THE THREE QUESTIONS Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy By Jon Muth
The Story of Tolstoy Farm
Transcript of The Story of Tolstoy Farm
No story of Tolstoy Farm can beginwithout detailing Mohandas KaramchandGandhi's arrival in South Africa as a younglawyer. His engagement in South Africacommenced in 1893 with a legal caserepresenting Dada Abdulla & Company inNatal and he remained actively engagedand evolving, sharpening and honing hisphilosophy of non-violence, passiveresistance 'satyagraha'. He returned toIndia in 1914 as a Mahatma after 21years. His rise as a social and politicalactivist had roots in the context of SouthAfrica as gradually he became consciousof the social injustices of the times.History narrates the progress of Gandhi'sactivist role as he gradually becameintegrally involved with the struggle forsocial justice and became a voice in firstNatal and then in the Transvaal. Thisactivism found expression in the form ofprotest action, negotiations with thegovernment of the time and mobilizationof the community. This period saw theestablishment of Phoenix Settlement(1906) and the Indian Opinion (1903),both providing Gandhi with a vital andvibrant medium for communicating withthe community on matters that wouldimpact on the rights of the people.
The Transvaal Government's "Black Act"(Asiatic Registration Act) of 1906 whichmade it compulsory for all Indians to beregistered and finger-printed, propelledGandhi into defiance of the law and theevolution of a philosophy of protest andresistance which he called 'Satyagraha'.This led to mass imprisonments and soonGeneral Smuts retreated and releasedprisoners and indicated that the Actwould be repealed in exchange forvoluntary registration by the Indians. In1908, the struggle intensified as theGovernment of the day reneged on itspromise and what ensued was thebonfire of certificates. Gandhi went toBritain in 1909 to convince the Britishgovernment that self-government forSouth Africa was not a viable option. Hewas unsuccessful as on 31 May 1910, theBritish government transferred power tothe white minority in South Africa.Ironically this transpired a day after thepurchase of Tolstoy Farm.
The Story of Tolstoy FarmBy Kirti Menon
1
1 Acknowledgement of inputby Professor Uma-Dhupelia Mesthrie
Satyagraha gained momentum as Gandhi led the struggle against the recruitment of
indentured labour for Natal, the poll-tax and the judgment of the Cape Supreme Court in 1913
declaring all marriages- other than those according to Christian rites and registered with the
Registrar of Marriages - as illegal. This provoked strikes and marches and a sophisticated use of
satyagraha as more Indians willingly courted arrest against the inequities and injustices of the
times. News of Gandhi and Satyagraha spread across the continents and it was clearly the
beginnings of a philosophy which would see Britain relinquish power in India and concede
defeat a few decades later. The influence of the philosophy on other political movements
would continue to inspire the struggle for democracy in South Africa, the civil rights movement
in America and many individuals. Gandhi attributed his spiritual awareness and growth to the
seminal work of Ruskin's , which, he unequivocally stated as a book which
"marked the turning point in my life" as well as Leo Tolstoy's (1828-1910)
in 1894. Gandhi wrote to Tolstoy and described himself as "a humble follower of
yours." Henry D. Thoreau's (1817-1862) writings on civil disobedience shaped his thinking as
well. During Gandhi's period in Johannesburg he met with the Theosophists and began reading
the Bhagvad Gita and the writings of Vivekananda. The reading at the time of courting
imprisonment helped Gandhi refine and define Satyagraha.
The farm Roodepoort No. 49, 1100 acres of land was purchased by Kallenbach fromJohannesburg Town Councillor L. V. Partridge for £2,000 on 30 May 1910 . One third, £666.13.4,was to be paid in advance for the transfer deeds. The balance was to be paid in monthlyinstallments of £15 per month and with an interest of 6% per annum. For the security of thepayments, a bond was signed by Kallenbach with the farm itself serving as the collateral. Theycalled it Tolstoy Farm in recognition of their deep admiration for Count Leo Tolstoy. Ironically, itwas on 31 May 1910 that the Union of South Africa came into being with General Jan Smuts asthe Minister for Interior, Mines and Defence.
