PIO Tamils In South Africa Case Study

The PIO Tamils in South Africa have a long history. Although some research reveal that Indian Tamils had settled in South Africa many years ago, it’s only under the indentured system that a large number of Tamils arrived in South Africa. Tamil indentured workers were recruited to replace slave worker worldwide. Most of the indentured workers who went to South Africa were from South India. The first batch of Indian workers went in 1860 and good number of them decided to stay back in South Africa. Tamils contact with South Africa considerably predates the docking in Durban harbour of SS Truro, the steamship carrying 340 men, women and children who had embarked in Madras as labourers indentured to work on the sugar plantations of the British colony of Natal. In addition to the indentured workers a good number of Indian merchants also went as fee passengers. They were significant in numbers. They were affluent also. Unlike indentured workers who lost their contact with India, some of these merchants kept very close ties with their families in India. The major turning point between India and South Africa relations came when one of the Gujarati
Gandhi had expressed solidarity with majority black community but emphasized that their community must be led by their own leaders. The majority of PIO Tamils and other Indian Communities in South Africa joined African National Congress formation to oppose Apartheid and many of them emerged as top leaders of this party. India also encouraged them to join hand with majority black community. The unique role of India and South Africa Tamils in struggle against apartheid is acknowledged by the UN, South Africa and world