Sir,

We, the undersigned, in terms of the resolution adopted at the
20th Conference of the South African Indian Congress held at Johannesburg
on the 25th, 26th and 27th January 1952, are enjoined to address
you as follows:

The South African Indian Congress as the representative organisation
and mouthpiece of the South African Indian community, has at all
times striven to protect and safeguard the interests of the Indian
people against discriminatory legislation and to ensure their honourable
and legitimate share in the development of and progress of the land
of their birth and adoption, in common with all sections of the population,
both White and Non-White. In spite of all its attempts, however,
the position of the Indians together with the rest of the non-European
people has been rendered intolerable by the discriminatory laws of
the country. Indeed, their position had become so precarious by the
passing of the Asiatic Land Tenure Act of 1946 that the South African
Indian Congress has no alternative but to embark on a Passive Resistance
struggle as a protest, and to request the Government of India to
raise this question at the United Nations Assembly.

It is to be noted that when a change of government took place as
a result of the general elections of 1948 and your Government assumed
office, the Passive Resistance struggle was suspended and an approach
was made to you in your capacity as the Prime Minister for a statement
of government policy.

This offer, as you may
well recollect, was rejected and the Congress was informed through
the Honourable the Minister of the Interior,
Dr. Donges, that the Government was not prepared to grant the requested
interview. This attitude was no doubt the outcome of the policy of
your party as formulated in its election manifesto which laid the
main stress on apartheid which meant the compulsory segregation of
all non-European national groups into separate compartments or ghettos,
and which specifically stated: "The Party holds the view that
Indians are a foreign and outlandish element which is unassimilable.
They can never become part of the country and must therefore be treated
as an immigrant community. The Party accepts as a basis of its policy
the repatriation of as many Indians as possible and proposes a proper
investigation into the practicability of such a policy on a large
scale in cooperation with India and other countries."

The Group Areas Act which
the Prime Minister has claimed to be the "kernel" of
apartheid, is a law which runs contrary to all the fundamental
principles of democracy and of human rights.
The enforcement of this Act will cause mass uprooting of the non-European
people from areas and homes which they have acquired and built through
the toil and sweat of many generations. The setting aside of Group
Areas will mean to the non-European an end to all progress in every
sphere of life. It will bring about economic retrogression and impoverishment
with all its concomitant evils of crime and degradation. In so far
as the Indian people are concerned, the Act is intended as a means
of expelling them from this country, (vide the Joint-Departmental
Committee's report on which the Group Areas Act is based). It is
to be noted that even at this early stage of its enforcement untold
damage has been done to the interests of the people. Their material
and economic progress is coming to a halt and immovable properties
and homes running into hundreds of thousands of pounds are in the
process of being confiscated by the State in terms of the Act. The
Minister of the Interior is using dictatorial powers by serving notices
on many companies to sell their properties within a specified time,
failing which the listed properties would be liable to forced sale
by the State. Not only are privately owned properties affected but
religious and public institutions communally acquired for the welfare
of the community have also been served with such notices.

The Bantu Authorities Act is aimed at denying the African people
their rightful role in the affairs of the country and rendering them
ineffective as a political force. The purpose of the Act in granting
controlled powers to the chiefs is to split up the African people
into tribal groups which could be effectively brought under rigid
State control.

The purpose of the Suppression of Communism Act is to suppress
the fundamental rights of the South African people to organise, to
criticise and to express, by written or spoken word, their opposition
to any aspect of Government policy which they consider repugnant
and anti-democratic. The way in which the arbitrary powers vested
in the Minister of Justice have been used to attack the freedom of
speech and of the press is evident by the attempt to unseat a Member
of Parliament and a Member of the Cape Provincial Council who were
constitutionally elected to their offices, and by the Minister's
threat to suppress The Guardian newspaper. It is apparent that this
Act is intended to crush the activities of all democratic organisations
and trade unions which are opposed to the apartheid and anti-democratic
policies of your Government.

The Separate Representation of Voters` Act is yet another apartheid
measure which is depriving the Coloured voters of whatever limited
franchise rights and effectiveness they possessed.

