© Kamla-Raj 2013 J Sociology Soc Anth, 4(1-2): 93-103 (2013) Challenges Facing Hindus and Hinduism in Post-apartheid South Africa1
Brij Maharaj
School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa E-mail: [email protected]
KEYWORDS Diaspora. Transnationalism. Maha Sabha. Shuddha Certification. Philanthropy
ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to analyse the challenges facing those practising Hinduism in South Africa. Celebrating the centenary of the SAHMS provides an opportunity to reflect on the past, analyse the present and more importantly to chart the future of Hindus and Hinduism in South Africa. More specifically, the key issues that will be discussed in this paper include: globalisation and internationalisation of culture; influence of Hindu nationalist forces from India; the retreat from self-help, sacrifice and community upliftment; decline in family values; promoting a scripturally based Hinduism; training and accreditation of Hindu priests; addressing the scourge of HIV/AIDS; gender representation in Hindu organisations; and the Hindu contribution to reconciliation, reconstruction and development in South Africa’s fledgling democracy. A key contention of this paper is that Hindus need to consider ways in which to contribute towards nurturing and consolidating South Africa’s fledgling democracy, as well as assisting in the process of reconciliation, reconstruction and development.
INTRODUCTION from India; the retreat from self-help, sacrifice and community upliftment; decline in family Hindu and Indian identity is significantly values, and the associated social pathologies – intertwined in South Africa. Over the past two abuse, violence, crime, divorce; vulnerability of years Hindus have observed some important youth; promoting a scripturally based Hindu- historical milestones in South Africa. The year ism; training and accreditation of Hindu priests; 2010 marked the 150th anniversary of the ar- addressing the scourge of HIV/AIDS; gender rival of indentured labourers in SA, as well as representation in Hindu organisations; and the 100 years since Diwali was officially recognized Hindu contribution to reconciliation, reconstruc- as the most important Hindu festival. This year tion and development in South Africa’s fledg- (2012) commemorates the centenary of orga- ling democracy. nized Hinduism in South Africa. The South Af- This article is divided into eleven sections. rican Hindu Maha Sabha (SAHMS) the national The historical context is presented in the first organisation for Hindus in this country, was es- section, followed by an analysis of the role of tablished on 31 May 1912. The Maha Sabha’s priests. Social pathology in the community is motto, Vasudev Kutumbakam (the world is one discussed in the third section, and the Indian family) resonates with African concepts such as connection and Hindu nationalism is the theme Ubuntu (humanity to others) and Batho Pele of the fourth part. The fifth section examines (People first). The vision of the SAHMS is to the Hindu response to HIV/AIDS, followed by promote Hindu Dharma according to the high- an assessment vernacular language tensions in est tenets of Hindu scriptures. It is important to the community. Hindu demands for a religious note that the SAHMS has a federal structure, public holiday is the theme of the eighth sec- and all Hindu organisations in the country are tion, followed by a discussion of the Shuddha directly or indirectly affiliated to the Sabha. certification for vegetarian products. The Celebrating the centenary of the SAHMS penultimate section examines the nature of in- provides an opportunity to reflect on the past, ter-racial relations, followed by some reflections analyse the present and more importantly to on Hindu philanthropy in South Africa. chart the future. The aim of this paper is to analyse the challenges facing those practising HISTORICAL CONTEXT Hinduism in South Africa. More specifically, the key issues that will be discussed in this paper Until recently, Hinduism was transmitted include: globalisation and internationalisation largely through the oral tradition in South Af- of culture; influence of Hindu nationalist forces rica, and there were many distortions over time 94 BRIJ MAHARAJ as memories faded. The origins of Hinduism in African Hindu Maha Sabha (Maha Sabha) on South Africa can be traced back to the agricul- 31 May 1993, Swami Shivapanda of the tural labour requirements of colonial Natal in Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa said: the mid-nineteenth century. The indentured In- Many organisations sprang up in the dark dians came mainly as isolated individuals, not days of apartheid in South Africa, trying to bring in family units, and the ratio between men and about understanding and peace. Religion and women was three to one. The labourers were culture were looked down upon, turmoil and housed in shacks and huts, with no privacy. suspicion, privation and starvation were run- There was no documentary proof of ‘legal’ mar- ning rampant. People of the same faith, wor- riages. The extraordinary accomplishment of the shipping the same God, had to pray separately indentured Indian is that under such circum- because of their natural colours. Religion di- stances they were able to develop united fami- vided the congregation, creating superiority and lies and impose deep moral values on the rising inferiority complexes. This brought about in- generation, so that at the present time the fam- equality. ily is recognised as the most important and stable Under apartheid the Hindu community suf- social institution through which their beliefs and fered as forced removals were instigated through morals are transmitted (Natal Mercury 15/11/ the Group Areas Act of 1950. Temples