Agra

Uhambo lokuya eAgra (122 miles) ndiluqale emini emaqanda ngemihlali yokucinga ukubona idolophu iAgra (310 000) ebalelwa phakathi kwezimanga ezisixhenxe zehlabathi (Seven Wonders of the World) ngesizathu sokuba ineyona ndlu intle kulo lonke ihlabathi neyakhiwe ngohlobo olungummangaliso, endiza kubuya ndiluchaze.

Sihambe sahamba sada safika ngorhatya kwesi sixeko simakhulukhulu eminyaka semayo phezu komlambokazi iJumna (lo sendibalisile ngawo), silikomkhulu lokumkani wamazwe ngamazwe (Emperor) owongamele izikhulu zooZwelibanzi (Rajahs, Nabobs, Nawabs).

Ndifike ndihlangatyezwe ngekari yomhlobo othe uza kundisa ngqo entlanganisweni endiya kuthetha kuyo kwangoku ndingekatyi kuba ithuba lokutya liya kuba semva kwentlanganiso leyo. Phofu ngenxa yobubele bamaIndiya ezindwendweni amaphakathi athile awenzile amazwembe-zwembe akwaGxuluwe okuba ndizuzane nomkhwepha wokuphekuza indlala. Wayi-wayi afika kanobom amadoda, yangena intlanganiso, ndazenza iindaba zezwe lasekhaya zasiwa nasemaphepheni. Ekuphumeni apho singene ezimotweni saya kutya kumzi okude yaye ingqele isika ngenkwankca apha. Umzi endilaliswe kuwo ngowendoda esisihandiba, intloko yeshishini elikhulu eliqingqa iglasi apho kuqeshwe ama-400 amadoda (capital £70 000). Kubandile kanye ebusuku kwanjengokuba sifike kunjalo eDelhi nakwiHimalaya. Uthe umnumzana akuphawula ukuba ndiyagodola wandiboleka ikhwiliti enkulukazi eyenziwe ngqingqwa ngokuhlohlwa umqhaphu oyelele kuboya borhanisi, into efudumele ndalala tywenene kwalahleka netshoba.

Ndihleli iintsuku zontathu apha ndabona izinto ezitsala ingqondo. Le dolophu iyafika eshumini leemayile ngobubanzi yaye ixinene ngokoyikekayo kuba zingathi izifo ezinjengeYellow Fever neCholera nengqakaqha (Small Pox) zingene apha zitshabalalise ngokwesikhuni silunyekwe edotyeni.

Nditsho kuba ngosuku olulandelayo, 21 kweyoMnga 1949, xa sicanda idolophu le sothuke sirhaxwa liphunga elibi lomfula wamanzi amdaka ezindlu zangasese athe kanti awatshoniswanga ngokwaneleyo phantsi komhlaba kwimibhobho yawo ngokwesiqhelo sezinye iidolophu; andikhumbuze iNancefield eJohannesburg apho abaleka phandle emasimini. Apha aphakathi kwezindlu zabantu neevenkile nezitali ngengxinano elumezayo. Phofu iAgra inalo nelinye icala elihle elihlala abelungu kwizitrato eziphangaleleyo ezigangathwe ngesamente zahonjiswa ngemithi emikhulu, apho kuhlala neenjinga zamaIndiya atyebileyo icace ke into ehlala ivakala yokuba ilizwe lalapha lingcolile ngecala elingcole kulo ngobuphantsi bamahlwempu nobuninzi bezifo ezisulelayo, ukanti ngelinye icala limiwe ziindwalutho zezityebi ezibengezela yigolide phakathi kobuncwane nobunewunewu. He!

Udumo lweAgra luxhomekeke kwindlu egama lithi Taj Mahal indlu engafikwa ndlu kweli gada likaAdam ngocikideko nobuhle.

