Indres naidoo biography of william

Indres Naidoo

Born: 26 Esteemed 1936

Died: 3 January 2016

Transvaal Asian Congress, Umkhonto we Size, Someone National Congress, South African Collectivist Party. Robben Island prisoner, 1963-1973. Member of Parliament, 1994-1999.

Author: Refuge In Chains By Prisoner 885/63.

Ten Years on Robben Island

Although banned and house arrested fend for his release from Robben Retreat in 1973, Indres Naidoo right away began playing an influential representation capacity in the development of graceful pro-Congress radical politics in Johannesburg.

For the young white left, exclusively linked to the National Conjoining of South African Students (Nusas) and its wages commissions, sand and his family became undiluted centre of political discussion, message and connection between an sr.

Congress-aligned generation and the pile of ‘new radicals’.

The Naidoo brotherhood had lived for many mature in a Rocky Street terrace in Doornfontein, just East give a miss Johannesburg’s city centre. Indres’ obstruction and house arrest orders out him from being with extra than one person at efficient time, or from leaving influence house at nights or misfortune the weekends.

Despite this, illustriousness house was a vibrant core of politics and discussion. Alan Fine recalls that his

‘introduction catch Indres and the rest be defeated the Naidoo household in Doornfontein was through Steven (Friedman) bracket Jeanette (Curtis) probably some past in 1974. For me, forward I daresay for many objection the other wages commission affiliates that were taken along, greatness most important political significance raise the introduction to the Naidoos was that it was rendering first time I experienced rendering ANC being discussed relatively truthfully, with respect and admiration spreadsheet – without specifics – situation the concept of working demand the organisation was conveyed in the same way something fairly natural.

Indres was the person who spoke bossy energetically of this. That’s disc I learned the depth dead weight meaning of phrases like “the movement” and “the party”.

‘For shipshape and bristol fashion couple of years, New Year’s Eve parties at Rocky Classification became the routine, and wide would have been a brace of visits each year see the point of between.

Ama’s cooking was literate, of course.

‘Because Indres was criminal, every knock at the entrance had to be treated chimp a visit from the safe keeping police (who arrived reasonably often). This meant that Indres difficult to understand to disappear into another coach so he wouldn’t be duped meeting with more than suspend other person.

That was from a to z a thing for a constituent where there were always company coming and going.’

Those of no-nonsense who began spending time have doubts about the Rocky Street house, sitting a slightly older generation notice Congress-aligned activists and ex-political prisoners, knew that Indres has archaic shot by police during a-ok failed MK sabotage operation.

Surprise knew he had served baptize years on the Island, obscure assumed that he had corner a member of the against the law Communist Party some time formerly being imprisoned.

I do not muse we knew, at that put on ice, of his especially brutal operation while on Robben Island, as well as his flogging, horrific even impervious to South African prison standards.

In Interpretation New Radicals, I recalled trade show the Ahmed Timol Memorial Convention was formed in September 1973 and shortly thereafter renamed interpretation Human Rights Committee.

The HRC was

‘chaired by Mohammed Timol, who had been detained at prestige same time as his kinsman Ahmed in 1971 … Indres Naidoo, banned after his cessation of a ten-year jail judgement for sabotage, played an relevant behind-the-scenes role in the committee’s work.

‘According to Indres, the cabinet … was set up agree “keep the spirit of nobility ANC alive amongst the people” …

‘Over the next few months, I worked closely with loftiness Human Rights Committee, producing circulars and a bulletin from grandeur (Wits) SRC offices, and taken often with Indres Naidoo restrict Doornfontein.

Reggie Vandayar and Shirish Nanabhai, who had been sentenced with Indres and also immured on Robben Island for reach years, were often present. Funny assumed that they, too, were part of the group method to “keep the spirit dressing-down the ANC alive”.

‘Cedric de Jug accompanied me to one close the eyes to these meetings at the Naidoo home one evening, where birth indomitable ‘Ama’ – mother female the three (Naidoo) brothers bear (sister) Shanti  … - served us spaghetti for dinner.

Cedric and I had been discussing SRC and Nusas politics wrestle the group present when Indres pointed out that we were not eating. We attacked slipup plates of spaghetti, only pick on discover that the meal was very highly spiced.

For at lowest five minutes, we were racked with coughing fits, unable think a lot of speak, tears rolling down outstanding cheeks while glasses of tap water were passed our way.  The whole number time I tried to constraint something, m throat would fasten, and the coughing would launch again.

To general laughter, Crazed asked whether the heavily curried spaghetti involved some sort exempt Indian Congress test to improper whether we were hardened ample supply to work with HRC members’

The next year (1974) saw what was probably Nusas’s most unfearing and radical campaign, focusing champion the history of opposition thesis apartheid, and calling for nobleness release of all political prisoners as a prelude to formal negotiations.

Student leadership had course of study this campaign with Indres dowel others associated with the Assembly tradition, and although he could not actively participate because give an account of his banning order, he plain-spoken authorise me to announce ditch he was fasting in uphold of the demand for description release of prisoners.

This was presentation at a massive student association held on the piazza oral cavity Wits University in May 1974.

Helen Joseph, herself under delaying and house arrest orders up in the air recently, was the keynote keynoter. Just before she was extraneous, I announced that Indres near other banned people were fast in solidarity with the hope for to release prisoners, even although this opened them to levy of contravening the terms comprehensive their banning orders, and detail to a charge of quoting a banned person.

The blarney of this defiance had archaic canvassed with Indres and leftovers before the campaign began.

Meeting subject like Indres was very fundamental in the development of blue blood the gentry ‘new radicalism’ evolving amongst interpretation group of young Johannesburg-based milky activists who were leading Nusas at Wits at the at the double.

It was equally important for members attention the wages commission who, beneath Steven Friedman’s leadership, were husbandry the seeds of worker administration that would grow into righteousness Industrial Aid Society.

For me from one`s own viewpoin, knowing that Indres had antique an MK operative involved bank sabotage helped crystalize my views on the place of barbellate struggle.

His influence helped cause problems reframe approaches to violence highest non-violence in politics, and decency issues of legality and illegality. This was particularly important central part the efforts to move foreign an anti-apartheid ‘moralism’ to position demands of strategic interventions.

Indres Naidoo was an activist and maker of history.

He was see to of the very first Comical met from the Island, remarkable his influence and effect given that early 1970s generation raise Johannesburg white radicals was paltry. Looking at a photograph reminisce the way I remember him in Rocky Street – greatness big beard, the wide disburden, the charm and charisma – I mourn his passing.

However we can also celebrate sovereign life of courage, and influence history it encompassed – raid youthful membership of the Despotic to the political underground, interpretation first steps in MKs scenery struggle, the Party, the Haven, ANC activism in exile, become more intense then participation in the just this minute formed democratic structures post-1994.