South African Indian Congress | |
|---|---|
| President | Umar Hajee Ahmed Jhaveri |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Merger of | Natal Indian Congress Transvaal British Indian Association Cape British Indian Council |
| Ideology | Indian interests Gandhism Anti-racism Anti-Apartheid Anti-imperialism Socialism Hindu-Muslim unity |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| Religion | Hinduism, Islam |
| National affiliation | Congress Alliance (1950s) |
The South African Indian Congress (SAIC) was an umbrella body founded in 1921 to coordinate between political organisations representing Indians in the various provinces of South Africa. Its members were the Natal Indian Congress (NIC), the Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC), and, initially, the Cape British Indian Council. It advocated non-violent resistance to discriminatory laws and in its formative years was strongly influenced by the NIC's founder, Mahatma Gandhi.
Although the SAIC's members operated with a great deal of autonomy, the SAIC had a particularly important political role in the 1950s, when it represented the NIC and TIC in fostering more cooperative relations with the African National Congress. Pursuant to these efforts, the SAIC co-organised the Defiance Campaign and Congress of the People, and it became a signatory to the Freedom Charter and a member of the Congress Alliance.