Taj Mahal

Ngumsebenzi othatha imini yonke ukuyibona le ndlu; ikwiimayile ezintathu ukuphuma esazulwini sesixeko: kuqeshwa igemfana lekari yodonki kuhambeke nzinyana ngeendlela ezicutheneyo phakathi kwezindlu, kuthi usasondela uqonde ukuba yenye into le ivelayo, into enkulukazi yesingcungcume sebhotwe elimhlophe qhwa qhwa qhwa macala onke lilitye lenyengane (marble) ebengezelayo.

Uganda

Igqotsile ke yada yangena kwelo zwe, kwazindada zodwa ke ngoku neentshinyela ezingenabhulorho kuba imilambo yafunxwa yaphela ziinyibiba ezome zadibana zaluqilima lomadakana yagqumeleleka. Kuthiwa iingozi zokwenziwa kwesi siporo zafikelela kwinani lokuba imayile nganye yaphuma nengcwaba lendoda. Mandithi ezinye izitishi zala mazwe zithiywe amagama avakalayo ngesiXhosa nesiSuthu, nanga: Budumba, Fela, Bukoba, Juba, Khala, Khoza, Lushoto, Manyano, Mirithini, Mkhomazi, Molo, Mbulamuthi, Mukhono, Munyu, Phuma, Same, Soga, Songwa, Thanga, Yala. Yiloo nto kusithiwa Uganda olu sisizozo sentetho yakwaNtu. Kuthe phiphiphi sagaleleka kwisitishi esigama lithi, equator (umgcambindini) esikumgca owahlula kubini igada eli likaAdam; sihlile sangxabalaza phezu kwawo umgca lo, olunye unyawo lwanyathela kwisiqendu sasentla (Northern Hemisphere) olunye kwesasezantsi (Southern). Yimfundo ukuhamba oku. Vuma, Lawu!

Indyebo yaseluGanda

Sivuke ngoLwesihlanu 27 kweyoMqungu 1950 sesiphakathi kwelabaGanda, izwe elizixelayo into eliyiyo ngokuxhaphaka kwento etyiwayo yasendle. Kukho nebalana elithi umfana othile weNgesi owayefunde ezincwadini ngentarhantarha (abundance) yokudla kwasendle eluGanda yena elambe wayinyaphopho, wazimela wazifihla (stowaway) empahleni ekhweliswe kwinqanawa eya eluGanda, waza wehla waya kuhlala emahlathini ixesha elide ephile ziziqhamo zamahlathi. Ngenye imini ude wabhaqwa enguloo mdungela ngamapolisa wamangalelwa wafunyanwa enetyala lokuba ‘ingabonakali into aphila ngayo’ (guilty of being without visible means of subsistence) wagoduselwa kwaphesheya. Kaloku umthetho wesiNgesi usisidenge (the law is an ass) esingaqondiyo ukuba umntu unokuphila kukutya okungafunyanwa ngamvuzo wokuqeshwa. Ewe kukutya kodwa apha. Zonke iinkolongiyane (sidings) zidwelise ugcibhala (isisulu) lweebhanana ezithengwa ngetiki isihloko sedazini, yaye inye ingangomlenze wosana; ndihluthe zezimbini qha kuzo ndakhohlana ngoku neli didima (indyebo) ndiliphetheyo esandleni ndibe ndisiya kokwazo eKampala. Bendithenge kwanepineapple ngetiki, yangangethanga, yandoyisa ndisephakathi kuyo ndiyixhela ngomgotywa, ndakhumbula izinqulo zamaGqwashu, amaGorha kaNohibane, mabandla kaKhamlana, ooxhel’ ithanga! Ngumyezo owabonwa nguAdam noEva izwe labaGanda ngeziqhamo zasendle. Akukho silambi nangqiba ndilibonileyo apha: ilizwe lichume layintsikantsika ziibhatata, ziimbotyi, yimfe, licuba, ngutiya, yiswekile; umqhaphu wona uneenkebenkebe zamasimi kwaye kusithiwa ngophambili ehlabathini ngodidi (quality), ize loo nto yenze impahla yokunxiba ibe yeyemibalabala yonke ebantwini. Liyanxitywa ke mawethu ilaphu kweli lizwe, kangangokuba abantu bodidi lwamaqaba baphucuke ngokwabasesikolweni kowethu ngezinxibo; bafatya (embroider) nkqi. Amadoda agalela into engathi yihempe enkulu emhlophe esuka entanyeni ime ngesithende, isiwunduwundu, mfo. Abasetyhini ngamacholocholo angawaziyo umgqwetho wesikhumba, ahomba ngobuqheleqhele obugquma neenyawo, anga ahombele ukuya etimitini le mihla ezivathise ngayo yonke imibala yomnyama, omnye egaxele ibala lalinye lodwa nokuba liluhlaza, nokuba libomvu, umbone omnye endolosa ngelaphu elimabala maninzi elingathi sisaqoni seentyantyambo, azidle ehamba ngokunathuza ange uyazazi ukuba uyabukeka, adlisele.

