Special Focus-Political Rivalries-Racism against Indians
Special Focus
Political Rivalries
Racism against Indians
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Explanatory Note
Throughout the Passive Resistance struggle, and immediately preceding it, Indian political thinking was conspicuously divided into what was commonly identified as conservative and radicals. The radicals formed the Anti-Segregation Council within Natal Indian Congress (NIC), led by Dr Naicker prior to 1945. They criticised the "Old Guard" led by A.I. Kajee and P.R. Pather, for their compromising approach to the Government.
The end of the war saw the South African Government more sharply on white complaints of Indians intruding into the they had been accustomed to seeing as their preserve Congresses, fearing the enactment of a law that would segregate Indians and thereby seriously cripple their economic advancement, focussed all their attention in persuading the Government to reach non-statutory compromise. The upshot of that was the Pretoria Agreement which was tantamount to Indians accepting voluntary segregation, and Europeans abandoning their cherished hope of the legal segregation of Indians. Neither Indians nor whites found the "solution" acceptable. The Pretoria Agreement brought political dissension within the Indian "community into sharp relief, resulting in the Anti-Segregation Council wresting control of the leadership of the NIC from the "Old Guard" in October 1945. A year later, Dr Dadoo's group was elected to office in the Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC). The control of the South African Indian Congress (SAIC) remained in the hands of the "Old Guard" until 1948 when Dr Naicker assumed its presidency.
By 1948, the political cleavages were clearly defined as the Old Guard" founded the Natal and Transvaal Indian Organisations, and with the loss of the SAIC, the South African Indian Organisation (SAIO).
The Congress represented the aspirations of the majority of Indians, the Organisation came more and more to reflect the interests of the small moneyed minority, and suffered such name-calling as sell-outs", as their conciliatory attitude brought them closer to the Government. The SAIO referred to the SAIC leadership as Communistic.
The Royal visit afforded the two political groups and added bone of contention. The Joint Passive Resistance Council boycotted the visit, on the grounds that it was engaged in a bitter struggle against the Government and was in no mood for celebrations. The Old Guard" went all out to prepare for the visit. The issue stimulated considerable debate in the community. It was the one round the Old Guard won, for the Royal visit received a rousing welcome from the SAIC.
One of the "luxuries" of the rivalries for which the community paid the bill, were the two sets of deputations that went abroad to canvass international support for the Indian cause- one from SAIC and other and other from the SAIC.
There were some eight delegations between 1946 and 1948 to India, London and America, duplicating near identical memos, though their advice on strategy differed. The Nationalists put an end to these deputations in 1949 when they refused passport to both the SAIO and SAIC representative to proceed to the UNO session in Paris.
