Tuesday, April 26, 2005
South Africa - Where Gandhi became Indian
PTI reports:
This award goes to show how South Africa is till battling with racism and colonialism, how these are still issues which are relevant long after the new world order was established. Just after Nelson Mandela fought hard to abolish apartheid.I realize these issues have now become national heritage for former colonies.
My meeting and reading of the South African Indians, is that they face a very tricky situation of being BROWN. So they would like to identify with the Whites, while protest with the Blacks.
South Africa was home to Gandhiji, where he was the the educated lawyer, dressed as an English man. But getting thrown out of a train compartment reserved for only whites, he realized he was Indian. The rest as they say is "Indian Independence".
Away from the homeland, in lands where people look and live differently, we look back at our native hometowns to figure where we come from, why we are the people who we are. In the process one hangs onto that home-identity tightly and this carries on for generations.
DURBAN: Jawaharlal Nehru was on Tuesday conferred with the highest South African honour for foreign nationals in recognition of his struggle against colonialism and racism. The South African President, Thabo Mbeki, presented the award — the Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo — to member of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi. — PTI
This award goes to show how South Africa is till battling with racism and colonialism, how these are still issues which are relevant long after the new world order was established. Just after Nelson Mandela fought hard to abolish apartheid.I realize these issues have now become national heritage for former colonies.
My meeting and reading of the South African Indians, is that they face a very tricky situation of being BROWN. So they would like to identify with the Whites, while protest with the Blacks.
South Africa was home to Gandhiji, where he was the the educated lawyer, dressed as an English man. But getting thrown out of a train compartment reserved for only whites, he realized he was Indian. The rest as they say is "Indian Independence".
Away from the homeland, in lands where people look and live differently, we look back at our native hometowns to figure where we come from, why we are the people who we are. In the process one hangs onto that home-identity tightly and this carries on for generations.
Comments
Very interesting Jinal, I am glad you shared this anecdote with me.
This is very true of the old diaspora, they tend to identify more with the lands they came from, because they've been there from the late 18th century and India is no more than a country they ancestors came from.
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