From the book: Passive Resistance 1946 - A Selection of Documents compiled by E.S. Reddy & Fatima Meer

1948

SAIC in Court

The refusal of the President and the Joint Honorary Secretary of South African Indian Congress to permit delegates of the Indian Congress to attend a meeting of the South African to" Congress, to be held on 11 May last year to discuss certain and to vote, was raised in the Appeal Court here today, when South African Indian Congress, which had been formally joined the Cape and Natal Indian Congress, appealed against a Cape Division of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had ordered the President and the Joint Honorary Secretary of the South African Indian Congress to be rest from holding any meeting of the executive of the South Africa Indian Congress at which the duly authorised delegates of the Transvaal Indian Congress were not allowed to attend. The South African Congress was also ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings.

It was alleged that the Transvaal delegates were elected on 20 October 1946 at a mass meeting of the Transvaal Indian Congress at which 12 000 members of the Congress were present.

The South African Indian Congress refused to recognise them. When the Transvaal Indian Congress started proceedings, the South African Indian Congress postponed indefinitely its meeting for 11 May pending a court decision.

P.R. Pather queries: "Is Nehru now a Fascist?"

"I wonder what the reactions of our Communist friends in the Natal and Transvaal Indian Congresses is to the steps which Pandit Nehru has taken against the Communists in India," asks Mr. Pather. The local Communists regard Pandit Nehru as their “guru” as their in national affairs but then only a reactionary-imperialist-capitalists fascist fastens down on the Communists.

SAIO formed: The division is complete

The South African Indian Organisation was formed on Saturday last at a conference convened by the Natal Indian Organisation. The formation of the SAIO marks the culmination of the division and rift in the ranks of the Indian community which began in 1945 when present leaders of the Congress stormed and captured the then NIC After this, it will be either a very courageous man or a fool — most probably a fool — who will preach unity. The division is complete.