Comprehensive contribution to the Struggle
From page 6 “It is our proposition that we recognise and project that our immediate goal is not the victory only on our side of the Struggle, but as proclaimed in the Freedom Charter, the victory must be a synthesis of all our inter-faced claims if South Africa has to belong to all who live in it.”
The late George Sewpersadh, who was the president of the NIC and an executive member of the UDF in the late 1970s and 1980s, also during a meeting in Durban in the mid-1980s displayed the commitment of people of Indian origin to freedom, democracy, non-racialism and the socioeconomic development of all people.
He said: “We realise that no one in this country can be free until all the people are free. Through our joint efforts over the years we are increasingly bringing about the unity that is required to bring us victory.
“Our methods of struggle over the years have not been in vain. We have gradually been gaining in strength and there can be no doubt that in the future we will play our full role in bringing about the unity that is required to bring an end to racialism and in bringing an end to apartheid policies.
“Our support for the Freedom Charter makes clear our rejection of apartheid and makes clear our commitment to liberation, freedom, justice, non-racialism and the total abhorrence to the policy of domination of one group over another.”
Farouk Meer, who was the secretary of the revived NIC, was another Indian-origin leader who demonstrated the commitment of the people to freedom and justice for all in a new, non-racial and democratic society.
“We in the congress salute the bold, effective and imaginative blow that UDF officials have taken by taking refuge at the American consulate in Joburg.
“In doing so, they have struck a blow for freedom. Their action is in keeping with the Gandhian tradition of non-violent resistance to tyranny and we completely support your stay at the consulate.
“Like the Durban Consulate Six, Vally Moosa, Murphy Morobe and Khanyile have highlighted the uncivilised and barbaric practice of putting people in jail indefinitely without trial.
“South Africans hope that the apartheid government will see this as an opportunity to develop a sensitivity to local opinion and will make a sincere and serious effort to break the domestic political impasse.
Security
“It could make a start by lifting the state of emergency, releasing all political detainees and bringing to an end its myriad security laws that have turned our country into a police state.”
Beside the NIC leaders, Indian-origin activists also played leading roles in the Black Consciousness Movement.
Some of these included Dr Saths Cooper, Krish Govender, Sam Moodley, Bishop Rubin Phillip and the late Strini Moodley.
During this period there were also people who joined organisations such as the NonEuropean Unity Movement and the Pan Africanist Congress.
The struggle for freedom was not just restricted to the political arena.
People of Indian origin also played a major role in sporting structures to highlight the injustices perpetrated against the black majority.
Some of the leaders who made their mark were Morgan Naidoo (swimming), MN Pather in tennis and the South African Council of Sport, George Singh (soccer), RK Naidoo, who was the president of the South African Soccer Federation Professional League, Cassim Bassa (tennis), Krish Mackedhuj, who was involved with the South African Cricket Board of Control, Hassan Howa (cricket), Abdul Bhamjee (soccer and cricket), Sam Ramsamy, (SA Non-Racial Olympic Committee, Abdullah Khan (cricket), Ramhori Lutchman (soccer), Ronnie Govender (soccer), MN Govender (soccer) and Dharam Ramlall (soccer).
There were also scores of others who worked behind the scenes in the sporting field to fight the evil apartheid system.
In addition to these political, social and sporting contributions, a number of activists paid the ultimate price when they were murdered by the apartheid security forces and security police at the height of the Struggle.
Some of these activists included Ahmed Timol, 31, of Joburg, Dr Hoosen Hafejee, 26, of Pietermaritzburg, Krishna Rabilall, 28, of Merebank and Lenny Naidoo, 24, of Chatsworth.
Timol, a school teacher, was pushed to his death from the 10th floor of the John Vorster police headquarters in Joburg in October 1971.
Dr Haffejee, who had trained as a dentist in India, was found hanging at the Brighton Beach Police Station after being detained by the security police in August 1977.
Rabilall, an MK soldier, was killed along with 16 other colleagues when the former South African Defence Force carried out a raid on ANC houses in Matola, Mozambique, in January 1981.
And Naidoo, another MK soldier, was killed along with eight other MK soldiers while returning home through Swaziland in 1988.
After the advent of our democracy in April 1994, a number of our activists were absorbed into the new ANC government.
However, scores of others withdrew into the background, believing their work was now complete.
Despite all their contributions and sacrifices for freedom, non-racialism and a just society, there is a great deal of disenchantment and disillusionment at the current state of affairs prevalent in the country, 23 years after the advent of our new democracy.
The question that many people ask is this: what has happened to the values and principles that people of the calibre of Kay Moonsamy, Billy Nair, Mewalall Ramgobin, George Sewpersadh, Ahmed Kathrada, IC Meer, Fatima Meer, Dr Kesaval Goonam, Phyllis Naidoo, Ahmed Timol, Dr Hoosen Hafejee, Krish Rabilall, Lenny Naidoo and scores of others sacrificed their lives for?