Gandhi came to South Africa on a one-year contract in 1893 as a barrister of Dada Abdullah, a Gujarati merchant of India who had a large business in South Africa.
Gandhi, who was only 25 years of age, had not faced overt racism till yet, even though he had lived in England for his studies.
On the night of 7 June 1893, Gandhi was travelling from Durban to Pretoria by train and was seated in the first class compartment for which he had a valid ticket.
A white co-passenger saw Gandhi travelling in the so-called ‘whites-only’ first class coach.
He came back with two officials and the latter told Gandhi to move to the rear end of the train to the van compartment.
When he refused to do that, a police constable was called who took Gandhi by the hand and pushed him out of the train at the Maritzburg railway station.
His luggage was also thrown out on the platform.
Gandhi picked up his hand bag and went and sat in the waiting room, while leaving the other luggage where it was.
His luggage was taken away and kept by the railway authorities.
He spent the whole night shivering in cold in the waiting room, as his overcoat was locked in the luggage. He dared not ask the railway authorities to give his luggage lest he should be insulted again.
There was no light in the waiting room.
The whole night he kept wondering whether he should return to India or protest for his rights.
Next morning, he decided to stay on and fight the case for which he had come and also decided to protest against the treatment meted out to him.
On reaching Pretoria he convened a meeting of the Indians to protest against racial discrimination and also wrote an angry letter in the Natal Advertiser.
