New Delhi: Before making his name immortal in the history of the Indian freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi fought a tumultuous battle in South Africa. It was a war against the prevalent apartheid, the racial discrimination in the country of which Gandhi himself was also a victim. It was during the fight against apartheid that he first used the weapon of ‘Satyagraha’ and his days in South Africa would provide him with the clarity of what he had to do in India. During his fight in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi founded the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) on August 22, 1894. In this article, we will learn more about this organisation.
What was the Natal Indian Congress?
Established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1894, the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was formed to fight discrimination against Indians in South Africa’s Natal Colony and the Natal Province. Later, it played a crucial role in opposing the apartheid in the country.
Who were the members of the Natal Indian Congress?
Abdoola Hajee Adam Jhaveri (Dada Abdulla) was the first president of the Natal Indian Congress and Gandhi became its honorary secretary. In its early days, only the educated class of South African Indian traders were allowed to become its members for a membership fee of £3. Initially, the party aimed to protect the political and economic situation of Indian merchants and property-owners and they did so through petitions and extra-parliamentary protests. Years later, in the 1930s, the Natal Indian Association (NIA) as a rival to the NIC and they both merged in 1943.
How did NIC oppose the apartheid?
From 1946 to 1948, the NIC, led by one of its most prominent leaders Monty Naicker, led a famous passive resistance in line with Gandhi’s Satyagraha against the Asiatic Land Tenure and Indian Representation Act which was also known as the Ghetto Act. In 1948, following the introduction of formal apartheid, the NIC participated in the Defiance Campaign and became an ally of the African National Congress (ANC).
Its members faced increased oppression from the country’s government in the 1960s. It forced the party to become dormant for a decade. It was revived in October 1971 and continued its protest against apartheid. Along with others, it founded the United Democratic Front. When South Africa came out of the era of apartheid and achieved democracy, the NIC did not become a political party. Many of its leaders and members joined the ANC and it became dormant after the first elections in the post-apartheid era were held in 1994. It never disbanded formally but just ceased to exist with time.
Established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1894, the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was formed to fight discrimination against Indians in South Africa’s Natal Colony and the Natal Province. Later, it played a crucial role in opposing the apartheid in the country. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
