4. Back in India

As a barrister in Johannesburg

As his ship steamed into Bombay harbour, Gandhi saw his brother waiting at the quayside. He ran down the gangway to meet him. As they exchanged greetings, Mohandas noticed that his brother looked sad.

'You have bad news for me?' he asked.

'Yes,' his brother replied with tears in his eyes. 'We did not want to disturb you during your examination. Our dear mother.She died a few weeks back.'

Mohandas was shocked. His mother had meant so much to him. He had come back to tell her that he had kept the promises he had made before he went abroad, but now she was no more. What a sad home-coming!

At Rajkot, he set up practice as a barrister. Soon however, he was disgusted with the greed and pettiness that he found among the lawyers. Gandhi realized that it was difficult for the poor and the humble to get justice from the courts of law. He was not happy with his life at Rajkot and he longed to get away.

It was then that an offer came to him to go to South Africa on behalf of Dada, Abdullah &co. who owned big business concerns there. They had filed a suit against another firm for four hundred thousand dollars. They wanted Gandhi to take up the case because he spoke English well and knew English law. In addition to arguing their well and knew English law. In addition to arguing their case, they wanted him to handle the firm's correspondence in English. His services were required for one year and the company promised to pay a handsome fee and the first-class return fare.

The opportunity to see a new country and new people excited Gandhi and he accepted the offer.

It was painful for him to be parted from Kasturbai again so soon, but he was determined to go. In April 1893 he left Bombay for South Africa.