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Question 35 of 66 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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The Natal Indian Congress, formed in 1894 to fight discrimination against Indians in South Africa, was founded by:

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Answer: Option C — Mahatma Gandhi

Detailed Solution

The Natal Indian Congress was founded by Mahatma Gandhi on 22 August 1894, in Durban, in the British colony of Natal (South Africa).

Background:

  • Gandhi went to South Africa in 1893 to work as a lawyer for an Indian merchant, Dada Abdulla.
  • He experienced racial discrimination there, which led him to fight for the rights of Indians.
  • In 1894, the Natal government proposed a bill to take away the right of Indians to vote.
  • Gandhi organised a petition against the bill, and decided to stay in South Africa to fight for the rights of Indians.

About the Natal Indian Congress:

  • It was named after the Indian National Congress, to show its link with India.
  • Gandhi was its first Secretary; its President was Abdulla Haji Adam Jhaveri.
  • Its members were mainly Indian merchants and traders.
  • It aimed to fight discrimination against Indians in matters such as voting rights, trade, travel, residence and taxes.
  • It used petitions, memoranda, public meetings and publicity.

Later struggles:

  • In 1906, Gandhi launched his first satyagraha against the Asiatic Registration Act in the Transvaal, which required Indians to register and carry passes ("Black Act").
  • Indians burnt their registration certificates in protest (1908).
  • In 1913, a great satyagraha was launched against the £3 tax on former indentured labourers and the non-recognition of Indian marriages; Indian miners went on strike, and Gandhi led a march into the Transvaal.
  • The Indian Relief Act (1914) removed some of the grievances.

Its later history:

The Natal Indian Congress continued to work for the rights of Indians in South Africa, and later joined hands with the African National Congress (ANC) in the struggle against apartheid.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Gokhale and Naoroji were leaders in India.
  • ✗Hermann Kallenbach was Gandhi's friend and associate in South Africa.

Quick tip

Remember: Natal Indian Congress = Gandhi, 22 August 1894, Durban (first Secretary); first satyagraha in the Transvaal (1906); Indian Relief Act (1914).

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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