Before I went to India, Rev. J.C. Mvusi from Durban came here to see his daughter who is married to Kigundu. I am told he made it a point to visit Jinja, so that he could see the crocodiles in the River Nile. He waited for a long time, until it was late at night, and eventually he saw them. He must be of the Ngqosini clan that he is so interested in crocodiles.

On Saturday 4 February 1950, my friends were at the station in Kampala to see me off at 10 a.m. It was a pity that we were parting. The train left and we got to Jinja at noon where I was met by the honourable Lubogo, whom I was not able to meet the previous Sunday. He took me from the train and told me that he would take me back to the train via a short route after four hours. By then the train was going to Mbulamuthi in the north, and this would enable me to see his family and another part of the country. He was driving a Limousine, with music inside. He is a man of royal blood of the Soga clan in Uganda and serves as a treasurer in this country. We started by visiting his offices and then we went to his house, which is on a hill (like the home of Mzimba in Alice). His house faces the Victoria Nyanza. Here I was entertained by his family and friends. He has a son who studied under me at Fort Hare and others who were in other colleges. We travelled 60 miles to get back to the train, and we were passing through thick forests with many interesting things. He showed me old sites where courts were held in the past, and these courts were held under huge trees. Headmen are respectable people here, they are neat. Lubogo said there are no underprivileged people in Uganda, because those who have nothing are supported by the chiefs. We visited mission schools and the last place we visited was an Indian Cotton Ginnery where Africans work.

Nairobi

It happened that my presence in Mombasa was known in Nairobi, which is in the centre of Kenya, and in Kampala (Uganda) to people who were my students at Fort Hare in 1932. They had heard about my presence from Indians who were with me on the ship. Immediately I received telegrams and phone calls offering me train fares so that I could visit them. And I began to realise that the idiom ‘nothing succeeds like success’ holds true. On Friday 20 January 1950 in the afternoon I left for Nairobi, a distance of 330 miles, 5 453 feet above sea level. The road was steep through extensive forests like the ones between De Aar and Beaufort West. In the morning, we saw wild animals which were kept in a reserve near the railway line: elephants, springbok, giraffes, and many others. I was much impressed by the kudu, I think it would be a sin to kill it. I was pleased to see them in their natural environment.

After breakfast we arrived in Nairobi, where I was met by my host, Elind Mathu, B.A., LL.B., M.L.C., who is an honourable member of parliament to whom I had taught Latin and who was very bright. In Mombasa, I was told by an Indian member that in parliament there is no brighter person than Mathu, whether he be an Indian or a white person. I spent 6 days with him, travelling 80 to 90 miles a day in his own car. Upon my arrival, he asked his assistants to show me the city, shops which were owned by blacks and the locations. We went to his home (a distance of 16 miles) which was worth £5 000. In the afternoon, we toured the coffee plantations, black-owned shops, villages of the Kikuyu (his countrymen), the Swahili, Maasai, Kamba and Chaga. He also took me to the homes of men who had studied at Fort Hare recently, people like Njonjo, Kabetu, Njoroge, Kiong Githu and Waruhiu. I noted that all the shops are built of stone, he has three of his own. From there he took me to a large market of the Maasai, people who originate from the north, these are tall people whose colour is dark brown.

