Across oceans and centuries, this sweeping narrative shuttles between
the corridors of the Colonial Office in London, the contested streets
of Durban, and the growing sway of Delhi. At its core are the untold
struggles of Indian South Africans, communities who, in the shadow of
empire, fought to resist the ever-present threat of repatriation.
From the marble halls of the British Raj and the machinations of Indian
Agent-Generals to the solemn exodus of newly freed indentured labourers
leaving Natal’s plantations, the story illuminates histories long
obscured. It captures in haunting detail in family biographies, the
rise of a merchant class, daring to outpace their colonial rivals, only
to face relentless hostility for their audacity.
Drawing on fresh research, the book weaves together seismic events, the
independence of India, the rise of South Africa’s National Party, and
their ominous promise of mass expulsions, with the texture of everyday
life. The 1960s bring upheaval as the Group Areas Act rips communities
from their roots, yet out of this turmoil, new townships nurture a
generation of educated children and professionals, forging hope in
unexpected places. Rejecting easy narratives, the book delves into the
messy, human spaces between accommodation and resistance, where
principle and strategy, triumph and muddling through contest, as much
as they coexist.
In its final chapters, the fall of apartheid offers a moment of
transcendence. Yet it also asks: what does it mean, at last, to belong?
Ultimately, this is a story about the price and promise of belonging.
Through its unflinching gaze at struggle and survival, it becomes a
book not just for Indian South Africans, but for anyone who has ever
sought a place to call home.
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