People from all walks of life gathered at the Durban beachfront to commemorate the 163-year anniversary of the arrival of the first group of Indian indentured labourers via ship in South Africa.
The first ship to arrive was the SS Truro carrying 342 passengers. South Africa is home to the largest group of people of Indian origin outside of India. Indentured workers from India were brought to what was then Natal, between 1860 and 1911 by the British.
In total, it is believed that over a hundred and 52 indentured Indian labourers would come to South Africa at this time. Many left India with little understanding of what awaited them upon their disembarkment.
Most were left with hopes of a better life. But they would be documented and allocated to sugarcane plantations across the province.
Now 163 years later, some of these descendants continue to remember this legacy.
Reverend May Laban and Praneal Singh attended the interfaith prayer.
“I think our forbearers have taught us that they lived together here was no different faiths they all lived and shared whatever they had with each other and they had wonderful values and ethics the resilience against apartheid and against colonialism really helped us. The message to the youth is let us embrace the rainbow nation let us be one, let us be a collective and let us ensure the rights of all are adhered to.”
Consul General of India in Durban Dr Thelma John David looks back at the challenges these workers faced.
#sabcnews People from all walks of life gathered at the Durban beachfront to commemorate 163 years anniversary of the arrival of the first group of Indians indentured labourers via ship in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/kpcEwSDUZu
— Nonkululeko Hlophe (@Leko3) November 16, 2023
“I stand here literally on the shores that received shiploads of Indians shipped from India not knowing where their destiny was not knowing their futures were going to be and being received on to the shores of South Africa 163 years ago. I think it is a moment of remembrance. I say this because if we do not remember their memories do not live also the people who signed those agreements or contracts never knew how to read and write but they were here literally bonded into labour possibly not out of their free will.”
Historian and author, Kiru Naidoo says it is important for the youth to know their roots.
“It is really important that we fire the imagination of young people to appreciate where we come from as a nation and where we are headed into the future all our people come from various parts of the continent and part of the world and as we celebrate the people who originate in West Africa, North Africa, Britain, there were indentured workers from India and China who came here who built Agricultural industry, who were part of gold mines and help build this economy.
Source: eNCA
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