Madrasis, Sindhis, etc., were forgotten.

In the crisis, the community set aside all caste, religious, and regional differences to unite.

_Highlights the unifying effect of the political struggle._

> I argued that we had a right to the franchise in Natal, as we had a kind of franchise in India. I urged that it was expedient to retain it, as the Indian population capable of using the franchise was very small.

Gandhi argued that Indians deserved the vote in Natal because they had it in India, and that keeping it was practical since few Indians could vote.

_Shows Gandhi's legal and political reasoning in the petition._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_my_experiments_with_truth_se/chapters/part-ii-xvii-settled-in-natal
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_my_experiments_with_truth_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_my_experiments_with_truth_se/chapters