Prabhupāda: When I had to go that Indian quarter in Johannesburg, at least ten miles by car through the darkness.
Brahmānanda: The Indian quarters are far off.
Prabhupāda: Still, they're prosperous. They have got car. They have got business. They have got factories. Although they are harassed in so many ways, still they are prosperous. They have got their shops and business house in Johannesburg, and they cannot remain there. They must go back. So that was a failure of Gandhi. Gandhi for twenty years agitated. General Smuts, he was the head at that time. And he was beaten. He was so much troubled. Once upon a time Gandhi was captured and beat so severely that he was going to die immediately. Some English South African friend, he saved him. So Gandhi's life from this side is a failure. He could not achieve any success there. Then he thought that "I shall drive these Englishmen from my country." He came here in 1917.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gandhi was born in...?
Prabhupāda: Gandhi is a Gujarati.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But he went to South Africa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. South Af... He had no practice here. One attorney, he told me in Bombay that "Your Gandhi was waiting for cases here, sitting in this chair." He was not even successful lawyer. Then he got a case in Africa. He thought it wise, "Let me go there." And there, instead of becoming a lawyer, he became a political agitator. So to take equal status for the Indians he fought there. And that was failure. Still it is going on. They are very determined not to give any advantage to anyone except these whites.
Hari-śauri: They know as soon as they give little leeway, then their whole government will be finished.
Prabhupāda: Very strict. Still, they purchase my books.
Brahmānanda: The whites.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: They were... I think the first time you went there they even were bowing down...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: ...in the airport. And this caused big sensation, because never, even when big Indian gurus have come to South Africa, never have any whites bowed down. It was the first time whites bowed down to...
Prabhupāda: They clapped. After hearing me they clapped. They purchased books. Now they are selling books. So I think my books are more important. We shall give more concentration for pushing on and publishing. What do you think?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That is our weapons. They are our strength, they are our guidance and they are our ammunition. Everything is based on these books, everything.