PEOPLE’S LEADERS ALWAYS PROMOTED NON-RACIAL AND DEMOCRATIC UNITY

 

(Dr Monty Naicker (second from right) with Ismail Meer, M N Pather , Fatima Meer and George Singh. All these leaders paid a heavy price for fighting for a non-racial and democratic future.)

 

 By Subry Govender

 

INTRODUCTION

At a time when many South Africans in and around the city of Durban and in many other parts of the country find themselves in a state of confusion about the current socio-political and economic situation, veteran journalist, Subry Govender, in this article provides an edited input about how struggle leaders promoted a non-racial and democratic solution to the future of the country.

 

 

 

           “GOOD MEN MUST PLAN”

 

 

“When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind.
“When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love.
“Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice.”

 

These words of wisdom were made by the leader of the American civil rights movement, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, when campaigning for equal rights in the 1960s.
 
His words of wisdom in a way reflect the situation of many South Africans today who find themselves on the margins of society in our new “non-racial” and democratic South Africa.
They find themselves facing rising and gross unemployment, poverty, a renewed culture of racial hatred, extreme violent crime, and problems regarding their development in the economic, social and educational arenas.
Most of the people live like prisoners in their own homes.
All these issues tend to contribute to uncertainties about their future. They yearn that all these ills could be corrected as soon as possible.
The issue of a non-racial and progressive pressure group taking up the concerns of the people has come to the fore once again following the emergence of a new group, calling itself the South African National Indian Congress.
This new group has been condemned by former anti-apartheid activists who claim that there’s no need for such an organisation in our new non-racial and democratic South Africa.
During the struggles against white minority rule and domination, there were scores of leaders and activists since the early 1940s who had promoted a non-racial solution despite the apartheid situation at that time.
 

DR MONTY NAICKER EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR A UNITED FRONT

 

 

Two of the leaders I would like to mention are Dr Monty Naicker, who was president of the Natal Indian Congress and the South African Indian Congress; and Dr Kesaval Goonum, who was also a leader within the NIC.
Dr Naicker in fact first emphasized this need for a united front, when in his inaugural speech after being elected President of the NIC in 1945, said that the people of SA should form a United Front of all anti-racist and democratic forces to fight against minority rule and oppression.
According to his son, Dr Kreesan Naicker, Dr Monty Naicker had always emphasised the fact that “we were South Africans first and foremost though culturally, Indians, our struggles were with Africans and not in isolation”.
Then when the apartheid regime tried to impose the "ya baas" organisation, South African Indian Council (SAIC), on the community in 1978 and again in 1983, Dr Naicker and Dr Goonum once again emphasized the need for a non-racial and democratic future.
Dr Naicker told a mass meeting in Durban in October 1977 that the apartheid regime's move to impose the Indian Council on the people was aimed at promoting its own salvation, rather than that of the people.
He had said: "Proposals to solve any of South Africa's problems without the African people is bound to end in disaster. It is morally indefensible to exclude the African majority and we do not wish to be a party to the oppression of the majority."
 

“We are South Africans and, therefore, must enjoy full social, political, and economic rights with all South Africans." - Dr Goonum in 1977

Dr Goonum, who was one of the most dynamic women leaders at that time, also pulled no punches in warning the apartheid regime that the Indian people would play no part "in entrenching white domination and black oppression in South Africa".

"We cannot achieve true freedom in taking part in cosmetics like the Indian Council. We are South Africans and, therefore, must enjoy full social, political, and economic rights with all South Africans."
According to Dr Kreesan Naicker, his father, who would have reached 110 years this year, would welcome the establishment of a non-racial pressure organization.
“If anything, I feel we should revive the UDF and not racialise our political landscape ever again,” he said.
When analysing the current state of our socio-economical and political situation, there’s no doubt whatsoever there’s a need for an organisation such as the United Democratic Front.
Just as leaders such as Dr Monty Naicker, Dr Goonum and democratic organisations like the UDF and the NIC had shown during the apartheid era that non-racial unity was paramount in the struggles, it’s clear that 27 years into our new South Africa there’s a need for non-racial unity to promote the rights of all people. This would be of immense hope to people who are affected by poverty, unemployment, runaway violent crime, economic development problems, and the promotion of racial hatred by some political elements.
In closing I would like to quote Dr Martin Luther King once again: “Many people fear nothing more terrible than to take a position which stands out sharply and clearly from the prevailing opinion.
“The tendency of most is to adopt a view that is so ambiguous that it will include everything and so popular that it will include everybody.” - Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com Dec 11 2020