Indian Opinion and Gandhi in South Africa

Indian Opinion was a weekly newspaper established by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa in June 1903 to advocate for the civil rights of the Indian diaspora. Published under the auspices of the Natal Indian Congress, the journal served as an organ for non-violent resistance against racial discrimination, discriminatory legislation, and disenfranchisement imposed by colonial authorities. The publication provided a platform for reporting administrative abuses, educating the local Indian community on health and civic duties, and developing the core principles of Satyagraha.

Origins and Organizational History

Foundation and Management

• Mahatma Gandhi, along with Mansukhlal Hiralal Nazar and Madanjit Vyavaharik, launched Indian Opinion in Durban in June 1903.
• Mansukhlal Nazar served as the inaugural editor without drawing a salary, while Madanjit Vyavaharik provided initial press infrastructure through the International Printing Press.
• The inaugural issue appeared on June 4, 1903, carrying articles in English, Gujarati, Hindi, and Tamil.
• The newspaper moved its operations to the Phoenix Settlement near Durban in December 1904 to establish a communal living model based on self-reliance.
• Herbert Kitchin, Henry Polak, and Albert West held editorial responsibilities at various stages of the publication’s early development.

Language Strategy and Readership

• The four-language format ensured coverage among diverse linguistic groups within the Indian indentured laborer and trader communities.
• Due to financial constraints and composition difficulties, the Hindi and Tamil sections were discontinued in 1906, focusing coverage primarily on English and Gujarati.
• The journal targeted British colonial officials, Indian political leaders, local European residents, and the broader Indian immigrant population.

Ideological Agenda and Campaign for Civil Rights

Resistance Against Anti-Indian Legislation

• The publication mobilized public opinion against the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance (Black Act) of 1906 in the Transvaal, which mandated compulsory registration and fingerprinting for Indians.
• It extensively reported on resistance to the Immigrants Regulation Act of 1913 and the 3-pound annual tax imposed on ex-indentured laborers in Natal.
• The journal covered campaigns against the invalidation of non-Christian Indian marriages following the 1913 Searle Judgment.

Evolution of Satyagraha

• Gandhi used Indian Opinion to explain the moral framework and practical execution of Satyagraha (truth-force), differentiating it from passive resistance.
• The newspaper published notices, pledges, and instructions for passive resisters during the mass civil disobedience campaigns between 1906 and 1913.
• It documented the non-violent protest marches led by Gandhi, including the historic Great March of 1913 from Natal to the Transvaal.

Communal Self-Reliance and Social Reform

• The weekly featured articles on public health, sanitation, dietetics, and communal living, drawing from Gandhi’s experiences at the Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm.
• It published educational essays emphasizing self-help, manual labor, moral discipline, and economic independence for the diaspora.
• The publication declined commercial advertisements after 1904 to preserve editorial independence and focus on public service.

Key Figures Associated with Indian Opinion

| Person | Primary Role | Major Contributions | | Mansukhlal Nazar | First Editor | Managed initial editorial strategy; worked closely with the Natal Indian Congress. | | Madanjit Vyavaharik | Publisher & Co-founder | Provided early financial backing and press equipment from the International Printing Press. | | Henry Polak | Editor & Associate | Joined the Phoenix Settlement; edited the journal during Gandhi’s imprisonments. | | Albert West | Printing Manager & Editor | Oversaw printing production at Phoenix Settlement; managed finances during crisis periods. | | Manilal Gandhi | Longest-serving Editor | Managed and edited the weekly from 1918 until his death in 1956, maintaining its reformist legacy. |

Key Facts for Quick Revision

• Indian Opinion was established in Durban, Natal, in June 1903 by Mahatma Gandhi and his associates.
• The inaugural issue appeared on June 4, 1903, printed in English, Gujarati, Hindi, and Tamil.
• Mansukhlal Hiralal Nazar was the first editor of Indian Opinion.
• Operations shifted to the Phoenix Settlement, founded by Gandhi in December 1904.
• Reading Leo Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God Is Within You and John Ruskin’s Unto This Last influenced the establishment of the Phoenix Settlement and the newspaper’s financial restructuring.
• The Hindi and Tamil sections were dropped in 1906 to streamline production costs and logistics.
• The journal served as the principal media tool for the Transvaal Satyagraha against the Asiatic Registration Act (Black Act) of 1906.
• The paper raised awareness about the 3-pound tax on ex-indentured workers and the 1913 Searle Judgment on Indian marriages.
• The passage of the Indian Relief Act of 1914 resolved several key grievances raised by Indian Opinion.
• Manilal Gandhi, Gandhi’s second son, edited Indian Opinion for nearly four decades (1918–1956).
• The publication continued its run until August 1961, when it closed during the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.