The Struggle

Finding a Voice:

Just as I was ready to leave Natal, a bill came forth in the Legislature which denied Indians the right to vote. I was completely infuriated and decided to stay and fight against the legislation. Despite my fighting, the bill passed, but in the midst of it I found what my true purpose in life was. I founded the Natal Indian Congress in 1894, and served as Secretary. My organization earned recognition in both London and India, however not all of the recognition was positive…

Time to go Downhill:

In 1899, the Boer War broke out. I decided to urge all Indians to support the British government and organized an ambulance corps of 1,100 Indian volunteers, in hopes that this act of loyalty would result in better treatment for my fellow Indian South Africans, but unfortunately our treatment continued to worsen.

In 1906, I, along with a group of my followers, opposed the registration act, which stated that Indian citizens had to register and carry ID cards at all times. As a result of this protest, the lot of us were beaten and jailed, an act which made British injustices even more clear to me. Our resistance efforts marked the first use of nonviolent non-cooperation by the Indian minority in South Africa ever, and in 1909 this registration law was finally repealed.