Intshayelelo

Umbhali lo, ekubeni ewahambile ama-400 000 eemayile ebomini bakhe (bama-65 eminyaka) kwiindawo ngeendawo kweli lizwe naphesheya kolwandle, uyaqala ukuya eIndiya kuba iindawo zangaphambili azihambileyo ele kolwandle zibe ngecala lentshonalanga zisiyiwa ngezibuko laseKapa. Uwelo lokuqala (1903) lwaba lolokuya eEngland emfundweni, awathi wagqithela eTuskegee, U.S.A. (1913) phambi kokuba agoduke ekuqalekeni kwemfazwe enkulu yamaJamani (1914). Olwesibini (1928) lolokuya eJerusalem kwingqungquthela ngendlela ecanda kula mazwe: England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt nePalestine. Olwesithathu lwaba lolokuya kwingqungquthela yolutsha olungamaKrestu (1931) eBuffalo, Niagara Falls (U.S.A). Olwesine (1937) lolwentlanganiso ePhiladelphia, U.S.A. kwangendlela egqitha emaNgesini. Olwesihlanu (1949) lolu lwaseIndiya, ngamazibuko aseMpumalanga ePhuthukezi eLourenço Marques, eMozambikhi, eZanzibar, eDar es Salaam (Tanganyika) naseMombasa (Kenya neUganda) naseziqithini zeSeychelles neMaldive ekusingeni eGoa naseBombay.

Isizekabani solu hambo lokugqibela sisimemo esisingiswe kulo lonke ihlabathi, kucelwa abameli bamazwe ngamazwe angama-50 okokuba bahlangane nama-50 aseIndiya, kuze kuboniswana ngamacebo okuba izizwe zonke emhlabeni zifunde ukuhlala nokusebenza ngoxolo endaweni yokulamla ngezikhali ngokukodwa xa zithomalalisa impikiswano nengxabano. Iziko laloo ntlangano lalingaseCalcutta, isixeko esikwicala elikhangele eChina.

Ukunduluka

Ngezi mini asiyonto ilula ukuvunyelwa ngurhulumente ukuba uhambele kwelinye ilizwe. Inquleqhu yamatiletile okucelwa nokunikwa imvume (Passport) ithabathe iinyanga ezintandathu kwada kwabethwa iingcingo ezininzi. Hayi bo, azabi namphenduli nezo ngcingo kuba umphathi othile phaya ePitoli wayeqhodamisile. Uthe xa kusele iintsukwana ezimbalwa zokuba liphele ixesha wathumela ucingo oluvumayo, lusithi naantso ipostishwa iPassport. Kuthe kuba be ndise ndincamile, kwangamaphuthuphuthu ukubopha impahla nokulungiselela ukuba usapho lume kakuhle ngesithuba seenyanga ezine lulodwa.

