Mahatma Gandhi and Indian Natal Congress

The association between Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian Natal Congress (INC) marks a pivotal chapter in the history of India’s freedom movement and the struggle for civil rights abroad. Gandhi’s involvement with the Congress in Natal, South Africa, from 1894 onwards not only shaped his early political career but also laid the foundations of his philosophy of non-violent resistance (Satyagraha). The experience he gained in South Africa through his leadership of the Indian Natal Congress became the crucible in which his ideas of justice, equality, and organised resistance were forged.

Background: Indian Migration to Natal

During the nineteenth century, thousands of Indians migrated to Natal, a British colony in South Africa, under two main categories:

1. Indentured labourers — workers who arrived under fixed-term contracts to work on sugar plantations.
2. Free or passenger Indians — traders, professionals, and clerks who migrated independently, mainly from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

By the 1890s, the Indian community faced increasing racial discrimination, including restrictions on voting rights, property ownership, business licenses, and movement. Despite being British subjects, Indians were treated as inferior by the European settlers who dominated the colony’s political and economic systems.
It was in this context that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a young lawyer who arrived in South Africa in 1893 to represent an Indian merchant, became aware of the institutionalised racism prevailing in the region. His experiences of humiliation and injustice — notably being thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg — spurred his resolve to organise the Indian community politically.

Formation of the Indian Natal Congress

The Indian Natal Congress was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1894 in Durban, South Africa. Its primary purpose was to protect and promote the rights of Indians in Natal and to provide them with a unified political platform.
The objectives of the organisation included:

• To oppose discriminatory legislation and practices affecting Indians.
• To represent the community’s grievances before the colonial government and the British authorities in London.
• To educate Indians about their civil rights and duties.
• To foster a sense of unity and self-respect among the diverse sections of the Indian community.

Gandhi’s initiative was revolutionary for its time. For the first time, the Indian diaspora was mobilised under a formal political organisation that sought redress through constitutional and moral methods.

Gandhi’s Role and Leadership

Gandhi served as the Secretary of the Indian Natal Congress and played an active role in shaping its organisational structure, strategies, and activities. His leadership combined legal expertise, political insight, and moral conviction.
Key contributions of Gandhi to the INC included:
1. Petitioning and Advocacy: Gandhi drafted several petitions and memorials addressed to the Natal Legislative Assembly, the British Government, and the Colonial Secretary in London. These documents meticulously detailed the injustices faced by Indians, including proposals to disfranchise them, impose special taxes, and restrict trade licenses.
2. Publicity and Awareness: He used the press and pamphlets effectively to publicise the plight of Indians in Natal. He also corresponded with British newspapers and politicians to generate support and sympathy for the cause of Indian rights.
3. Legal and Constitutional Approach: The Congress worked through constitutional means, relying on petitions, legal arguments, and appeals to British liberal principles rather than resorting to confrontation. Gandhi believed that the best way to win justice was through moral persuasion and truthful representation.
4. Unity Among Indians: The Indian community in Natal was divided along lines of religion, language, and class. Gandhi’s greatest achievement was fostering unity between Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, and Christians, as well as between merchants and labourers, under the banner of the Indian Natal Congress.

Major Campaigns and Achievements

1. Opposition to the Disfranchisement Bill (1894): Shortly after the formation of the Congress, the Natal Legislature introduced a bill to disqualify Indians from voting. Gandhi and the INC mounted a strong campaign through petitions and representations to the British Parliament, emphasising that Indians were British subjects entitled to equal rights. Although the bill was ultimately passed, the campaign drew significant attention in India and Britain, bringing the issue of racial discrimination in South Africa into the international spotlight.
2. Defence of Indian Traders and Professionals: The Congress worked to protect the rights of Indian traders and professionals who faced discriminatory licensing laws, police harassment, and trade restrictions. Gandhi provided legal assistance to many of them, helping to consolidate the community’s resistance against unfair treatment.
3. Promotion of Indian Education and Civic Awareness: The organisation encouraged Indians to pursue education and civic participation, believing that social upliftment was necessary for political empowerment. Gandhi emphasised moral conduct, discipline, and the importance of earning respect through integrity and self-reliance.

Transition to Active Resistance

While the Indian Natal Congress initially relied on constitutional methods, the failure of petitions and appeals to secure lasting justice led Gandhi to reconsider his approach. Over time, he realised that moral appeals alone were insufficient in the face of entrenched racial prejudice.
This led to the gradual evolution of his concept of Satyagraha — a philosophy of non-violent resistance based on truth and moral courage. The seeds of this idea were sown during his work with the Indian Natal Congress, where he learned the power of collective action, truth, and self-discipline in the struggle for rights.
In 1906, Gandhi launched his first organised Satyagraha movement in South Africa against the Asiatic Registration Act, marking the transformation of the movement from petition-based protest to moral resistance. The Indian Natal Congress continued to serve as a support base for these campaigns.

Impact and Legacy

The Indian Natal Congress under Gandhi’s leadership achieved several long-term outcomes:

• It gave the Indian community in South Africa a political voice and a sense of unity.
• It internationalised the issue of racial discrimination, drawing attention from the Indian National Congress and the British Parliament.
• It provided Gandhi with a testing ground for his political ideas, including truth, non-violence, and the power of organised community action.
• It laid the foundation of diaspora activism, showing how overseas Indians could organise for civil rights while maintaining connections with their homeland.