BILLY NAIR HISTORY - PART ONE
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 ONE:
"What you find in South Africa here today is a
serious conflict between the minority ruling class and those fighting for
democracy, non-racialisism, for freedom for a non-racial and free South
Africa."
Billy Nair, who was 79-years-old when he passed away on
October 23 in 2008, had said this when he addressed a protest meeting at the
former University of Durban-Westville in August 1985 - only a year after being
released from Robben Island after being imprisoned for 20 years.
He had re-integrated himself into the liberation
struggles despite the heavy hand of the former regime in trying to silence and
wipe out all activists at that time.
At this time students and pupils all over the country had
risen in unision, not only demanding the release of political prisoners like
Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada and Govan Mbeki, but also for
political freedom and equality for all South Africans.
In his speech, Nair did not pull any punches.
"As a matter of fact South Africa is on fire and the
cause of it is the Pretoria regime," he told the militant students.
He added: "And we also want to warn that those who
bolster the Pretoria regime in the name of the Rajbansis, Hendrickses and the
Matanzimas, Sebes and other racketeers are co-responsible for the state of
affairs in this country.
"Now the question that arises is is South Africa
normal? Is it normal when you have insane men sitting in power dividing the
country into bantustans, into Indianstans, and what have you."
Who was this fire-brand who sacrificed nearly 60 years of
his life for the freedom and the non-racial society that we enjoy today?
Nair was born in Sydenham, Durban on 27 November 1929 to
parents who came from the Cochin district of Kerala in south India.
While still a teenager,
he became aware of the plight of the poor and the oppressed. He became a
trade union leader and over the years involved himself in the Natal Indian
Congress, the ANC, the South African Congress of Trade Unions and after his
release in the United Democratic Front.
The meeting he addressed at the University of
Durban-Westville in August 1985 was called to inform the minorty regime that
South Africans would not submit to defeat despite the violence of the state.
Billy Nair was the main speaker and he gave the students and others who
attended a lesson in history about the confict in the country at that time.
"What you find in South Africa here today is a
serious conflict between the minority ruling class and the rest of the
populace, those fighting for democracy, non-racialisism, for freedom for a
non-racial and free South Africa. A minority clique is perpetuating a system of
apartheid where a minority of minorities sits in power and rules over the
majority.
"Now this serious division between the two is
actually the cause of the crisis in the country. Now we the people, the
oppressed, have been supported in the past and are still being supported by the
entire civilised world."
Billy Nair, not cowed by 20 years of imprisonment on
Robben Island, told the students that if there was no change, there would only be disaster.
"When a Government that lacks legitimacy we want a
rejection of this government even by white South Africa. Those industrialists
who actually support this government, the state of emergency must quickly
change their minds because the longer they support this government, the longer
will be the trail of blood and violence and disaster. "
Billy Nair, the freedom fighter who sacrificed everything
for the cause of freedom and liberty for all South Africans, was clear at that
meeting in 1985 about the kind of South Africa he wanted to see emerge.
"We want a South Africa of the people for the people
by the people. A South Africa that will not be determined in the drawing rooms
of the National Party, its caucus or the NIS (National Intelligence Security)
or by roping in a few of the puppets by saying: accept this and you find the
puppetees dancing to their tunes of their masters in Pretoria."
Billy Nair has left South Africa and South Africans a
rich legacy. When he passed away on October 23 2008, he did not leave behind
millions or billions of rand in bank accounts - only a life of sacrifice for
the betterment of all South Africans - including the poorest of the poor. -
ends- subrygovender@gmail.com Oct
4 2024
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