Okunene ekuqaleni kwenyanga yeNkanga, (1 kweyeNkanga 1949) ndinduluke ngololiwe eXesi emaGqunukhwebeni (kaloku ndingumSukwini ngoku) ukusinga enqanaweni eDurban, ngendlela yaseMthatha-Kokstad-Maritzburg enomtsalane kunaleya yeBloemfontein-Harrismith. Le ndlela icanda kumaAfrika odwa nemilambo yawo: iQonce kumaNgqika, iNciba kumaMfengu, iGcuwa kumaGcaleka, umBhashe kubaThembu, uMthatha kumaMpondo kaNdamase, iGungululu kumaMpondomise kaMditshwa kuTsolo, iTsitsa kwakaMhlontlo kuQumbu. Kulo lonke eli sifike komile apha, kuluhlaza phaya, ilizwe lonke lingamatshanda angathi sisaqoni kuba iyana imvula apha, phaya kuqhuma uthuli lwembalela endala. Mandithi entethweni yesiXhosa ndivele kwaNgqika kusithiwa imvula iyana, indlu evuzayo iyanetha, umntu ongenadyasi uyanetha yimvula; ingekho into yokuthi imvula iyanetha. Ekudluleni kuQumbu siwele iThina saba siyangena kwelamaBhaca, aziko liseMount Frere eLugangeni kuWabana kude kufuphi namanzi empiliso eMvuzi. Aqala apha ke ukuvakala amaJili (omnombo wombhali lo), iNtlangwini emi ngeelali zayo entla kweli. Umlambo olandelayo nguMzimvubu osingenise kumaHlubi kaNota eLibode ngakwintaba yeNtsiza (yimpazamo ukuthi yeyeNtsizwa nakubeni bebaninzi abatshoyo).

Calcutta

Emini enkulu sibone siyingena idolophu iCalcutta eyeyona inkulu eIndiya ngobuninzi babantu (6 millions) ilandela iLondon kwizithanga (empire) zasemaNgesini nangokutwezeka komhlaba emi kuwo, isityatyabesha esingathi asiphele ndawo. Esitishini ziintlantlu ngeentlantlu zemigaqo kaloliwe ekhumbuza eyakwaBulawayo ngobude. Abantu banyakazela oku kweembovane zobugqwangu, zaye zonke iiplatform zinabantu abadinwe bazizityambele kukuyotywa bubushushu, nabaqungquluzileyo abangathi abanakhaya limbi, nezishwayimbana ezingqiba imali kumntu wonke, usizi lweentsizi. Nasekhaya eAfrika andizange ndizibone iimfebenge ezilamba kangaka. Ngenene iIndiya elisilambi eIndiya liphantsi kunomAfrika osisilambi eAfrika kuba libhitya libe ngamathambo odwa. Thina siqinisa intamo siqwanye naxa siziimfebe zamahlwempu.

Ulwamkelo

Samkelwe ngobubele obungazenzisiyo ngamalungu ekomiti esimenywe yiyo, iindlezana zamaIndiya agqobhokileyo ekuhleni kwethu kuloliwe kuqokelelwa iimpahla namagama ethu. Kubonakele kuvuya nabakwaRhulumente abaqokelela amatikiti emasangweni xa eva kusithiwa ‘Pacific Conference Delegates!’

Ekubeni siphumile sihlohlwe ezimotweni sesiyokozela zizidanga zamagqabi neentyatyambo (garlands) esigangxwe zona ezintanyeni ngabaphuthumi bethu. Gqi, intyonkobila yomlambo iHoogly emi phezu kwayo le dolophu nolisebe leGanges kuba ilungena ulwandle se iyiminwe emininzi (Delta) ngokweNile eJiphethe kukufumbelela kwentlabathi yawo egilana neyolwandle. Zilapha iinqanawa zeendidi zonke kuba umlambo lo uzilungele ngamashumi amathandathu eemayile ukusuka echwebeni.

Ingxinano yezinto ezihambayo nezibalekayo ezitratweni iyelele kweyaseBombay, koko apha esona silo sibalulekileyo ziinyathi ezitsala iinqwelo zaye zibotshwe ngambini nangantathu zityhuda phakathi kweemoto nabantu ngohlobo oloyikisayo: naazo ezinye zizihambela zodwa zisitya ingca emagotyibeni eendlela nezindlu kwalapha edolophini, zibe zithe saa neenkomo neebhokhwe. Yingxovu yedolophu le, bawo. Ndibone nabafazi abathwele iingqayi zamanzi entloko ngokwabasemaphandleni.

