RECALLING HISTORY - NELSON MANDELA APPLAUDS ROLE PLAYED BY NATAL INDIAN CONGRESS AND INDIAN-ORIGIN ACTIVISTS AFTER HIS RELEASE IN FEBRUARY 1990

 

Prior to and after the unbanning of the African National Congress (ANC), the Pan Africanist Congress and the release of Nelson Mandela in February 1990, a number of people not only initiated a debate on the role of the Natal Indian Congress and its future position but many leaders also acknowledged the role of the people in general in the struggles.

One of the leaders who fully acknowledged the role played by people of Indian-origin in the struggles was none other than freedom icon and South Africa’s first democratic president, Nelson Mandela.

I found an article about Nelson Mandela’s acknowledgement of the role played by the Natal Indian Congress while researching through my files for stories about the NIC and its work during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.

Mandela made the acknowledgement only two weeks after his release from life imprisonment on February 11 1990.

He had addressed a rally in Durban on February 25 1990 at a time when bloody clashes had erupted between supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party on one side and the ANC on the other.

At the same time, some racist forces from within the ranks of the apartheid regime had started to sew seeds of hatred against the Indian-origin community.

At this time, I was working for the Press Trust of India (PTI) and several international radio stations such as the BBC, Radio Deutsche Welle, Radio Netherlands, Radio France Internationale and national radio stations in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

The articles for PTI were published in a number of newspapers in India on February 26 (1990) under the headline: “Mandela lauds role of Indians”.

 

                     SHINING EXAMPLE

 

After the initial introductory paragraphs, the story read:

In a passionate speech, heard by thousands of people who cheered loudly, the ANC leader, Mr Nelson Mandela, reminded the people of the role played by Indian patriots since 1894 and said their struggle against oppression was a shining example of Indo-African solidarity.

The struggle began in Natal with the formation of the first black political organisation in Africa – the Natal Indian Congress founded in 1894 by Mahatma Gandhi, he recalled.

Mr Mandela said “in 1946 during the defiance campaigns more than 2 000 Indians were sent to jail – many for occupying land reserved for whites. The campaign made clear the common nature of Indian and African oppression…..in 1947 this led to the Dadoo-Xuma-Naicker pact and the joint action of Africans and Indians against oppression in 1952”.

Earlier Mr Mandela expressed his concerns at the recent racial attacks.

He said the perpetrators “of these acts are enemies of the liberation movement”.

Mr Mandela told the huge gathering that he greeted the people of Natal in the name of peace which was desperately needed in the province.

“Here in Natal apartheid is a deadly disease in our midst. My message to you today is to take your guns, knives and pangas and throw them into the sea. Close down the death factories.

“Stop the violence now,” he told the mammoth crowd admonishingly.

The rally was also addressed by the Indian ANC leader, Mr Ahmed Kathrada, who was released from imprisonment last year along with other ANC leaders, including Mr Walter Sisulu. Ends – Press Trust of South Africa February 26 1990