Durban's Indians: From Gandhi to World Cup (Feature)

By Veronica Sardon Jun 30, 2010, 6:02 GMT

Durban, South Africa - South Africa is the country with the largest number of local-born people of Indian descent outside India.

Durban, South Africa's third-largest city, is a stronghold for the country's large Indian community. More than 500,000 of Durban's 3 million people are of Indian descent, with scores of thousands more living elsewhere in the province of KwaZulu Natal.

Indian culture is everywhere in Durban, from faces to food, clothes to language and music. But the city's Indian community is far from that of its forefathers, who arrived in South Africa in the late 19th century, mostly as labourers for local sugar plantations.

Above all, they feel fully South African, and most would never even contemplate returning to Asia.

'Never, never!' one woman said at Durban's Victoria Street Market, packed with the sounds and smells of India.

For her, India means 'quakes, tsunamis and typhoons,' along with everything she already has in South Africa, so she would rather stay put.

Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi himself was once a migrant to the area. He arrived in 1893 at age 24 to work as a lawyer, and he stayed for 21 years. His first-hand experience of discrimination in South Africa is believed to have been vital in his development as a civil-rights activist, the man to lead India to independence by peaceful means in 1947.

Gandhi's life and legacy in South Africa offer a sample of the country's troubled history. Gandhi himself suffered the evils of discrimination from dominant whites in a variety of ways: he was famously asked to remove his turban in court and to get off a train, for example, and was jailed several times.

Much later, his material legacy also suffered violence, this time at the hands of blacks. In 1904, Gandhi set up a self-help camp on what was later to become the Inanda township, outside Durban, opening it to both Indians and blacks. However, the settlement was razed to the ground in 1985 by thousands of residents of the black township.

The site has since been rebuilt and now honours Gandhi's work in South Africa.

Indeed, Durban and its surroundings honour the Indian population and its heritage. Bunny chow - a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry - is now the local fast-food highlight and is eaten across South Africa.

The city's Indians respect the traditions of their Muslim or Hindu religions with suitable temples and halal food, for example. They have their own accent, though these days they speak English at home with the exceptions of some of their elders.

In general, they are well-integrated in post-apartheid society, and despite a general preference for cricket joined the party as South Africa has hosted the World Cup since June 11.

India is not playing in the World Cup, but Durban's Indian community felt very much a part of the event and was repeatedly visible in and around the city's stadium, often wearing yellow shirts of the Bafana Bafana.

Pam, a woman of Indian descent wore a South Africa jersey to watch the inaugural game, between the hosts and Mexico, on a giant screen on the city's beach.

'This is my country, this is where I live,' she said.

Shivan, a young man, went even further, as he delivered a peculiar rendition of the South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika (God Bless Africa), outside Durban stadium. He used the local football must, the vuvuzela, along with a whistle.

South Africa was not even playing, but Shivan was keen to claim South Africa as his home.

'Just look at the stadium, how can you not be proud?' he asked. 'I may be Indian, but I'm a South African.'