Note: Riaz Ahmed sets the date of the event as January 13. Jaswant Singh also sets it to January 13.
The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi gives the date as January 14. The chronology given there is as follows:
January 9: Gandhiji and Kasturba landed at Apollo Bunder,
Bombay.
In interview to The Bombay Chronicle and The Times of India,
Gandhiji said he would follow Gokhale’s advice and pass some
time in India observing and studying.
January 11: Reception at Ghatkopar, Bombay.
January 12: Public reception at Mount Petit, Bombay, Sir
Pherozeshah Mehta presiding.
January 13: Welcome by Bombay National Union at Hirabag.
B. G. Tilak and Joseph Baptista attended.
January 14: Gandhiji entertained by Bombay branch of
Servants of India Society.
Met Governor of Bombay.
Garden party by Gurjar Sabha, Bombay, M. A. Jinnah presided.
From
The Works of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Volume II (1913-1916)
Editor: Dr. Riaz Ahmad
MR. AND MRS. GANDHI
ENTERTAINED BY GURJAR SABHA – JINNAH ON SOUTH AFRICAN PROBLEMS
13 January 1915 (Bombay Chronicle, 15 January 1915)
Mr. M.K. Gandhi and Mrs. Gandhi were entertained at a garden
party, yesterday evening (13-1-1915), in the specious [sic] gardens of
Mangaldass House by the members of the Gujar Sabha. There was a very large and representative
gathering and those present included the Hon. Mr. P.D. Pattni.
Mr. K.M. Munshi, in opening the proceedings, said the
movement was first started by a single body as a public expression of the feelings
of reverence to the admiration for the greatest son of modern Gujarat, but it
was gratifying to see that it was whole-heartedly supported by the whole of the
Gujerati-speaking community.
Mr. M. A. Jinnah who presided, welcoming the guests of the evening
on behalf of the Sabha, said that he considered a great privilege and certainly
a very great honour that he should have the opportunity of welcoming Mr. and
Mrs. Gandhi back to their motherland after the most strenuous and hard labour
in South Africa in the cause of the Indians residing there as well as in the
cause of India generally. Mr. Gandhi
came back to India after a quarter of a century. From the very start he had devoted himself to
the cause of the Indian community in South Africa and the question of
immigration in South Africa. This
question was long one and had a long history but recently, as they were all
aware, it had assumed a shape and issue which threatened to destroy the very
existence of Indians in South Africa and it was then that Mr. Gandhi led the
South African Indian community so to say in a constitutional war and they all
knew what trials, what troubles, what sufferings and what sacrifices he had to
go through and they all knew that eventually that immediate issue, which threatened
the very existence of the Indian community in South Africa, was brought about
in a compromise, which seemed to all parties satisfactory, but if he might say
so as one who had taken some interest in the question – and he believed he was
voicing the feelings of every Indian on that point – the question as settled
did not end the other issues of a graver and more important character and those
would have to be settled as soon as possible (hear, hear).
Continuing, Mr. Jinnah said that he was sure that they were
all very glad to see Mr. Gandhi back among them, but while he (the speaker) was
thinking about it and reading in the press as to the future programme of Mr.
Gandhi, namely, to devote himself to the cause of the country, it struck him
that what a pity it was that there was nobody in South Africa who could take
his place, and fight their battle, a bigger battle than the one fought and
successfully fought, and therefore it seemed to him that what was their gain
was a terrible loss of South Africa so far as the Indians there were
concerned. Of course, Mr. Gandhi know
of his movements best and he knew how he should work them. Personally, he (the speaker) felt that it
did not matter where Mr. Gandhi was.
Undoubtedly here he would not only become a worthy ornament, but also a
very real worker whose equals there were very few (applause).
He felt sure that he was uttering the sentiments of everyone
when he said that Mr. Gandhi deserved the welcome not only of the Gurjar Sabha,
not only of Gujerat but of the whole of India.
But while he was praising Mr. Gandhi he did not forget Mrs. Gandhi, who
had set an example not only to the womankind of India, but he might say to the
womankind of the whole world. For a
woman to stand by her husband, share his trials and sufferings and sacrifices
and even to go to jail was model of
womanhood of which any country could well be proud of (applause).
He did not think he was exaggerating when he said that such
a son of India and such a daughter of India had not only raised the reputation
of India but had vindicated the honour of the great and ancient land. They had drawn the attention of the whole
world and the whole world admired the trials and troubles and sacrifices Mr.
and Mrs. Gandhi underwent for the cause of their country and their countrymen
(applause).
