Ongoing and intensifying anti-tricameral protests in 1984 prompted the state to marshal its repressive arsenal. Activists across the country were detained in an effort to stem mobilisation. An NIC court application resulted in some of those detained in the lead-up to the elections being released on 12 September 1984, but the state immediately issued orders for their rearrest. Among those released were six senior leaders of the NIC/UDF: Archie Gumede, George Sewpersadh, Mewa Ramgobin, M.J. Naidoo, Billy Nair and Paul David. In a dramatic move these six activists took refuge in the British Consulate in Durban on 13 September 1984. This occupation would span three months, as the last of them only left the Consulate on 13 December 1984.

The immediate aim of the Consulate Six, as they came to be known, was to attract maximum international publicity because P.W. Botha was to be inaugurated as state president on 14 September. Ramgobin's short press conference following the occupation revealed this intention:

While Ramgobin may have overstated the impact of the group's actions on Botha's inauguration, the incident certainly created a buzz in the country and once more dragged the apartheid state's heavy-handedness into the international spotlight.

The occupation proved a masterstroke, as it demonstrated the resilience and unity of purpose of these veteran activists. There also appeared to be smooth coordination between the Consulate Six and their families and fellow activists on the outside, who provided both personal and political support.

A closer look suggests that the plans for occupation were somewhat hastily put together. This is hardly surprising under the circumstances, but it meant that long-term strategies and goals had not been worked out. As we will see, the correspondence in this period between Mewa Ramgobin and Ela Gandhi reveals a complicated and insightful picture of intertwining family strains and bitter recrimination over political ideology and tactics.