OUR RICH HISTORY - RADIO DOCUMENTARY ON THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF STRUGGLE STALWART ISMAIL "I C" MEER

(PHOTO TAKEN FROM HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY - ISMAIL MEER THE FORTUNATE MAN) Another giant of the struggles against apartheid and white minority rule was Ismail “I C” Meer, who suffered bannings, house arrests and restrictions for more than 40 years. During this period from the 1950s to 1990, Meer was banned for more than 40 years from either publishing any material or being quoted. He died on the first of May 2 000 at the age of 82 after serving the South African Indian Congress, the Natal and Transvaal Indian congresses, the Communist Party of South Africa and the African National Congress. In this radio documentary Subry Govender recalls the life of an activist described as one of the most dedicated Indian-origin freedom fighters. This documentary was recorded at the end of August 2008 at a time when there was a debate about the lack of a progressive orgainsation to cater for the needs of the people of Indian-origin. This debate was sparked by no less a person than his wife, Professor Fatima Meer, who in an interview with this correspondent in 2008 called for the revival of the disbanded Natal Indian Congress and the South African Indian Congress.