- Home
- Destinations
- Indian Apartheid Experience
Indian Apartheid Experience
- By Bobby Castro
- Published 12/27/2011
- Destinations
- Unrated
Bobby Castro
For a more comprehensive discussion on Indians in Canada, do visit us at the " title="http://www.nricommunity.com/forum/f8/\">" target="_blank">http://www.nricommunity.com/forum/f8/"> Indians in Canada Forum.
Indian Apartheid Experience
South Africa and India share a unique colonial history wherein British rule marked the increase of ties between the two countries. After independence from the British Crown though, these two countries went on separate paths, where India experienced the Schism of India while South Africa treaded the politics of apartheid.
Those Indians that remained in South Africa lived in and around the city of Durban. This city is acknowledged to be the largest Indian city outside of India. The inhabitants are descendants of migrant workers from South Asia during the British rule of the country. Despite such common history, South Asians were put together under the same categories as those suffering under apartheid in the Group Areas Act.
During the most intense period of segregation and apartheid, particularly between 1948 and 1994, Indians were lumped together with other races classified as Non-White. The policy of apartheid only strengthened ethnic loyalties at the time, as individual races were placed in given areas. The first form of discrimination was in 1888 where Indians were forced to carry passes in Natal despite being recognized as South African citizens. Indians were banned from working in the mining industry and were allowed to work only in so-called "coolie" locations around the Transvaal region. The colony further extended this by prohibiting persons of color, such as South African Indians, to walk on sidewalks in the region.
The greatest single apartheid legislation was the Group Areas Act enacted in 1950. Here, Indians or persons of Indian descent were moved to townships where they would only interact with people of their race. They were disallowed to move to other areas unless warranted or allowed by pass. These Indians were also prohibited from residing in the Orange Free State Province and in order to enter that province, they need to be granted special permission. They also obtained inferior education compared to white South Africans and previous legislation granting recognition of Indians, such as the Asiatic Land Tenure Act and the Indian Representative Act of 1946 were repealed.
Indians were officially recognized as part of the South African population with the establishment of the Department of Indian Affairs in 1961. A white minister was put in charge and was part of the group that lead the Rand-for-Rand contribution of South African Indians for the establishment of the University of Durban-Westville. Before the establishment of this institution, Indian students needed to take a ferry to Salisbury Island's abandoned prison to learn university level education.
Those Indians that remained in South Africa lived in and around the city of Durban. This city is acknowledged to be the largest Indian city outside of India. The inhabitants are descendants of migrant workers from South Asia during the British rule of the country. Despite such common history, South Asians were put together under the same categories as those suffering under apartheid in the Group Areas Act.
During the most intense period of segregation and apartheid, particularly between 1948 and 1994, Indians were lumped together with other races classified as Non-White. The policy of apartheid only strengthened ethnic loyalties at the time, as individual races were placed in given areas. The first form of discrimination was in 1888 where Indians were forced to carry passes in Natal despite being recognized as South African citizens. Indians were banned from working in the mining industry and were allowed to work only in so-called "coolie" locations around the Transvaal region. The colony further extended this by prohibiting persons of color, such as South African Indians, to walk on sidewalks in the region.
The greatest single apartheid legislation was the Group Areas Act enacted in 1950. Here, Indians or persons of Indian descent were moved to townships where they would only interact with people of their race. They were disallowed to move to other areas unless warranted or allowed by pass. These Indians were also prohibited from residing in the Orange Free State Province and in order to enter that province, they need to be granted special permission. They also obtained inferior education compared to white South Africans and previous legislation granting recognition of Indians, such as the Asiatic Land Tenure Act and the Indian Representative Act of 1946 were repealed.
Indians were officially recognized as part of the South African population with the establishment of the Department of Indian Affairs in 1961. A white minister was put in charge and was part of the group that lead the Rand-for-Rand contribution of South African Indians for the establishment of the University of Durban-Westville. Before the establishment of this institution, Indian students needed to take a ferry to Salisbury Island's abandoned prison to learn university level education.