halls 60). and other cultural institutions were destroyed Although generally perceived as a homoge- in areas such Cato Manor, Riverside and Clair- neous ethnic group, the Hindu community was wood. A major consequence of forced removals stratified on the basis of class, caste, religion was the eroding of the joint family system and and language. Also, given the diversity of their traditional lifestyles. In 1958 the Mayville In- geographical origins, Indian migrants in South dian Ratepayers’ Association (MIRA) made an Africa were very heterogeneous. Caste segmen- emotional appeal to the DCC and the govern- tation has almost disappeared because migrants ment, emphasising the attachment of people to were drawn from a large geographic area: since place and community: caste hierarchies are only regional and not pan- People form deep and lasting attachments Indian, they could not be maintained in a popu- to the places in which they live and such at- lation from various origins. There was also a tachments are rooted in emotional association very material reason for caste prejudices to be with homes, temples, churches, mosques, reduced: all the migrants were packed in the schools, burial places and with neighbours - same boat eating the same food. Furthermore, years of friendship, the passing on of homes from during the journey migrants became jehaji-bhai generation to generation. Such are worthwhile (ship mates), which created a new “kinship” values which cannot be set aside lightly. Is it based on the memory of the travel on the same fair to ask people, now advanced in years, to ship, without any attention to caste nor religion. break up old associations and homes, busi- The general success and prosperity of the nesses, etc. and to start afresh (Memorandum immigrant group, and their ability to overcome from the Mayville Indian Ratepayers’ Associa- almost impossible odds, generated a great deal tion submitted to the Durban City Council, 30/ of envy, bitterness and anti-Indian sentiments. 5/1958). Indians struggled against discrimination, pov- It took the Hindu community a long time to erty, lack of education as well as political and rebuild their places of worship in relocated ar- civic representation, and religious and cultural eas such as Chatsworth and Phoenix. Economic marginalisation for 130 years. Hindus managed survival and subsistence was a priority in such to survive the economic and political onslaught areas. Religious sites in areas such as Chats- against them primarily because of their com- worth and Phoenix were readily purchased by munity survival strategies. well resourced Christian Churches, fueling a It is well known that apartheid not only sup- conversion to Christianity. These issues were pressed political freedom but also stifled reli- emphasised by the Maha Sabha in its submis- gious choices in favour of a narrow Christian sion to the Truth and Reconciliation Commis- Calvinist agenda which was implicitly anti- sion. Hindu and anti-Islam. In his “Message” on the In the post-apartheid era South Africans en- occasion of the 80th anniversary of the South joy freedom of worship and Hinduism is a con- CHALLENGES FACING HINDUS AND HINDUISM 95 stitutionally recognised religion. A major prob- which has been perpetuated by many of priests. lem is the inability of the democratic state to There is a view that poorly trained and undisci- fulfill its constitutional obligations because of plined priests are primarily responsible for the resource constraints and the challenges of ad- malaise in the Hindu community. In a telling dressing the inequalities of the apartheid era. indictment on priests, Dr Reshma Sookrajh com- Hindus in South Africa are being influenced by mented that the priests being churned out today forces of globalization or the internationaliza- rote sanskrit mantras that they can barely pro- tion of culture - basically a brand of American nounce or explain, and only have a superficial culture which is mass consumption orientated, understanding of scriptures. There is no quality and selfishly focusing on the individual rather control and many believe that they have a birth- than the family and the community. Increas- right to be priests (Post 4-6 October 2000). A ingly adopting western lifestyles and value sys- layperson, Ms Eureka Jaganath, remarked as tems, in the 21st century Hindus in South Africa follows: are retreating from their proud tradition of self- Priests in South Africa, with due respect to help, sacrifice and community upliftment. them, need to get their act together ... I have Many of the new generation Hindu elite, loos- yet to come across two priests who have had ened from the bonds of apartheid that forced the same thing to say about a religious subject. people to live in the same group areas and go to If you speak to ten of them you get 10 different local schools have, like the new Black elite, be- responses - all from one religion (Post, 27-30/ gun to display the most conspicuous forms of 9/00). consumption. More and more religious festivals A survey conducted by Professor Pratap and ceremonies have been usurped as opportu- Kumar revealed that many Hindus in South nities for ostentatious and obscene displays of Africa “seek more reflection oriented religion. wealth. Divorce amongst Hindus is on the in- That is, they are beginning to be more inter- crease. Between 2007 and 2011, according to ested in the study of their philosophies, and so Statistics South Africa, the Indian divorce rate on” (Kumar 2000: 228). In the 21st Century the increased from 5 percent to 6.2 percent. In 2008, youth demand logic and rationality (which Hin- for example, 2008, there were 1802 divorces in duism offers to scientific precision) rather than the Indian community, affecting 