HINDU –MAHOMEDAN
PROBLEM
Continuing Mr. Jinnah said that he had only one word to
add. After the great war that is going
on and which has to decide the issue between might and right – and he had no
doubt that right will succeed (hear, hear) – questions affecting India will
have to be considered and solved and the one word that he might say to Mr.
Gandhi was that throughout the whole country, the two sister communities of
India – Hindus and Mahomedans – showed themselves unanimous, absolutely one, on
the South African question, and he thought that that was the first question and
the first occasion on which the two sister communities stood together in
absolute union and it had its moral and political effect of the settlement of
the question.
That it had its gain was being displaying with by the
attitude of India towards the war and the whole of India had stood by the
Empire, as one of its members. It was in
that frame of mind, that state, that condition which they had to bring about
between the two communities, when most of their problems, he had no doubt,
would be easily be solved.
That, he said to Mr, Gandhi, was one problem of all the
problems of India – namely, how to bring about unanimity and co-operation between
the two communities so that the demands of India may be made absolutely
unanimously. He again welcomed them in
the name of the Gurjar Sabha, who took the greatest pride in receiving them
that evening. (Applause)
Both the guests were then garlanded.
Mr. Gandhi, who spoke in Gujerati, thanked Mr. Jinnah for
presiding at this function and said that while he was in South Africa and
anything was said about Gujeratis, it was understood to have a reference to the
Hindu community only and Parsis and Mahomedans were not thought of. He was, therefore, glad to find a Mahomedan
a member of the Gurjar Sabha and the chairman of that function.
With regard to their words of praise and welcome, he was at
a loss to say anything. As he had said so often before, he and his wife had
done nothing beyond their duty. He did
not wish to repeat the same thing but he desired to say that he considered all
these good feelings and kind words as their blessings and he prayed to God that
those blessings might enable him and his wife in faithfully serving their
country.
They first intended to study all the Indian questions and
then enter upon the service of the country.
He had looked upon the Hon. Mr. Gokhale as his guide and leader and he
had full confidence in him and he was sure that Mr. Gokhale would not put him
on the wrong track. He had visited his
Excellency the Governor that morning and while thanking him for the honour he
also mentioned the same thing that he was absolutely confident that under the
guiding spirit of the Hon. Mr. Gokhale he would be adopting the right course.
Continuing, Mr. Gandhi said that the chairman had referred
to the South African question. He had a
good deal to say on the subject and he would explain the whole situation in the
very near future to the Bombay public and through them the whole of India. The compromise was satisfactory and he
trusted that what had remained to be gained would be gained. The South Africans had now learnt that they
could not utterly disregard the Indians or disrespect their feelings.
With regard to the Hindu-Mahomedan question he had much to
learn, but he would always keep before his eyes his twenty-one years of
experience in South Africa and he still remembered that one sentence uttered by
Sir Syed Ahmed, namely, that the Hindus and Mahomedans were the two eyes of
mother India, and if one looked at one end and the other at the other, neither
would be able to see anything, and that if one was gone, the other would see to
that extent only. Both the communities
had to bear this in mind in the future.
In conclusion, he [Gandhi] thanked them for the great honour
done to him and his wife.
Refreshments were then served and the gathering dispersed
after about an hour.
___
1915
January 9 - 15
9th Jan
Gandhi arrived at 7.30 am by SS Arabia from South Africa via
London.
Reception at several places.
Put up at Revashanker Jhaveri's (Santacruz).
Interviewed by Times of India.
Met G. K. Gokhale & V. S. Sastri at Narottam Morarji's
house. details.....
10th Jan
Met relatives in Bazaar Gate street, it was here that Swami
Anand first met Gandhi.
Reception by Mulji Ashram (theatre) 'Buddha Deva' was being
staged by his troupe.
Addressed by National Union (Hira Baug) which was presided
by B. G. Tilak.
11th Jan
Meeting at Ghatkopar. Received Golden manacles as a gift.
12th Jan
Met Dadabhai Navroji and Dr. Dadi Burjorji. (Dr. Burjorji
had attended Gandhi in Durban, South Africa wshen he was attacked by whites.)
Attended party full of pomp and grandeur, hosted by the
Petits. details.....
13th Jan
Reception given by National Union (Madhav Baug). Tilak was
also present.
14th Jan
Saw Lord Willingdon, the Governor.
Reception given by Gurjar Sabha (Gujarat Association). M. A.
Jinnah, in his welcome speech praised Gandhi & Ba of their services in
South Africa.
details.....
