At the Transvaal Anti-SAIC Committee (TASC) Conference in January 1983, two decisions were taken. The one was to lead to the formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF). The other less well known decision taken by the delegates was to revive the defunct Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC).
The TIC was formed at the turn of the 20th Century by Mahatma Gandhi. The TIC was not banned following in the wake of Sharpeville, but it was severely affected by the harsh repression of the period. Many of its leaders were either banned, imprisoned or went into exile. By the mid-1960s the activities of the TIC had declined and by the early 1970s it was virtually non-existent.
This was also the period of the rise and popularity of Black Consciousness, and the young activists in the Indian Community were involved in new organisations. By the late 1970s, a group of people began emerging who were sympathetic to and associated themselves with the non-racial policy of the Congress Alliance of the 1950s. They were referred to as the "Charterist", a term derived from adhering to the principles of the Freedom Charter adopted at the Congress of the People in 1955 by the Congress Alliance. This group of people began operating in the Indian areas of the Transvaal by taking up bread and butter issues in an effort to mobilise the community against apartheid.
The strategy to take up concrete socio-economic issues that affected the lives of people led to campaigns around issues such as rents, poor housing, inadequate transport and inferior education.
In 1981 a meeting was held in Lenasia to discuss the response of the Indian Community to the forthcoming elections for the South African Indian Council (SAIC). The Charterist Group and the Black Consciousness Group contested the elections to serve on the committee that was formed at the meeting to oppose the SAIC elections. The former grouping won total control over the committee. The Transvaal Anti-SAIC Committee was made up of many TIC activists of the 1950s and 1960s.
The committee actively campaigned for a boycott of the SAIC elections in a style reminiscent of the Congress Alliance. At the mass meetings and in the publications of the TASC committee leaders of the Congress Alliance such Luthuli, Sisulu, Mandela, Dadoo, Naicker, etc were invoked. The Freedom Charter and non-racialism was advocated. A similar situation was underway in Natal under the banner of the Natal Indian Congress, which was revived in 1971.
The culmination of this process was a resounding boycott of the SAIC elections and the holding of the TASC Conference in January 1983. This conference was a national gathering of activists opposed to apartheid across the racial divide of South Africa. It was here that the decisions were taken to form the UDF and to revive the TIC.
On May 1, 1983 the TIC was revived and virtually the entire TASC committee formed the executive committee of the TIC. Indeed the President and Secretary, Dr. Essop Jassat and Ismail Momoniat respectively, of the TASC assumed the same role for the TIC.
The TIC affiliated to the UDF on its formation and was one of its leading affiliates, especially in the Transvaal. The TIC consciously promoted the idea of non-racialism, and sought to mobilise the Transvaal Indian community under the dual banner of the TIC and the UDF. The UDF logos and slogans were included in the TIC media, and UDF leaders were invited to address all TIC rallies. UDF media was also distributed in the Indian areas.
The TIC conducted an extensive campaign to boycott the Tricameral parliament system by not participating in the elections scheduled for August 1984. House visits, mass meetings and pamphleteering were conducted throughout the Indian townships of the Transvaal. TIC branches were established in the major urban areas such as Lenasia, Laudium, Actonville, Johannesburg (Town), Azaadville and Roshnee. The activists from these areas were sent to the country towns to do mass work usually with a few local supporters.
The apartheid state responded by harassing and detaining TIC activists and leaders, while publications, media and meetings were banned. The TIC offices were raided. The TIC leaders, Dr. Essop Jassat, Cassim Saloojee and Prof. Ismail Mohammed were arrested and together with 12 other people were charged for treason in what became known as the Pietermaritzburg treason trial.
During the period 1984-1990 the TIC conducted various campaigns around the Tricameral Parliament, municipal elections, education, and repression. The TIC also participated in national UDF campaigns such as against repression, calls for June 16 and May Day to be recognised as public holidays, Defiance campaign, Unban the ANC, Adopt the Freedom Charter and Release Mandela and others. TIC activists in the major urban areas were also active in setting up sectoral organisations in their areas. This led to the creation of local youth, student, civic and women organisations or groupings. By the late 1980s the TIC also began organising the business sector through the formation of the TIC Business and Economy Group.
After the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, the TIC and NIC had several discussions together with the ANC about the their future. TIC leaders and activists became active in the newly formed ANC branches, and provincial and national structures. As a result the TIC became dormant, although it had not taken an official decision to disband.
ANC - African National Congress
SAIC - South African Indian Council
TASC - Transvaal Anti-SAIC Committee
TIC - Transvaal Indian Congress
UDF - United Democratic Front