1066 children. blind faith. The naive and the ignorant are easy There has also been an increase in cases of child prey for poaching by the advocates of conver- abuse. As families become unstable, the youth sion. In this regard, since 2000, the Purohit are extremely vulnerable, often indulging in al- Mundal of the Shree Sanathan Dharma Sabha cohol and drug abuse, and promiscuity. This is of SA has convened a number of workshops to evident from call-in programmes on radios, let- develop consensus amongst priests relating to ters to local newspapers, as well what the vari- the performance of the various Hindu rituals and ous social and welfare organisations report. ceremonies; promote the professional develop- There is a failure to inculcate a sense of sharing ment of priests; ensure that all priests subscribed and caring amongst the youth and it is clear to a code of conduct; develop a national register that parents, education institutions, and com- of priests; and establish an academy for the train- munity and religious leaders have to focus on ing of priests. The ultimate goal is to organise this as a matter of priority. all Hindu priests under the auspices of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha. ROLE OF PRIESTS One hundred and twenty priests from KZN and Gauteng attended these workshops. There A consolation has been the proliferation of was concern that poorly trained and undisci- religious organisations. With a few exceptions, plined individuals were tarnishing priesthood. these are democratic organisations, rooted in, The priests acknowledged that the concerns of and sensitive to, South African social, political the community were valid, and were keen to put and historical contexts. The formation of new their house in order. There was agreement that organisations to nurture our religion and cul- priests need to subscribe to the highest moral, ture is always welcome. However, there has been ethical and spiritual standards. To this end there a tendency among some of these organisations was unanimity about the need for a common to focus almost exclusively on rituals, a trend syllabus for the training of priests, as well as a 96 BRIJ MAHARAJ code of conduct to regulate those who entered disrepair with suicides, divorce and family mur- priesthood. There was also agreement that ders on the increase in a community known for priesthood was not the exclusive domain of its religiosity. Unlike African families, the In- males who claimed to be ‘Brahmins by birth’. dian family has not been changed much by apart- Priests were urged to be sensitive to the fact that heid or the fight against it. This was because they were functioning in a South African rather there were different levels of oppression under than an Indian context. Many Indian practices apartheid and different responses (Desai and were irrelevant in a South African context. Maharaj 1996). There is a need to turn Hinduism into a vibrant The patriarchal structure meant that although religion which reverberates on all aspects of life, Indian women in South Africa were economi- logically and rationally. This will only be pos- cally active, they were subjected to high levels sible if there is an academy established to train of exploitation in terms of race, class and gen- professional Hindu priests, as well as a body to der, which has continued in the post-apartheid regulate their conduct. era. In addition to their economic functions, women are expected to do all the domestic chores SOCIAL PATHOLOGIES as well as being responsible for rearing chil- dren. There is a traditional view, often endorsed A common feature of the Hindu diaspora in- by religious scriptures that “women were ex- cludes the extended or joint family, as well as pected to play the role of the matyr, subjecting “sharply defined family roles and status based their needs to those of their families or hus- on patriarchy, gerontocracy and the subordina- bands” (Ramnath 2000: 51). As women become tion of the individual to the interests of the fam- economically independent they began to subtly ily” (Jain 1993: 45). The South African experi- challenge patriarchal family structures. Males ence has been no different. Writing of the 1940’s sometimes reacted violently to what they per- Vahed (1995: 177) points out that in Indian ceive as an undermining of their authority. It families, “there were clear guidelines for be- has been suggested that: haviour between men and women, adults and Notions of duty, honour and tradition that youth, and siblings of different ages. Parents and constitute the pillars of Indian social and cul- elders did not have to earn the respect of chil- tural realities disallow Indian women the lib- dren, this was their automatic right since Hin- erty of embracing a personal womanhood that duism gives authority to the old and upper is racially and sexually autonomous, without classes.” fear of social, communal and economic rejec- As apartheid intensified, the authoritarian tion … Indian women as symbolic configura- noose tightened and ‘respect’ was just a respect- tions of ‘Mother India, are allocated the task of able word for oppression of children (even if maintaining racial and cultural purity, and any they were adults) and intense control of all as- deviation from the responsibility of this guard- pects of the children’s lives. When children ianship is an affront to Indian sensibilities that started working the pay packet was handed to is punished by familial and communal isola- the father who meted out a weekly allowance. tion (Balkisson 2004: 8). Young married women were instantly turned The lack of representation of women in Hindu into chattels slaving over the stove, the father- organisations is of concern. The new South Af- in-law, husband, and his