Local author celebrates Indian history with new book

LOCAL AUTHOR Vino Govender has written a new book aimed at making young people aware of the history of the Indian community in South Africa.

The timely book, titled Their Past... Our Future, will be launched at the Pavilion Hotel in Durban tomorrow, just days before several events commemorating the 165th anniversary of the arrival of indentured Indian labourers in KwaZulu-Natal.

Govender says she wanted to write a book that is rich in information yet presented in a way that would encourage the youth to take an interest in their past. The idea came from her interactions with young people who were unaware of their roots.

“We don’t have a reading society as such; everyone’s just involved in texting and Googling. When I chatted with young people, they didn’t know much about Indian history, where their grandparents and great-grandparents came from, or what they did. And then I thought, let me write a small book, something easily handled by them, something they could understand.”

The first indentured Indian workers arrived in KwaZulu-Natal aboard the SS Truro on 16 November 1860. Over the decades, this was followed by hundreds of other ships and the arrival of at least 150 000 labourers who were brought from India to work on the sugarcane plantations and other industries in the province.

The book covers a range of issues, from the experiences of indentured labourers, when they first arrived, to the stories of life and resilience in communities like Tin Town, where Indians survived and built communities, despite hardships and injustices.

Govender brings these experiences to life with stories of real people, like the young girl from Madras who was thrown overboard when she rejected the captain’s advances on the ship bringing her to South Africa. Then there’s the tragic story of Radha and Raju - Radha, taken in as a domestic worker, and Raju, who worked outside. Radha was raped by her boss, and when Raju went to confront him, he was killed by a mob. Radha, who was pregnant at the time, tragically took her own life.

“At school, we’re learning about the old days in South Africa, which is excellent because they must know South African history. But there’s also our Indian history. Where did we originate? Hence, I write to influence young minds, because I want our youngsters to know our history,” said Govender.

Narend Singh, the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, said Govender’s writing ensures that these stories will resonate with people of all ages and cultures.

“This work is an essential contribution to South African literature, oral history, and the broader discourse on migration, identity, and social justice,” Singh said.

Their Past … Our Future will be launched at 12 pm tomorrow, and those interested in an afternoon of music and good food have been invited to order books and RSVP with Govender on Vinog91827@gmail.com

This is Govender’s fourth book. She has previously published Tomorrow’s People, a collection of stories about young people; African Blossoms, a poetry book; and Casbah to Candella – Those Days.