This brief summary of some of the main apartheid measures placed
on the Statute Book by your Government will suffice to show that
apartheid is primarily intended for the complete suppression of the
non-European people so as to procure an unlimited supply of cheap
labour. With this purpose in mind the Government is endeavouring
to divide forcibly the population of our country into separate racial
groups and tribes. The policy of apartheid is anti-democratic, reactionary
and contrary to the laws of natural development of history and can
only be imposed by means of Fascist tyranny and unrestrained dictatorship.
Indeed, not only have the non-European people become the victims
of this policy but it has also encroached upon the rights and liberties
of the European people as evidenced by State interference with the
freedom of individuals to travel abroad, with the freedom of the
right of parents regarding their children's education, with the freedom
of the press and with the freedom of trade unions to conduct their
own affairs.

It is a fact of history that since your Government came into power
it has attempted to impose its apartheid policy with callous disregard
for the feelings of the people and disastrous consequences to the
country as whole. Race relations have reached the most critical stage
in our country's history. There has been unbridled incitement of
race animosity and prejudice between the different population groups
and unremitting race propaganda. There has been a steady increase
in the use of violence and intimidation by the police and the occurrence
of race riots hitherto unknown. There has been a constant tendency
to place unlimited and arbitrary powers in the hands of the Ministers,
powers which under the provisions of the various laws enacted by
your Government are being used to crush the rights and liberties,
particularly of the non-European people. There has been continuous
impoverishment of the people, with a steep and steady rise in the
cost of living, with the brutal enforcement of the Pass Laws, the
forcible deprivations of the African peasants of their only wealth,
their cattle, and the further enslavement of the urban African population
through the Native Laws Amendment Bill.

It was in this rapidly deteriorating situation that the Conference
of the African National Congress resolved to adopt a plan of action
to obtain the repeal of the Group Areas Act, the Bantu Authorities
Act, the Suppression of Communism Act, the Separate Representation
of Voters` Act, the Pass Laws and regulations for the culling of
cattle as an immediate step to lessen the burden of oppression of
the non-European people and to save our country from the catastrophe
of national chaos and ever-widening conflicts. This plan of action
was endorsed by the Conference of the South African Indian Congress
which met in Johannesburg on 25th, 26th and 27th January 1952. In
terms of this decision we have been instructed to convey to you the
full support of the South African Indian Congress to the call made
upon your Government by the African National Congress for the repeal
of the above-mentioned Acts, failing which the South African Indian
Congress will participate with the African National Congress in holding
protest meetings and demonstrations on the 6th day of April 1952
as a prelude to the implementation of the Plan for the Defiance of
Unjust Laws.

It is with abiding faith and calm confidence in the truth and justice
of our cause and firm conviction in democratic ideals and principles
that we made this supporting call notwithstanding the contents of
your reply to the letter of the African National Congress.

We solemnly affirm that the Indian community of South Africa is
South African and that it shall live and work for the progress and
prosperity of the country on the principles of equality of rights
and opportunities for all sections of our population, irrespective
of race, sex, colour or creed, and that it shall continue its firm
alliance with the national organisations of the non-European people
and all democracy-loving Europeans in the struggle for a Free and
Democratic South Africa.

We unhesitatingly and emphatically state that our struggle is not
directed against any national group, that we bear malice or ill-will
to none and that our struggle is solely against unjust laws.

The Indian people in South Africa bear the proud inheritance of
the precepts and example of Mahatma Gandhi, devotion to the cause
of righteousness and truth, courage and determination in the prosecution
of peaceful struggles against injustice and oppression.

The non-European peoples cannot allow their own destruction by
accepting apartheid - it would be a crime against man. Our ideal
is clear, our duty defined, our efforts peaceful and our resolve
not to succumb to the evils of apartheid unfaltering. In the historic
era of greater democracy and of independence of peoples both large
and small, we in South Africa too, are giving expression to natural
freedom urge and democratic rights of the people - for therein lies
the true Pad van Suid Afrika.

In the interests of peace, humanity and the future well-being of
our country and of our peoples, we expect that unbiased justice will
prevail and that laws which offend the dignity of man and retard
the progress of South Africa will be repealed.

(Signed) Y. M. Dadoo
President

Y. A. Cachalia
Joint Hon. Secretary

CLOSE WINDOW

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