Gandhi described the farm: "It is nearly 1,100 acres in extent or 508 morgen, being nearly twomiles long and three quarter broad. It slopes down a hill from South to North and is, therefore,well protected from the South-East winds. There are nearly 1,000 fruit-bearing trees and withpeaches, apricots, figs, almonds, walnuts, etc., and a small plantation of wattle [acacia] andeucalyptus trees. The ground is fertile. Water is supplied from two wells as also a spring.Beyond a shed and a dilapidated house containing four rooms and a kitchen, it contains nostructure worth naming. By rail, it generally takes about one and a half hours to reach it fromhere. A cyclist has to cover a distance of about 18 miles [to the city] and he can cycle thedistance in less than two hours. The boundary of the Farm is reached in about seven minutesfrom Lawley Station and the dwelling place in about thirteen more minutes."
Gandhi was inspired and moved by Tolstoy's writings and during 1910 an exchange of lettersbetween the two reveals the depth of the influence. Tolstoy advocated non-resistance as anappropriate response to aggression and foregrounded the need for equitable treatment of thepoor and working class and called for the need to look into oneself and to God for answers onmorality. Tolstoy wrote to Gandhi “
Unto The Last
The Kingdom of God is
Within You
Indian Opinion
June 18, 1910, p.201.
Your activity is the most important essential work, the most
important of all the work being done in the world.”
2
3
Hermann Kallenbach was born in East Prussia (1871 – 1945) and studied architecture in
Stuttgart and Munich. In 1896 he went to South Africa, where he practiced as an architect. He
met Mohandas Gandhi in 1903 and became a friend, confidante and follower. Along with
H.S.L. Polak, Kallenbach was integrally involved with Satyagraha and Gandhi's Phoenix and
Tolstoy Farm experiments. In 1910 Kallenbach and Gandhi conceived of the idea of Tolstoy
Farm. The idea was to have a communal farm to serve several purposes:
· Training for new passive resisters
· Experiment in communal living
· Haven for families of prisoners
· Multi-denomination prayers and multilingual experiments
2 James Hunt, Unpublished Manuscript on Tolstoy Farm3Tolstoy to Gandhi, 7 September 1908
Gandhi was convinced that the success of the final phase of the satyagraha campaign in South Africa
between 1908 and 1914 owed much to the "spiritual purification and penance" afforded by the
Tolstoy Farm.
"The Farm that Mr. Kallenbach has given for the use of the families of passive resisters he has named
Tolstoy Farm. He has chosen an ambitious title and it is his intention, so far as possible, to live up to
the ideals that Tolstoy has set forth. The greatest thing, however, that Mr. Kallenbach has done is to
He wrote: "I have serious doubts as to whether the struggle could have been
prosecuted for eight years, whether we could have secured larger funds, and whether the thousands
of men who participated in the last phase of the struggle would have borne their share of it, if there
had been no Tolstoy Farm."4
live with the passive resisters their life, to share their sorrows, and joys when there are any, and to comfort and protect the wives and families
of the imprisoned passive resisters. Mr. Kallenbach considers that all this is part of his own training and that it gives him an insight into human
nature which nothing else could have given", .
Kallenbach and his partner, Alexander Kennedy worked on the plans and supervised the building work at Tolstoy Farm. Inhabitants slept in
tents while the first building was constructed, a shed. Mistri Narayandas Damania volunteered his services with no charge and brought with
him several other carpenters. A house, a school and a workshop for carpentry and shoemaking was constructed. Early accounts indicate that
there was a library at the farm. The primary objective of the Farm was to provide a safe haven for families whose breadwinners were in prison.
Apart from, Gandhi's wife Kasturba and sons, there were also women like Veeramal Naidoo, the wife of resister Thambi Naidoo and their
children, A Mrs John who had a little baby, a Mrs Lazarus, and Rambhaben Sodha the wife of resister Ratanshi Sodha. The farm catered for a
fluid population of approximately 70 people at any given time. The communal family included Gujaratis, Tamils, Hindi-speakers, Hindus,
Christians, Muslims and Parsis. There were also some African families on the farm one of them being known only as John. Many visitors went
to the farm and were involved in providing classes or working at carpentry.
