India and South Africa: Early Solidarity Against Apartheid
Discover how India, fresh from independence, became the first nation to boycott apartheid South Africa. Learn how Indian leaders supported Nelson Mandela and the ANC, shaping global resistance and solidarity.
ENGLISH THROUGH HISTORY
Adi English
8/30/20254 min read
🌍 Story 7 – India & South Africa (Anti-Apartheid Solidarity)
LEVEL 3 – Advanced
Length: (~544 words)
When the system of apartheid became law in South Africa in 1948, it created one of the harshest forms of racial separation in modern history. The white-minority government passed laws that divided every part of daily life: schools, hospitals, buses, and even park benches. Black South Africans could not vote, own land in most areas, or travel without carrying passbooks. Families lived under constant surveillance, police brutality, and economic exclusion. It was a system of legal oppression that lasted for decades.
India, having only just thrown off British colonial rule in 1947, immediately recognized the injustice. Indian leaders had lived through centuries of discrimination and racism under imperial domination. They saw in South Africa’s system a mirror of their own past and felt morally obligated to act. As early as 1946, even before independence, India cut off trade relations with South Africa. This was the world’s first international boycott against the apartheid regime — a bold move that gave courage to those resisting from inside South Africa.
India then carried the fight to the United Nations. Year after year, Indian diplomats stood before the assembly to denounce apartheid. They argued that it was not a domestic issue but a crime against humanity that demanded global attention. Many Western powers, tied to economic interests in South Africa, resisted. But India’s persistence ensured that the world could not ignore what was happening.
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and later Indira Gandhi, gave moral and material support to Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC). India provided scholarships for South African students, hosted exiled leaders, and invited ANC representatives to international meetings. These acts gave the anti-apartheid struggle visibility and legitimacy at a time when it was being silenced inside South Africa.
There was also a personal link. Indian communities had lived in South Africa since the 19th century, many of them subjected to the same laws as Black South Africans. Mahatma Gandhi himself began his fight against racial injustice in South Africa in the early 1900s, before carrying those lessons back to India. This shared history gave India’s protests against apartheid deeper meaning.
India’s campaign against apartheid also demonstrated how moral authority can influence international politics even when a country is not a military or economic superpower. By consistently raising the issue in global forums, supporting exiled leaders, and keeping the memory of South Africa’s suffering alive, India helped shift world opinion. In time, its actions encouraged the Non-Aligned Movement and other nations of the Global South to pressure South Africa as well. This showed that a coalition of nations, bound together by shared experience of oppression, could have a powerful impact on the global stage. For South Africans, India’s efforts proved that they had friends who believed their freedom was worth fighting for.
By the 1970s and 1980s, as global pressure grew, India continued to push for sanctions, arms embargoes, and diplomatic isolation of South Africa. Though apartheid did not collapse until the early 1990s, Indian leaders and citizens felt pride in knowing that their solidarity had made a difference. When Mandela was released from prison in 1990, one of his first visits abroad was to India, where he thanked the people for their unwavering support.
This story shows how nations that have suffered oppression can become powerful allies for others. India’s stand was not just political but moral. It demonstrated that struggles for freedom are connected across continents and that early acts of solidarity can grow into global movements for justice.
Vocabulary (10 words)
Apartheid – a system of racial separation in South Africa.
Explanation: Black and white people were forced to live apart by law.
Example: Apartheid denied rights to millions.
Student example: ____________
Oppression – unfair use of power to control others.
Explanation: Apartheid was a form of oppression.
Example: The people resisted oppression for decades.
Student example: ____________
Colonial rule – foreign control of a nation.
Explanation: India experienced British colonial rule until 1947.
Example: Colonial rule shaped their history.
Student example: ____________
Discrimination – treating people unfairly based on identity.
Explanation: Apartheid enforced discrimination daily.
Example: Discrimination was written into the law.
Student example: ____________
Boycott – refusal to trade or cooperate as protest.
Explanation: India led a boycott of South Africa in 1946.
Example: The boycott sent a strong message.
Student example: ____________
Sanctions – penalties by countries to pressure change.
Explanation: Economic or political restrictions.
Example: Sanctions were used to fight apartheid.
Student example: ____________
Scholarship – money given for education.
Explanation: India gave scholarships to South African students.
Example: She studied abroad with a scholarship.
Student example: ____________
Persistence – continuing despite difficulty.
Explanation: India’s persistence kept the issue global.
Example: His persistence finally led to success.
Student example: ____________
Solidarity – unity and support between groups.
Explanation: India showed solidarity with South Africa.
Example: The workers showed solidarity in protest.
Student example: ____________
Freedom – the right to live without oppression.
Explanation: Both India and South Africa fought for freedom.
Example: They marched for freedom and justice.
Student example: ____________
Exercises (Level 3 – Advanced)
Comprehension
What was apartheid and how did it affect people?
When did India first cut trade with South Africa?
Which leaders gave support to the ANC?
How did India use the United Nations to fight apartheid?
Why did India feel connected to South Africa’s struggle?
Multiple Choice
Who was South Africa’s most famous anti-apartheid leader?
a) Nelson Mandela b) Desmond Tutu c) Jawaharlal Nehru d) Mohandas Gandhi
When did apartheid officially begin?
a) 1920 b) 1948 c) 1962 d) 1980
Which year did India first boycott South Africa?
a) 1946 b) 1957 c) 1965 d) 1976
What did India call apartheid at the UN?
a) Internal issue b) Crime against humanity c) Cultural difference d) Civil war
Which group did India support in South Africa?
a) African National Congress b) British Parliamentc) French settlers d) United Nations only
Fill in the Blank
Apartheid was a system of racial _______.
India had lived under British _______ rule.
India’s 1946 action was the first _______.
Scholarships were offered to South African _______.
Their solidarity created a lasting _______.
True/False
Apartheid gave equal rights to everyone.
India supported South Africa’s racist government.
Gandhi began his fight against racism in South Africa.
India pushed for sanctions at the UN.
South Africa ended apartheid in the early 1990s.
Discussion
Why did India act so early against apartheid?
How does lived experience of oppression create solidarity?
Do boycotts and sanctions work as tools for justice?
What lessons does this story give us today?
Can small nations influence big issues?