The Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was an organisation that aimed to fight discrimination against Indians in South Africa. The Natal Indian Congress was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1894. A constitution was put in place on 22 August 1894. Gandhi was the Honorary Secretary and Abdoola Hajee Adam Jhaveri (Dada Abdulla) was elected president.
The Vice-Presidents were: Hajee Mahomed Hajee Dada, Abdool Kadir, Hajee Dada Hajee Habib, Moosa Hajee Adam, P Dawjee Mahomed, Peeran Mahomed, Murugesa Pillay, Ramaswami Naidoo, Hoosen Miran, Adamjee Miankhan, K R Nayanah, Amod Bayat (P M Burg), Moosa Hajee Cassim, Mahomed Cassim Jeeva, Parsee Rustomjee, Dawad Mahomed, Hoosen Cassim Amod Tili, Doraiswamy Pillay, Omar Hajee Aba, Osmankhan Rahamatkhan, Rangaswami Padayachi, Hajee Mahomed (P M Burg), Camroodeen (P M Burg).
The Members of the Committee included: The Vice-Presidents and Messrs M D Joshi, Narsiram, Manekji, Dowjee Mammuji Mutalah, Muthu Krishna, Bissessar, Goolam Hoosen Randeri, Shamshoodeen, G A Bassa, Sarabjit, L Gabriel, James Christopher, Sooboo Naidu, John Gabriel, Suleiman Voraji, Cassimjee Amoojee, R Kundaswamy Naidu, M E Kathrada, Ibrahim M Khatri, Shaik Farid, Varind Ismail, Ranjit, Perumal Naidoo, Parsee Dhanjisha, Royappan, Joosub Abdool Carim, Arjun Singh, Ismail Kadir, Easop Kadua, Mahomed Esak, Mahomed Hafejee, A M Paruck, Suleiman Dawjee, V Narayana Pather, Lutchman Panday, Osman Ahmed & Mahomed Tayub.
Indians arrived in South Africa as indentured labourers between 1860 and 1911 and many remained, making South Africa their home. By 1911 there were 150 000 Indians in South Africa of whom 89 per cent were in Natal. Discriminatory restrictions were placed upon them and it was Mohandas Gandhi, who founded the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) in 1894 to organize Indian resistance. He launched passive resistance, or satyagraha, in 1906 and again in 1913. Further discrimination against Indians culminated in the 'Pegging' Act (1943) and the far-reaching 'Ghetto' Act of 1946.
During its formative years, the NIC introduced many early petitions for changes to proposed discriminatory legislations. In the 1960s, the organisation became inactive due to the growing state repression and the ban of its leaders. It later allied itself with the African National Congress. —O’Malley
