Why in News?

In South Africa's most recent elections, a number of Indian-descent candidates from different political parties achieved notable success and secured electoral wins in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• History of Indian Diaspora in South Africa
• Identity Formation of Indian Diaspora in South Africa
• Challenges Faced by Indian Diaspora in South Africa
• Recent Political Gains Made by Indian Diaspora in South Africa

 History of Indian Diaspora in South Africa:

• The Indian diaspora in South Africa has a long and complicated history that dates all the way back to the 19th century.
• The first Indians were sent to South Africa by the British Empire as indentured labourers for the purpose of working on the sugar cane estates in Natal.
  • The indentured labour system was a type of bonded labour where workers were guaranteed a return trip to India when their contract had expired.
  • But in reality, many of them remained imprisoned in South Africa due to debt or other circumstances.
• Between 1860 and 1911, some 152,000 indentured labourers were transferred from India to South Africa.
• Mahatma Gandhi, who spent several years (practising law) in South Africa and formed many of his ideas about nonviolent resistance there, was one of the most well-known individuals from this era.

Identity Formation of Indian Diaspora in South Africa:

• The indentured labourers endured difficult working circumstances as well as a variety of discriminatory practises, such as limitations on their freedom of movement and the possession of property.
• During apartheid (from 1948 and until the early 1990s), the Indian community in South Africa was subject to a number of discriminatory laws and rules, including restrictions on their right to own property and freedom of movement.
• Notwithstanding these obstacles, the Indian community in South Africa started to expand - in numbers and in their socio-economic-political status. For example,
  • The South African Indian origin community numbers around 1 million today and constitutes about 3% of South Africa’s total population.
  • About 80% of the Indian community lives in the province of KwaZulu Natal.
  • South Africans of Indian origin are well-represented in Government, business, media, legal and other professions.
• One area where the Indian community in South Africa has thrived is education.
  • Today, a large number of Indian students in South Africa are pursuing advanced degrees in fields like law, medicine and engineering.
  • This is helping South Africa in developing its knowledge economy.
• In general, the socioeconomic conditions of the Indian diaspora in South Africa are complex and diverse, reflecting both the challenges and opportunities that the country faces.

Challenges Faced by Indian Diaspora in South Africa:

• Economic struggle:
  • One of the main problems facing the Indian community in South Africa is poverty.
  • The most recent census figures show that many Indians in South Africa live barely over the poverty line, with about one in four of them living below it.
• Cultural marginalisation: Due to the country’s education system’s historical emphasis on Western culture, Indian culture and heritage are not adequately represented in schools and institutions.
• Violence and hate crimes:
  • For example, a wave of violence that broke out in Durban in 2019 led to the destruction of several Indian traders’ shops.
  • According to reports, the attacks were carried out by locals who claimed that Indian traders were stealing their jobs and means of subsistence.

Recent Political Gains Made by Indian Diaspora in South Africa:

• Of the 87 parliament members of the Democratic Alliance (DA), four are of Indian descent.
• While Mergan Chetty won his third consecutive stint in parliament, Shara Singh, a member of Provincial Legislature from KwaZulu-Natal, graduated to national politics and became a member of parliament.
• While most of the elected members of Indian lineage were born in South Africa, Anilkumar Kesava Pillai, a native of Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, established himself in the local politics of the country 40 years ago.
• Meanwhile, some of the independent candidates and political formations that had espoused the cause of Indians failed to secure enough support.