unmarried brothers, rican Constitution entrenches the rights of always under the wary eye of the mother-in-law. women and places particular emphasis on their So while the Indian family structure was an outer empowerment. While Hindu women play an bulwark against the ravages of apartheid, in its integral role in religious ceremonies, very few intestines it was a churning mixture of oppres- hold executive positions at an organisational sion, exploitation and abuse (Desai and Maharaj level. This issue must be addressed as a matter 1996). of urgency. Although the extended family has been Another problem area is inter-generational eroded to some extent (Schoombee and Mant- conflict between parents and children. Parents zaris 1986), the Indian family is indeed as tight have great expectations for their children to be and oppressive a unit in the New South Africa economically successful, and often put them as before. Its continuing closedness belies its under considerable stress. Family violence, di- CHALLENGES FACING HINDUS AND HINDUISM 97 vorce and suicide were on the increase amongst member of a powerful transnational association South African Hindus, as well other social pa- that links Hindus all over the world, as well as thologies such as gambling, alcoholism and drug a conduit for the RSS to enter the country. Since abuse. 1996 the RSS has been operating clandestinely Since the days of indenture, an enduring around Durban as the HSS (Hansen 2000).18 sense of shame, guilt, stigmatisation and per- In the complex dialectic relationships be- sonal failure associated with social pathologies tween migration, religion and nationalism, it has meant that the easiest escape route for some has been contended that migration, since it chal- Hindus has often been suicide. Professor Lourens lenges identity, often exacerbates a certain na- Schlebusch from the Department of Medically tionalism expressed by religion (van der Veer Applied Psychology at the Nelson Mandela 1994; Mohammad 1998). The “communal” in- Medical School, UKZN suggested that: fluence of the Sangh Parivaar, however, ap- Young Indians are more likely to commit sui- peared to be rather weak in Durban, and was cide now than ever before. Those killing them- limited to a few individuals. selves are aged between 20 and 29. And even Since the early 1990s elements from the youngsters under 19 were prone to considering Sangh Parivaar made contact with a few South suicide … all ethnic groups are affected by sui- African individuals, mainly businesspersons. cide but numbers among Indians were relatively Contact was also made with some South Afri- higher. Two percent of the suicide victims are can Hindu youths, who received some sponsor- Indians. Schlebusch blames this phenomenon ship for visits to India (and some kind of initia- on high unemployment, affirmative action and tion/indoctrination into the activities of the socio-economic factors (Chetty 2002: 1). Sangh Parivaar). There was also some contact In the post-apartheid era, there was some with, (and possibly support for), South Africans expectation that reconnection with India would studying in India. In July 1996, one such ben- contribute to some form of Hindu renaissance eficiary, Mr Prem Dooken announced his in- in South Africa. tention to establish the South African branch of the VHP in order to HINDU NATIONALISM reintroduce them (Indians) to their roots. Our links with the motherland and our culture had After decades of isolation, economic, politi- been severed during the apartheid regime, we cal and cultural sanctions have been lifted and need to revitalise that relationship. We must South Africans are integrating with the inter- remember that we are not South Africans but national community. Links are also being es- South African Indians … an Indian will always tablished with India. Some reactionary right be an Indian” (Kindra 1996: 4). wing supporters have been responsible for fer- Mr Dooken then proceeded to sing the praises menting ethnic and communal tensions, seek- of the VHP which apparently had more than 120 ing to entrench the caste system, and destroy branches internationally: places of worship in India. A tiny minority of It aspires to promote the noble universal their counterparts have been attempting to es- Hindu values of life all over the world, to tablish themselves in South Africa, and naively achieve this – it develops contacts with and espousing Indian nationalism. organises Hindus living in various countries. The majority of South Africans have no di- It strives to help them fulfil their cultural and rect links with India, except as an abstract, spiri- spiritual aspirations and promote their commu- tual motherland. Since the early 1990s the nities in attaining respectable and affectionate Sangh Parivaar, a combination of right wing relationships with the people of the countries reactionary Hindu organisations which include of their adoption. And evolve ways and means the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to familiarise the Hindu spiritual practices Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Hindu Swayam- amongst the people of the world … (Kindra sevak Sangh (HSS) and Shiv Sena, has grown 1996: 4). in prominence in India and gets considerable Mr Dooken launched a vitriolic attack on the funding from diasporic networks (Prashad Maha Sabha. According to Dooken, the “South 2000). Hosting the World Hindu Conference in African Hindu Maha Sabha and all other reli- South Africa in 1995 was a means to become a gious organizations in the country are ‘Kumbha- 98 BRIJ MAHARAJ karans’ who have only recently got up from one in three persons being affected. The Hindu sleep” (Kindra 1996: 4). The Maha Sabha, rep- community will not be immune to this trend. It