(Dr. Dadoo and Dr. Naicker, Presidents of Transvaal and Natal Indian Congresses, visited India in March 1947 to attend the Asian Relations Conference and meet Indian leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. They issued the following joint statement to the South African people on the eve of their departure from Johannesburg on March 11, 1947.
(They were given a farewell at a packed meeting at Gandhi Hall, Johannesburg, on March 10, 1947.
there. (Before their departure Dr. Dadoo and Naicker issued the following joint statement:)
We carry with us the goodwill and the good wishes of the entire Indian community and the Non-European peoples, and the progressive elements among the Europeans to the people of India.
We are leaving the shores of South Africa at a critical and decisive phase in her history. The Smuts Government has shown a bankruptcy in leadership in dealing with the acute post-war problems which confront both the white and non-white populations The acute housing shortage has created a crying scandal. Thousands of homeless people amongst the Africans are forced to live in squatters' hell in sack shanties.
Fostering race antagonism
Instead of giving a strong lead on the decision of the United Nations, the Smuts Government is guilty of not only permitting but fostering race antagonism. This antagonism has begun to express itself in the boycott of Indian traders and the open propaganda of our vulgarly fascist bodies.
General Smuts is attempting to cover up the criminal failure of his Government to deal with the colour and post-war problems by riveting the attention of the people an the pomp and glamour of the Royal tour.
But this will be a temporary affair, and when the curtain goes down on the Royal visit, the chaos and confusion existing in South Africa will be exposed to the public gaze. Under the guise of the Royal visit, reactionaries in the Indian community are being rendered every assistance by the Union Government, with the sole purpose of attempting to divide the Indian people.
The Indian people must beware of this trap. We appeal to them to stand fast. Do not heed the counsel of despair. Render full support to the Passive Resistance Movement. Join up as volunteers. Help financially. History has entrusted you with the important task of being in the vanguard of the battle for democracy in South Africa.
Historic meeting
The historic joint meeting last Sunday between representatives of the African National Congress, representing the African people of South Africa, the Natal Indian Congress and the Transvaal Indian Congress, and the Joint Declaration ensuing therefrom, have paved the way for greater and closer cooperation between the African and the Indian people.
We hope that ere long the Coloured community too will come in, into this great movement.
On to Freedom
We appeal to the Non-European people to come forward on the road to freedom. We appeal to all true democrats and men of goodwill in the European community to throw in their lot wholeheartedly on the side of progress. They can either through the extension of democratic rights to all South Africans go forward in step with the world democratic forces to a greater and happier South Africa and towards world peace or else allow the fascist forces in the country to lead us into racial antagonism, a totalitarian regime and war.