The Natives Legislative Assembly Bill of 1894, formed part of the

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

system of racial segregation in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. This legislation sought to deprive Indians in Natal of the parliamentary vote. The bill was opposed by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, who submitted a petition signed by 10,000 Indians to the Natal government. Though they were unsuccessful in preventing the legislation from eventually being passed, the bill is believed to Gandhi's establishment of the Natal Indian Congress to protect the rights of Indians in South Africa. It created awareness of the racial discrimination towards South Africa Indians around the world. As a consequence of legislation following this bill, the Indians living in Natal were removed of their rights to vote in the region.

References

* * Apartheid laws in South Africa 1894 in law 1894 in the Colony of Natal Colony of Natal 1894 in South Africa {{statute-stub