resenting the different Hindu organisations, is imperative that priests and other religious warned that “Hindus should be wary about at- leaders educate their congregations about AIDS tempts to establish a branch if the VHP in our in a community that often adopts an ostrich country. Any organisation whose claim to fame mentality to such issues. According to Dr is support for, and participation in the destruc- Krishna Nair there has been an upsurge in HIV tion of a mosque, has no place in our demo- cases in predominantly Indian areas: there is cratic society” (Leader 12/07/96: 6). SAHMS an overall prevalence of two percent HIV posi- raised the following concerns about the pres- tive patients in Chatsworth, 2.2 percent in Phoe- ence of the VHP and its allies in South Africa: nix and a staggering 16 percent in the Stanger i) The VHP is closely allied with the Rashtriya area (Leader 17 November 2000). The rates of Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). infection are probably considerably higher now. ii) The RSS has been described as a sinister According to Swami Saradananda of the Rama- movement whose members drill in khaki krishna Centre, “several unhealthy social atti- uniform and salute saffron flags that stand tudes (or high risk activities) have been respon- for a Hindu and not a multi-religious India. sible, in no small measure, towards the rapid, iii) The VHP and its allies have distorted the spread of AIDS” (Post 18-21 October 2000). history and principles of Hinduism to In an attempt to address the problem, the manipulate the poor and illiterate in India. Maha Sabha commissioned medical academic iv) Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram and Haematologist, Professor Vinod Jogessar to Godse, was a member of the RSS. prepare a paper on the subject. Professor v) It is important that the politics of Indian Jogessar emphasised that no one was immune are not imported to South Africa. The VHP from the disease, and there was a need to em- and RSS are virulently anti-Muslim. In pathise with those who were infected: South Africa there is no conflict between We cannot adopt an indifferent attitude and Hindus and Moslems. vi) There is no place for racial and religious think that it does not exist or that it will never bigots in the new South Africa. touch us. We accept its presence, live clean vii) Progressive Hindus in South Africa will not wholesome lives and see how we can help. As support organisations like the VHP and Hindus, we should not develop judgmental atti- RSS (Leader 12/7/96: 6). tudes towards those infected with HIV (Post, 18- The destruction of the Babri mosque in 21 October, 2000).
Ayodhya in December 1992 had no impact in 2 Durban, and was seen as a purely internal issue Vernacular Language Tensions of India. The relationships between religions, especially Hinduism and Islam, are fairly har- If the first segmentation of Indians in Natal monious in South Africa and this has been sig- was according to regional origins in India, North nificantly influenced by the way in which Indi- and South, these very groups were also subdi- ans participated in the struggle for democracy. vided into linguistic groups (respectively Hindi Hindus enjoy harmonious relations with other and similar languages; Dravidian languages; religions in South Africa, and this has been sig- and Memon, Konkani, Gujarati). Many, but not nificantly influenced by the way in which Indi- all, of the indentured labourers came from the ans participated in the struggle for democracy lower castes of Indian society, at a time when in our country. South Africa has many chal- more than 80 percent of the population of that lenges without getting embroiled in the affairs country was illiterate. It has been suggested that of Kashmir, Ayodha or Shri Lanka. There is no “for transplanted people, intellectual culture and place for racial or religious bigots in the new traditions need a written support for surviving” South Africa. (Singaravelou 1987: 117). It is not surprising that the two processes AIDS described by Singaravelou in the West Indies’ diaspora occurred in South Africa as well: lin- It has been predicted that the scourge of AIDS guistic “homogenisation” (the dialects disap- is likely to ravage the province of KZN, with peared to the advantage of the main vernacu- CHALLENGES FACING HINDUS AND HINDUISM 99 lars - Hindi, Tamil, etc.) and linguistic “ero- national Indian radio station, Lotus FM, plays sion” (decline of the vernaculars vis-a-vis the little south Indian music, and that there was a languages of the dominant groups). As a result similar neglect or bias on television. The man- of the concentration of a great number of Indi- ager of Lotus FM argued that market research ans in the same region (now KwaZulu Natal), had revealed that the majority of the listeners, and the apartheid policy which created a cer- including Tamil speakers, preferred Hindi mu- tain isolation of the “Indian race”, the vernacu- sic. The Tamil Action Group called on the SABC lars seem to have survived a little longer in South “to apologise to the Tamil people for gross dis- Africa. While in 1951 only 6 percent of the In- crimination” and demanded equal airtime for dian South Africans spoke English at home, this north and south Indian music (Govender 2002: increased to 32 percent in 1970, 73 percent in 1). 