Eric Itzkin

Gandhi's Johannesburg is a fascinating topic. It is the product of research by Eric Itzkin and accompanied an exhibition on Gandhi at Museum Africa in Johannesburg. Gandhi lived in South Africa between 1893 and 1913 with intermittent visits to India and Britain. Gandi first settled in Durban in 1893, having qualified as a barrister in London in 1891. His initial foray into the law in India in was not promising and coming to South Africa was meant to offer a fresh start to the young man of 24. He came to assist a wealthy businessman in a law suit. After the Boer War Gandhi relcoated to the then Transvaal. It was in South Africa that Gandhi cut his teeth in politics and the law when he took up the cause of Indians who faced discrimination and restrictions. The British colonial administration under Lord Milner revived the anti-Indian laws of the two Boer republics . It was Gandhi who rose to the challenge of formulating a strategy to resist the laws fight for Indian rights and in the process he evolved the tactic and philosophy of passive resistance, "Satyagraha" . It was a philosophy that combined elements of personal struggle, non-co-operation, non-violent resistance, sacrifice and a mass movement where followers and supporters drew on one another for strength and inspiration. Placed against the backdrop of the development of communal living at the Phoenix settlement (outside Durban ) and then Tolstoy Farm to the south of Johannesburg, participants in the struggle lived and worked together , drawing strength and inspiration from an alternative lifestyle ( one that embraced vegetarianism, self sufficiency, handcrafts and religion). Johannesburg and Durban were the site of Gandhi's apprenticeship in leadership and political strategy. This book has been well researched to trace, track down and record all the places in Johannesburg with a Gandhi association. Over time Gandhi's ideas came to be enormously influential both in India and in South Africa. The African National Congress whose roots as a liberation and resistance movement can be traced back to 1912 , were influenced by Gandhi and a political struggle embracing passive resistance. The principle was one of defying the law through a presence in numbers , offering no physical resistance and inviting arrest.. Itzkin walks in Gandhi's footsteps. We learn where where Gandhi practiced law, had his chambers in johannesburg, faced discrimination over conveyance in a lift, spoke at a church, lived in a variety of different homes in Johannesburg, ate at vegetarian restaurants, was arrested and faced prison at the Fort. The list of places associated with Gandhi in so many ways shows a life well lived and with many good causes to the fore. It was Gandhi who obtained suitable land for a Hindu crematorium in Brixton Cemetery. Gandhi was a friend of many and as he shaped his philosopy and developed an unusual lifestyle, individuals seeking alternative solutions to life's problems, befriended Gandhi. Most influential and important of his Johannesburg friends was the German Jewish architect, Herman Kallenbach. Gandhi lived in Kallenbach at his home in Pine Road Orchards, the Kraal and also in Fairwood and Mountainview. Kallenbach became a fervent supporter and financial sponsor of Gandhi and it was he who bought the farm which then became Tolstoy farm and financed the expenses of the Satyagraha movement . Gandhi's presence was felt in a number of Johannesburg places and Itzkin has unearthed some fascinating photographs of old Johannesburg, old maps, memorabilia. Gandhi is commemorated in Johannesburg and its surrounds in monuments, plaques and statues. Perhaps what is most fascinating about Gandhi was that he moved with ease across social strata and broke through social , race, religious and class diviisions in this dusty highveld mining boom town. Gandhi challenged people and politicians to rethink their most firmly held beliefs and in doing so became one of the great figures of the 20th century. A problem of heritage history is that often the influential person has been taken out of the contemporary context . When Gandhi left Johannesburg he had not yet become a world figure and his life's work lay ahead. Gandhi's presence in Johannesburg perhaps became more important after he left as his fame grew and his political role in India challenged the durability of the British empire. We in Johannesburg are left to capture the presence of Gandhi in some significant landmarks . This book offers an evocation of the man, his place in Johannesburg history and his times. There is a large literature on Gandhi in South Africa and this book , despite being slight and filled with photographs , sketches and maps, is an important contribution. Gandhi is commemorated in Johannesburg at the Constitutional Court complex ( the old Fort and prison), on Gandhi Square ( the old Van der Bijl square where the old law courts were located), at the Indian Anglo-Boer War monoment on the Observatory Ridge . Perhaps the most impressive commemmoration of Gandhi is at Satyagraha House (the Kraal) - the home of Gandhi and Kallenbach --- which has been restored as a guest house and shrine and memorial to Gandhi and Kallenbach. That too is worth a visit .… (plus d'informations)