Izakhiwo ziingxwabulukula ezinamabanga amaninzi ukuya phezulu kanye njengaseJohannesburg, zaye zixinene ngohlobo olulodwa. Sityhutyhe umgama ovileyo, saya kungena phantsi Okwaloo mini siphumle salala apha saza sanduluka ngengomso ukusinga kwindawo eliziko lentlanganiso esizele yona. Kuse olungaliyo ngoLwesithathu 30 kweyeNkanga 1949, sangena kuloliwe ophuma eCalcultta esiya eBholphur (90 miles) ekuthe ekuhleni sehla sesibaninzi ngenxa yokungenelela endleleni kwabavela macala wambi kwabanye oololiwe: kwayinkungu nelanga ngabantu esitishini beze kubukela xa sikhwela ezibhasini ezicanda isixeko sabo.

Santiniketan

Emva kweemayile ezine singenile eSantiniketan, ‘Iziko loXolo’ (santi, peace; ketan, place), elakhiwa ngumfi uSir Rabindranath Tagore, umlingane kaGandhi. Silaliswe ezintenteni kanye ngokwaseJerusalem, ngabathathu nangabane.

Abathunywa abavela kundawo ezikwaseIndiya baba malunga nama-40, saza thina bawele ulwandle sakuma-60, ukuze sisonke sibe likhulu: amagama ethu ingala: David Acquah (Gold Coast, West Africa) umfo omnyama ngokupheleleyo: A.C. Barrington (New Zealand): L. Bautista (Philippines); abaseMelika U.S.A.

Nairobi

Kuthe kanti ubukho bam apha eMombasa buvakele eNairobi (isizikithi seKenya) naseKampala (eseluGanda) kumadoda awayefunde kum eFort Hare mzuzu (1932) wona esiva ngamaIndiya abesenqanaweni nam. Kwangoko ndifikelwe ziingcingo neethelefoni zawo zisithi nantso itikiti kaloliwe khwela uze kusibona; sazaliseka isaci esithi ithamsanqa litsala elinye (nothing succeeds like success). Ndakhwela ke ngoLwesihlanu 20 kweyoMqungu 1950 ukujika kwelanga ukusinga eNairobi (330 miles; 5 453 feet above sea level) ngohambo olunyuke njalo lucanda emhlabeni obharhileyo womgqoloqho nobutywibi, eyelele kweli liphakathi kweDe Aar neBeaufort West salala linjalo. Ekuseni sibone iinyamakazi ezininzi ziphakathi kweekampu (reserves) ezayamene nendlela le kaloliwe; indlovu, ixhama, impofu, iphuthi, iqhude into yona empondo zizibebelele, impunzi, inxala, nezinye. Intle bafondini le nyamakazi iliqhude; ngathi sisono nokuyidubula. Kube luyolo ukuzibona entlalweni yazo yasendle ezi zilo.

