OUR RICH HISTORY - BILLY NAIR
One of the doyens of the liberation struggles was Billy Nair, the son of indentured labourers, who was imprisoned on Robben Island for 20 years for fighting against white minority rule and domination. After his death at the age of 79 on October 23 2008, Subry Govender compiled a three-part series as a special tribute in honour of this struggle icon.
We publish the three reports as part of our information for those who are interested in learning about OUR RICH HISTORY. This is Part 2......
By Subry Govender
Six months after his release in February 1984 from 20 years on Robben Island, Billy Nair was again detained, tortured and brutalised for opposing the tri-cameral elections. The tri-cameral elections were some of the devious plans by the former apartheid regime to co-opt the coloured and Indian-orign communities.
Billy Nair took his case to the High Court and succeeded in winning his release from detention.
THREE MONTHS AT THE BRITISH CONSULATE IN DURBAN
He, thereafter, took refuge at the British Consulate in Durban along with Mewa Ramgobin, M J Naidoo, Archie Gumede and Paul David. All these leaders were activists of the Natal Indian Congress(NIC), the Release Mandela Committee(RMC), the United Democratic Front(UDF) and other progressive organisations.
Nair spent three months at the Consulate and soon after he walked out of the consulates office in December 1984, I spoke to Billy Nair about the political struggles at that time.
BRUTALISED BY SECURITY POLICE
I asked him about the brutalisation he suffered at the hands of the then dreaded security police.
"In the first place six months after I was released from Robben Island I was actually detained for opposing the tri-cameral elections," he told me. "After four months of detention and my stay at the Consulate with my colleagues I was released. "This indicates clearly that the state was persecuting me. Whenever I came into the custody of the special branch I was assaulted. "There's a charge of assault pending against the police who assaulted me. I was assaulted and subjected to quite humiliating experience in prison and one could say that I was subjected to it was a quite a torrid experience."
STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE
Billy Nair showed no signs of being beaten by the brutal actions of the apartheid regime. Instead he re-iterated that as long as the National Party regime at that time refused to negotiate with the authentic and real leaders of the people, the struggle will continue.
"As long as the National Party Government remains intransigent and refuses to meet the authentic leaders of the people," he said, "the unrest will naturally continue and what I urge the National Party Government and all those at the helm of power and and the powers that be is to come to their senses and negotiate and discuss with the authenthic leaders of the people to resolve the problems of the country".
UNITED DEMOCRATIC FRONT
The United Democratic Front, of which Billy Nair was a senior leader, was facing a crisis at this time because of the widespread detentions of thousands of leaders and activists around the country and the charges of treason brought against most of the top leaders. But Billy Nair was unruffled. He was of the view that as long as the UDF was the authentic voice of the people, it would continue to operate. This, despite the oppressive actions of the then apartheid regime.
"The setback the UDF and its affiliates suffer at the moment will make them to re-group because, after all, an organisation is not founded on futile principles but an organisation which is found on firm basic principles with widespread support of the massive of the people it has the support of 30-million people. An organisation like this will prove invincible and emerge victorious and triumphant, not withstanding the present difficulties.
TOTAL REJECTION OF TRI-CAMERAL PARLIAMENT
Billy Nair also totally rejected any form of association with the regime's tri-cameral parliamentary offer to the coloured and Indian-orign communities. He made it clear that he would struggle on for a non-racial and free South Africa till his last breadth.
"The democratic loving people, the people who want democracy and freedom urge the white minority government to sit and work out with people and not for the people. Not withstanding the repression that I have suffered and am suffering I will continue with the struggles for as long as I live. I will continue to struggle for a free and non-racial democracy for both black and white as long as I live."
POLITICAL FREEDOM, NOT MONETARY GAINS
Billy Nair remained totally dedicated to the full political, social and economic emancipation of all South Africans --- without expecting anything in return. He had followed in the footsteps of many other great freedom leaders. One hopes that Billy Nair's rich life will not be lost now that he's no longer with us. The younger generation must be able to learn from the unselfish lives of Billy Nair and scores of others. - ends: subrygovender@gmail.com
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