1980 (Arkin et al. 1989). According to the 1996 census, 94.4 percent of Asians declared English Vegetarianism and Shuddha Certification3 as their home language. Even Gujarati, which for long remained the business language and There are numerous scriptural injunctions the teaching of which was supported by the af- which indicate that vegetarianism was an im- fluence of the Gujarati community, was eventu- portant principle of Hinduism. Some examples ally eroded. This was partly because it was con- include: sidered by Muslims with roots in the state of Avoiding harm to all creatures. . . this is true Gujarat as a language of Hindus. Many of these knowledge. All else is ignorance (Bhagavad- Muslims shifted to Urdu, at least in the reli- Gita 13:8); Nonviolence . . . and mercy to all gious sphere. life forms are the goals of godly persons who The vernacular is still an important marker are endowed with My nature (Bhagavad-Gita of identification even though it may not be spo- 16:1); Having well considered the origin of ken anymore. In this case, it has become the flesh-foods, and the cruelty of fettering and slay- name of a community, not the name of a lan- ing corporeal beings, let man entirely abstain guage as such. It can also include religious fea- from eating flesh (Manusmriti 5.49); You must tures. Pupils spontaneously answer “Hindu” for not use your God-given body for killing God’s their religion, but also “Tamil” or “Hindi”, creatures, whether they are human, animal or which, for them mean:”I am Hindu of Tamil or whatever (Yajur Veda 12.32). Hindi culture”. This is why, with regard to mar- Over the years the Maha Sabha has received riage, a sort of “language endogamy” is to be complaints about supposed vegetarian products found. This linguistic division amongst Hindus containing animal ingredients or contaminants. was very strong in the first half of the century. Hindus make up the majority of vegetarians in There is some differentiation based on re- South Africa, and are required to abstain from gional origins between Hindus of north and all animal products during fasting. Further, with south Indian origin, and this is associated with the considerable growth in vegetarianism in re- the Hindi and Tamil languages, respectively. cent years among Hindus and others, the need This linguistic division amongst Hindus was for a trusted independent certification authority very strong in the first half of the century. This was growing. diminished somewhat in the past thirty years, The Maha Sabha, as the parent body repre- as a result of a significant increase in inter- lin- senting Hindus in South Africa, has taken on guistic marriages. Ironically, in the post-1994 this responsibility. The Shuddha Logo is the period, there has been a resurgence of linguis- official registered trademark of the Maha Sabha. tic divisions in the community where the ma- Food manufacturing companies are also begin- jority neither speak nor understand either Tamil ning to realise the potential of using the logo on or Hindi. Basically, a minority group is being their range of products. Many manufacturers further sub-divided, and in a democracy, num- market their products as vegetarian. Closer in- bers count. vestigation often reveals that such products con- The Tamil speaking community, which forms tain animal fats or additives of animal origin. the largest part of the Indian community in The logo represents the ‘Lotus Flower’ symbol- South Africa, feels culturally marginalised. izing purity and is made available to firms iden- There have been concerns, for example, that the tifying vegetarian foods, after an independent 100 BRIJ MAHARAJ investigation by the Maha Sabha, in consulta- in the Calvinist apartheid era as heathens and tion experts. For a product to be accredited by savages) and their faiths/cultures in South Af- the Shuddha Committee it must meet the fol- rica been portrayed in the national psyche? lowing criteria: The reality is that except for rhetorical hom- i) Free from animal meat, protein, tissue or age on Heritage Day, minority cultures and faiths fat (meat, poultry, fish or shellfish), or bone are largely invisible in South Africa. This can stock, animal or carcass fats, gelatine, be exemplified by the unceremonious closure of insect or extracts from insects or any other the Indian Documentation and Cultural Centre ingredients resulting from slaughter. Derby Street (in favour of Mbongeni Ngema’s ii) Any primary packaging material (edible or commercial venture) and the continuous threats non-edible) used to protect, sell, distribute to eliminate Indian languages from the school food should should not contain any of the curriculum. above, for example, wax coatings on cheese This can be further illustrated by the failure and related foods, sausage casings, etc. to recognize important festivals in the Muslim iii) No pre-treatment of food should contain and Hindu faiths, which have significant ad- any of the above material, even if the herents amongst Indians in South Africa. Given material is extracted or absent from the that it is the dominant faith in South Africa, final end-product. recognition of Christian holidays is important. iv) Contain no eggs. However, the ANC government has failed to v) Cruelty free – no animal testing. declare even one holiday for the minority faiths, vi) Free from alcohol. which would be Diwali and Eid, observed by vii) No cross contamination during the pro- Hindus and Muslims, respectively. It is impor- duction process. If the production line is tant to note that outside India, Diwali is a pub- shared with non-vegetarian products, lic holiday in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, thorough cleaning must be carried out Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, before vegetarian production commences. Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji (the This extends to all associated machinery, majority of these countries have descendents of equipment, utensils, surfaces and clothing, indentured labourers). There are moves afoot to which must remain free from non declare Diwali a national holiday in New vegetarian ingredients before vegetarian Zealand and even the United Kingdom. products are touched, prepared, produced Jay Lakhani of Vivekananda Centre and di- or packaged. Strict procedures must be in rector of education for the Hindu Council in the place to ensure packaging mix-ups and United Kingdom, contended that making Diwali other errors do not occur. a public holiday in the United Kingdom “re- The primary goal of the Shuddha Commit- flects that we live in a pluralistic society and tee is to provide a widely recognized Certifica- that means it is necessary to adopt an inclusivist tion programme which will enable vegetarians approach allowing celebration of other world to make accurate and informed food choices; to religions through public holidays”.4 In the promote the interests, concerns and ideals of United States President Obama has recognized Hinduism and individuals and organizations the significance of Diwali by symbolically light- that choose a vegetarian lifestyle; that they can ing a lamp in the White House. He stated that be confident in their choices and manufacturers Hindus in ‘will celebrate … by lighting Diyas, claims. or lamps, which symbolize the victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. RELIGIOUS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS And while this is a time of rejoicing, it’s also a time for reflection, when we remember those While South Africa is a secular state, Nelson who are less fortunate and renew our commit- Mandela had emphasized that in South Africa ment to reach out to those in need.5 “there shall also be a social order which respects Since 1994, the Maha Sabha has made two completely the culture, language and religious unsuccessful submissions to the ANC govern- rights of all sections of our society and the fun- ment requesting that Diwali be declared a na- damental rights of the individual”. A key issue tional holiday in South Africa, which was also is in what ways have minority groups (viewed supported by the Devasthanam Foundation of CHALLENGES FACING HINDUS AND HINDUISM 101
South Africa (Council of South Indian Temples), within the Asian community itself. Caught be- and the South African Tamil Federation. A joint tween an antagonistic colonial minority govern- submission by the national leadership of the ment and fear of the African masses, the Asians Hindu and Muslim communities may be more confirmed their cultural identity (Desai and effective. Perhaps these submissions should be Maharaj 1996). accompanied by mass action, the only language Racial politics is clearly not the preserve of that the ANC government seems to understands. one community. If Hindus are prone to with- The ANC government has publicly acknowl- draw into their own culture, other communities edged that there was a need to reconsider South are just as much swayed by racial considerations. Africa’s national holidays. Declaring a national In March 1999, the editor of the Inkatha Free- holiday for Diwali and Eid would increase rec- dom (Zulu) Party-owned Ilanga blamed Indi- ognition, respect, reconciliation and understand- ans for continuing to oppress Africans, and ing of South Africa’s religious and multi-cul- wished that “maybe here in South Africa as well tural diversity; translate the noble intentions of an African mother will be blessed to give birth the Bill of Rights and Constitution pertaining to another Idi Amin” (an allusion to the 1971 of to minorities into reality; would go a long way 60 000 Indians out of Uganda by Idi Amin Dada) towards reducing racism, prejudice and xeno- (Ramsamy 2007: 475). In early 2002, interna- phobia; and would promote reconciliation, tol- tionally renowned playwright and composer, erance, harmony and social cohesion. Mbongeni Ngema, released an inflammatory anti-Indian song, AmaiNiya, in the Zulu lan- INTER-RACIAL RELATIONS guage in which he called for “strong and brave men to confront Indians” who “do not want to Almost everywhere, where Hindus, who are change … Even Mandela has failed to convince predominantly Indian, and Black African, as the them to change. Whites were far better than indigenous population is officially categorized, Indians … we are poor because all things have form part of the population, there is the percep- been taken by Indians. They are oppressing tion that Hindus are not merely apprehensive of us…” (Singh 2002: 2). The song was con- Blacks, but likely to observe a caste-like dis- demned by leaders across the political spectrum crimination against them. One could go so far and the South African Human Rights Commis- as to say that Indians have, in some places, shut sion, and was subsequently banned from the air- Blacks out of their moral vision, and invested waves. Ngema responded that as an artist he them with an evil that properly belongs to po- was merely reflecting the views of many Afri- litical and social structures. Indians, because cans: of their phobia of losing cultural identity tend The only way to heel a wound was to open it to be over religious, rigid, conservative, ortho- and clean and that was the painful part … If dox, close and restrictive. This cultural detach- the truth is not spoken and issues are not dealt ment of Asians from the African mainstream with head-on, problems will never be solved. has “indirectly invited or contributed to racial No one has had the guts to voice their feelings discrimination by the natives against Indians, before. I have merely recorded what people are which has later turned into racial atrocity in saying (Singh 2002: 2). several countries after their independence” If Hindus and Hinduism are to survive in (Motwani and Motwani 1989: 3). In the post- South Africa there is an urgent need to revert to colonial era Asians “stood out as discordant, basic values of sharing and caring - uplifting unassimilable citadels