(Indian Opinion, 18 June 1910)
4 The Tolstoy Farm: Gandhi's Experiment in "Cooperative Commonwealth"By Surendra Bhana Published in South African Historical Journal, No. 7, November 1975
5 Ibid.
"Tolstoy Farm was a family in which I occupied the place of the father," wrote Gandhi, “and that I should so far as possible shoulder the
responsibility for the training of the young". Gandhi personally taught the young children Tamil grammar and Urdu and supervised a
curriculum that challenged conventional colonial education. Many biographers have described the focus of Gandhi on education and manual
labour. There was a strong emphasis on vocational training for both genders and a serious ‘experiment’ in communal living with tasks on the
farm shared by all. The lifestyle was meant to prepare one for prison – food was served in bowls like those in prison. Paramount in the busy
schedule of cooking, sandal making and carpentry was the nurturing of the ideals of social service and citizenship. These lessons that began at
Phoenix Settlement in Natal in 1904 were refined when Gandhi returned to India and adopted the spinning wheel as an integral part of ashram
life. The rural geographical context provided Gandhi with the opportunity to place an emphasis on simple living.
There is evidence of discipline in the daily routine followed by the residents. Its purpose was to prevent, no doubt, idle time-wasting, and make
them feel that they were being constructively useful. The bell rang at six in the morning, wrote a Rand Daily Mail (Johannesburg) reporter. After
the toilets were completed and the beds made, the residents ate breakfast. Everybody was assigned a task for the morning. Work was stopped
at 11 a.m. to go for a bath - the bath was postponed for this hour so as to make good use of the warm sun rays. The midday meal was served. At
1 p.m. Several classes of school began lasting until 5 late in the afternoon. The evening meal was taken at 5.30. There would be an hour of rest.
At 7 p.m. the residents would assemble before Gandhi who would review the day's events, point out difficulties if any, and suggest ways of
preventing their recurrence. The meeting ended with readings from books on religion and the singing of hymns .5
Gandhi left Tolstoy Farm in January 1913 and took some of the youngsters with him to Phoenixwhich thereafter became his main base. Tolstoy Farm residents nonetheless proved crucial inthe satyagraha campaign that resumed in 1913. Kallenbach led a group of eleven women (mostof whom had been former Tolstoy Farm residents) to Vereeniging in the Orange Free State tobreak the provincial restrictions on movement. These women had young childen with them andthey proceeded to the coal mines of Newcastle where they played a role in getting the workersthere to go on strike. It was this kind of courage that places like Tolstoy Farm and PhoenixSettlement fostered. The thousands of workers in northern Natal led by Gandhi then began amarch to cross the Transvaal border with the intention of reaching Toltstoy Farm, though theywere arrested before they could do this.
It represented a boldexperiment. The land was transferred to a WH Humpreys in 1915. In the 1950s, Anglovaalbought the land and then sold it to current owner Corobrik.
Tolstoy Farm had a short history of existence as acommunal farm in comparison to Phoenix Settlement but despite the brevity of Gandhi's staythere the critical historical significance cannot be underestimated.
The story of Tolstoy Farm and Gandhi's early experiments with truth, non-violence and moralliving has interwoven in it the generosity of his friend and colleague, Hermann Kallenbach andtheir inspiration, Tolstoy. This is a story that pays tribute to the men, women and children whosefootprints have left an indelible mark on our history and who have inspired many of our leaders.It is the story of all those who worked jointly on a communal project without thought for the selfand who endured many hardships in the name of justice and who charted new ground inworking towards a multi-racial, multi-faith, multi-class and multilingual community all bound bya shared purpose: justice for all.
Gandhi, Ms Schlesin, Herman Kallenbach
LIST OF RESIDENTS AT TOLSTOY FARM IN 1910
5 James Hunt, Unpublished Manuscript on Tolstoy Farm
Adajania, Sorabji
Albrecht
Badri, Shipujan
Bawazir, Fatima
Bawazir, Imam
Bhagabhai, Bagho
Burjorsingh (1890)
Bush, Miss (Off. Clerk)
Cachalia, Ahmad Muhammad
Cachalia, Ismail
Call A.E.
