The call for inclusion: Indian contributions to SA history

PURSUANT to the unanimous resolution adopted at the inaugural National Hindu Convention convened by the South African Hindu Dharma Sabha (SAHDS) in Durban, in October 1981, calling unequivocally for substantial inclusion of Indian history in school curricula, we demand that the current content on the history of Indians be at least doubled across all grades.

Minorities matter. The history of Indians in South Africa cannot and must not be airbrushed away.

 The present level of representation is nothing short of an affront: an unbridled insult, a denial of respect, and a blatant erasure of the monumental contributions Indians have made to the building of our beloved nation. In every sphere of human endeavour, be it economic, cultural, political and social, the Indian community has laboured for the benefit of all South Africans. To diminish this legacy in our textbooks, is to diminish the truth itself.

 The current level of content constitutes an unbridled insult, disrespect and non-recognition of the monumental contributions by Indians to the development of our beloved country in all spheres of human endeavour for the benefit of all South Africans.

 The SAHDS believes that our reasonable and fair request for increased authentic historical content would enhance interracial understanding, appreciation, goodwill, harmony and peaceful co-existence leading to unity in diversity, social cohesion, nation building and human solidarity.

 Furthermore, a substantive volume of historical facts would eradicate the false notion and narrative that Indians were born with the proverbial “silver spoons in their mouths”.

 It must be recorded that our great indentured ancestors toiled tirelessly, and lived in slave-like conditions, incessantly suffering from torture and trauma, deprivation and discrimination.

However, down through the generations Indians survived and thrived by prioritising educational advancement with the sense of vision and mission, turning adversity into advantage, and doing more with less. Our forebears trudged dusty roads barefoot to beg for pennies to build schools so that their future generations could progress from plantation to Parliament, and become business titans through a sense of self-belief, self-discipline, self-sacrifice and self-determination.

With regard to content, the SAHDS recommends that the following aspects of Indian history be duly emphasised:

1. The untold suffering, struggle and sacrifices of our indentured ancestors.
2. The sterling contribution of Indians towards the epic liberation Struggle, noting that the Natal Indian Congress was founded on August 22, 1894, before the African National Congress on  January 8, 1912, to campaign against draconian discriminatory laws and social injustices.
3. The cruel treatment of Indians in terms of the inhumane Group Areas Act of 1950.
4. The racially-based unequal job and promotion opportunities under the guise of “job reservation” with meritocracy being counter-productively totally ignored.
5. Due recognition needs to be accorded to Indian heroes and heroines such as the Padavatan Brothers Brothers and Valliamma, as well as philanthropists such as VN Naik, ML Sultan, Narend Pattundeen, AM Moola, RK Khan, HE Joosab, etc.
6. The categorisation of Hindus as heathens during the colonial era, and the Christian colonisation of mindsets.
7. The flagrant attempt by the Broederbond to convert Hindus to Christianity during the pernicious apartheid regime, inter alia, through the Christian National Education policy potentially posing an existential threat to Hinduism in South Africa.
8. The undermining of Hinduism through the demolishing of temples, and deprivation of facilities and funds, as well as the deliberate paucity of exposure and promotion of Hindu religion and culture through radio, television and the print media .
9. The excessively disproportionate and unjustifiable allocation of worship sites to Hindu organisations so that churches can dominate the religious landscape and wean away converts.
10. The erosion and even killing of the teaching and learning of Eastern Languages during normal school hours as an integral part of the formal school curriculum

RAM MAHARAJ

President of the South African Hindu Dharma Sabha

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. 

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