of exclusiveness” (Bhatia the poor and disadvantaged in a severely frac- 1973:18). A major challenge for the survival of tured society. Asians in Africa is to reduce and transcend this cultural divide (Bhushan 1989). HINDU PHILANTHROPY By the time East Africa attained indepen- dence Indians were a dominant force in the Scriptures compel all Hindus to engage in economy but were insulated as a community and some form of charity (daan) and social uplift- marginalised politically. While the colonial state ment, according to ability, selflessly, without fostered a collective Asian identity from above, expectation of reward (Nishkhaam Karma). this was reinforced by impulses emanating from Some give money, while others offer time and 102 BRIJ MAHARAJ labour in support of worthy causes. According since January 2004, the Society has com- to the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 17, verse 21) pleted over fifty schools, with three hundred charity that is given as a matter of duty, desir- classrooms in total. The Society is also engaged ing nothing in return, to a deserving candidate in sanitation and water programmes in schools at the right place and time, is called sattvikam. around the province. Currently, Divine Life In South Africa, Hindu philanthropic giving Society of South Africa is building schools in patterns are contextualised within welfare (es- the Okahlamba, Ethekwini, Zululand and South pecially poverty alleviation initiatives and feed- Coast regions. We commend the Society for its ing programmes), culture and knowledge-em- support in trying to relieve the backlog of class- powerment (through planned cultural activities rooms in rural areas. We also want to compli- and the distribution of religious books) and de- ment Divine Life Society for its speedy deliv- velopment and service orientations (the build- ery, quality and cost effectiveness. 6 ing of schools and homes for indigent families). Perhaps also worthy of mention is the con- The outreach work of almost all Hindu organi- struction of the Ganga Baptismal Centre (de- sations has a built-in welfare component, which signed in a way that it is also used for cultural extends beyond adherents (Sookraj 2005). and educational purposes) for the Nazareth Bap- The Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, for tist Church at Ebuhleni in KwaZulu Natal, as example, is involved in numerous humanitar- an example of how the Society’s work extends ian programmes, including child and youth de- beyond pure ethnic, cultural or racial orienta- velopment; Ramakrishna Nutritional Program- tion. Since Africans also worship water, the in- mes (assists 6000 people daily); Ramakrishna put by Divine Life Society was received with Clinic, Phoenix (with over 50 volunteer doc- great appreciation by the Shembe worshippers. tors who treated 8 883 patients in 2011 free of There is a growing networking and co-opera- charge); pioneering AIDS relief work; Rama- tion that goes beyond race, culture and class krishna Legal Advisory Desk; and the GZ (Sookraj 2005). Masingza Skills Development Centre (Inanda). CONCLUSION Reflecting on the work of the Ramakrishna Cen- tre, the Honourable Mr Justice Langa wrote in th South Africa is rapidly being transformed into the Centre’s 70 Anniversary Brochure: a non-racial democracy. Of course, given the Your faith and your actions remind us all that devastating impact of apartheid, this process has we too have a role and a duty to improve the not been without its problems, especially crime, lives of those with whom we share this earth. violence, corruption and abuse. These social Although the resources of government are vast, pathologies appear to endemic, and the Hindu there can never be a substitute for the power of community is not immune. According to Hindu committed individuals volunteering the time, scriptures the era of spiritual degeneration or skills and money for ‘the liberation of the self, Kalyug, is the iron age of industry and com- and the welfare of the world’. merce, and crass materialism, when crime, vio- The Divine Life Society of South Africa is lence and corruption will be rampant. Hindu- currently involved in projects from building of ism, with its eternal focus on righteousness and schools for the disadvantaged sector of the com- the guidance it has receives from the self-real- munity, building 255 homes for displaced Afri- ized, and the disciplined lifestyle it promotes, cans and Indians in Waterloo, Verulam; baptis- is ideally equipped to combat corruption.7 In- mal centres at Port Dumford and Inanda; and deed, a common thread in Hindu scriptures is making of sandwiches for school children at five the call to fight for justice and righteousness. different centres in KwaZulu Natal. Sbu Hindus need to consider ways in which to Ndebele, the premier of KwaZulu Natal, noted contribute towards nurturing and consolidating that this partnership between government and South Africa’s fledgling democracy, as well as the Divine Life Society has been a longstanding assisting in the process of reconciliation, recon- relationship in which the Society had contrib- struction and development. There is a need to uted more than R70 million towards commu- reflect on how the scourges threatening to en- nity improvement projects in the province (Daily gulf South Africa can be overcome. There is also News, 14 September 2005). According to Ina a necessity to reach out to other communities in Cronje, MEC of Education in KwaZulu Natal a way that is not condescending, but out of genu- CHALLENGES FACING HINDUS AND HINDUISM 103
ine concern to shed prejudices and breakdown REFERENCES barriers entrenched by apartheid. This will re- quire prayer and action - of the kind espoused Balkisson J 2004. Fuck Indianness! From