Indentured Indian workers anniversary observed
To commemorate this day in KZN and in an effort to embrace cultural diversity, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli attended the Indentured Workers Arrival Day Commemorations at the 1860 Heritage Centre last Saturday.
The 164th anniversary of the arrival of the first Indian indentured labourer aboard the SS Truro in 1860 was marked on November 16.
Some 345 men, women and children from Madras docked in Durban Bay on this day. This was followed by the SS Belvedere on November 25, bringing the South African Indian population to over 1 000 within six months.
Over time, 152 184 individuals arrived in South Africa on 384 ships, contributing to the development of KZN’s sugarcane plantations and economy.
To commemorate this day in KZN and in an effort to embrace cultural diversity, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli attended the Indentured Workers Arrival Day Commemorations at the 1860 Heritage Centre last Saturday.
“To remember this day is to recall the struggle that the Indians underwent in this country and the dues this community paid. We must never forget that Indians were subject to discriminatory laws that, for a long time, prohibited them from being full citizens and owning property. It is known that Indians were once not allowed to do work that was reserved for Europeans,” said Ntuli.
He also unveiled the Indian Indentured Monument of Cane Cutter. The statue depicts an indentured worker with a cane-cutting tool and pays tribute to them.
The Sivananda World Peace Foundation, in partnership with the KZN Provincial Government, GOPIO International, and other partners, commemorated the event.
The foundation also unveiled the country’s 20th Sivananda Peace Pillar in Umkomaas in October. This monumental four-ton granite structure is inscribed with prayers from the world’s major religions.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