Emva kwesidlo sakusasa singenile eNairobi apho ndihlangatyezwe yindlokovane yendodana ummemi wam uElindi Mathu, B.A., LL.B., M.L.C. olilungu elibekekileyo (Honourable) lepalamente yenene edibeneyo nabelungu namaIndiya, umfo lo endamfundisa isiLatin ndimfumana ekrelekrele kanye: naseMombasa ndixelelwe lilungu leIndiya okokuba ngobuchule emicimbini kule nkundla akukho lungu limdlulayo uMathu nokuba ligwangqa nokuba liIndiya. Zontandathu iintsuku ndilundwendwe lwakhe undijikelezise ama-80 nama-90 eemayile ngemini, ngemoto yakhe emeva, ukuhlola ilizwe. Kwasekufikeni ususe amaphakathi andibonisa idolophu le yonke neevenkile zabantsundu ezikuyo naselokishini; saya ekhaya (16 miles) kumzi wakhe omtsha (£5 000 ngexabiso). Emalanga siphumile sahlola amasimi ekofu neevenkile zabantsundu neelali zamaKikuyu (amawabo) neentlanga zamaSwahili, Masai, Kamba, Chaga. Undise nasemakhayeni abafana abafunde eFort Hare kutsha nje ooNjonjo, Kabetu, Njotoge, Kiong Githu noWaruhiu, ndaza ndaphawula ukuba iivenkile zonke zakhiwe ngamatye, ezakhe yedwa zintathu. Ukusuka apho undise emarikeni enkulu yamaMasai isizwe somlibo wasentla esangena phakathi kwethu bantu ngoloyiso ezimfazweni. Esi sizwe sikholise ngabantu abaziinyombolo abambala urhanarha, oko kukuthi bomvu-ngqombo; ngabafuyi beenkomo nabaloli-zitshetshe berhweba ngentsimbi; umkhonto, isihele, isinkempe, ikrwana, imela; ukanti amaKikuyu wona ngabantu bolimo lwekofu nemifuno nombona nezadywedywe zecuba elimandi nakubeni ikho neqhunguwa. Ndiphawule kumaMasai bebaninzi ababuso butsolo nempumlo eluqozolo, neengxilimbela zamadoda, amangqawa asengqina. AmaKikuyu wona akholwa ngamasimi kwelo langa elitsho abe mnyama swili. Kaloku thina boMzantsi obu bumnyama buphungulwe kukuzekelana kwethu kudala nabaThwa namaChwama sikhanya nje. Entla apha umntu oNtsundu umnyama ngokwembiza engasulwanga. He!

Kweli laseKenya inxitywa kunene intsimbi: isacholo esihlahleni, umgolombane engalweni, izinzabelo entanyeni, umgxashe entloko, ijikazi empumlweni, ingxaxazo emaqatheni ngokwamaAwuwa eTransvaal, nomngqi entla kwesiquluba, zaye zisenza bafaneleke abagaxeli bazo phofu awaswelekanga amagxidolo alokhwe zimfutshane. Sihambe ama-52 eemayile ngale mini yokufika eNairobi. Kuse ngomhla 22 kweyoMqungu 1950 sihamba ithuba elide sisiya kubona iGreat Rift Valley.

At noon, we arrived in the enormous city of Calcutta, the biggest city in India (six million people) and the second-biggest to London in the British Empire. At the station, there are many platforms and train lines whose length is like that one to Bulawayo. The people are as many as ants and everywhere people are tired, because it is hot and some sleep as though they do not have homes and there are many beggars. Even at home I have not seen so many poor people. Indeed, a poor Indian in India is poorer than a poor African at home because he becomes very thin. We lift up our heads even when we are poor.

Reception

The committee which had invited us welcomed us warmly, and Christian gentlemen took our luggage and our names. Even the officers at the ticket office were happy to see us when they heard about ‘Pacifist Conference Delegates’! After resting, we were decorated with garlands and led to our cars. We saw the great Hooghly River, which runs next to this city and which is a tributary of the Ganges. It forms a delta like the Nile in Egypt. There were ships of every sort. The streets are as crowded as in Bombay. There are many animals here which draw carts and there may even be two or three pulling one cart. They move in between the motor cars, a fearful sight. Some animals were roaming around browsing on the pavements and there were cattle and goats. This is a crowded city. I also saw women carrying water jars on their heads as they do at home.

The houses have many storeys, like in Johannesburg, and there is just no space. We travelled a good distance and finally arrived at the prestigious premises of the Pacifist Organisations, which belong to Indians and whites. Here, we met delegates from Japan, America, China, England, France, Egypt, Ireland, Germany and Australia, etcetera who were attending the same conference. We rested for the day and in the morning, we proceeded to the place where the meeting was to be held. On Wednesday 30 November 1949, we boarded a train from Calcutta to Bolpur 90 miles away and by the time we got there we were many people, because other delegates joined us on the way.