Chettiar, V.A.
Chinan
Coopoo/Kuppusamy
Dahya, Tulis
Damania, Narandas
Deasi, Pragji K.
Desai, Kisan
Desai, Nagin
Desai, Purshottamdas
Doctor, Jeki
Doctor, Manilal
Domodar, Virji
Ernest, Solomon
Francis, Veera
Gandhi, Chhaganlal K
Gandhi, Devdas
Gandhi, Gokuldas Parmananddas
Gandhi, Harilal
Gandhi, Jamnadas
Gandhi, Karsandas
Gandhi, Kasturba
Gandhi, Keshavlal
Gandhi, Krishnadas
Gandhi, Lakshmidas
Gandhi, Maganlal
Gandhi, Manilal
Gandhi, Mohandas
Gandhi, Narandas
Gandhi, Prabhudas
Gandhi, Radha
Gandhi, Raliatbehn (sis)
Gandhi, Ramdas
Gandhi, Rukmini
Gewurz
Givindu, Raju (Sam)
Govindrajloo, V
Hansraj, Gokuldas Garach
Harry Lazarus, Mrs?
John, Mrs Aaron
Kallenbach, Herman
C.K. Thambi Naidoo
Knudsen, Elizabeth
Kotwal, Purushottam K
Lailu
Medh, Surendrarai B
Molteno, Elizabeth
Moodley, S.S.
Mudaliar
Mudaliar, Kuppuswami Moonlight
Murgan
Muthuswami
Naidoo, Bala
Naidoo, Barsodhi
Naidoo, C.K. Thambi
Naidoo, Kuppusamy
Naidoo, Mrs Thambi
Naidoo, Naransamy
Naidoo, P.K.
Naidoo, Raju
Naidoo, Gopal
Naidoo, Pakiri
Narandas, Mistri
Naynah, Mrs Dhobie
Patel, Bhagabhai Manchhabhai
Patel, Maganbhai
Patel, Raojibhai
Patel
Pillay Kanapathe
Pillay, Govindsamy
Polak, Millie
Polak, Waldo
Polak, Henry
Polak, Maud
Rajkumar
Ramhorry
Ritch, Lewis W
Royeppen, Joseph
Rustomji, Parsee
Rustomji, Sorabji
Sam (Govindaswamy)
Schlesin, Sonja
Shanti
Shelat, Umiyashankar
Sodha, Chhotalal
Sodha, Ratansi
Sodha, Revashanker
Vihari
Virsing
West, Ada "Devi"
West, Albert
Rajabali Velshi Keshavjee
Thayanayagie Pillay
10 January, 1908
07 October, 1908
25 February, 1909
06 November, 1913
08 November, 1913
09 November, 1913
Arrested for failing to register or to leave Transvaal and sentenced to two months simple imprisonment.
On 30th January, following a compromise, he was released.
While returning from Natal, as he was unable to show his registration, which he had burnt, his sentence
was imprisonment with hard labour.
Arrested, sentenced for 3 months imprisonment at Transvaal for not producing registration certificate.
After the ‘great march’ he was arrested at Palm Ford, released on 7th on bail furnished by Kallenbach.
Again arrested and released on bail.
Arrested and sentenced to nine months imprisonment. At Volksrust sentenced for further three months.
But unexpectedly released on 18 December, 1913.
www.manibhavan.org
GANDHI LETTERS
To Gandhi.
I HAVE just received your very interesting letter, which gave me much pleasure. God help our dear brothers and co-workers in the
Transvaal! Among us, too, this fight between gentleness and brutality, between humility and love and pride and violence, makes
itself ever more strongly felt, especially in a sharp collision between religious duty and the State laws, expressed by refusals to
perform military service. Such refusals occur more and more often.
From Recollections & Essays by Leo Tolstoy. Oxford University Press: London, New York, Toronto, 1937. (pp. 433-439)
Count Leo TolstoyGandhi: The Barrister
Proudly sponsored by Shereno Printers - 011 894 4150