Crossing the Kala Pani: Cause for ''Celebration'' or ''Commemoration'' 150 Years on? Portrayals of Indenture in Recent South African Writing

Abstract

In 2010, the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from India brought across the Indian Ocean - the kala pani - on the SS Truro in 1860, was marked in a variety of ways by the descendants of those original pioneers. One of the many letters to the press during last year asked whether cultural organisations should be "celebrating" or "commemorating" this anniversary given the harsh conditions under which indentured labour was carried out. This article picks up on this point - to "celebrate" or "commemorate"? - by seeking to assess how the topic of indenture is handled in the local press and also in fictional works of selected contemporary South African writers of Indian descent; for example, Neelan Govender's Girrmit Tales (2008), Rubendra Govender's Sugar Cane Boy (2008), Aziz Hassim's Revenge of Kali (2009) among others. These titles are all recent additions to what could be called a South African plantation literature which is flourishing at present in local writing circles, given perhaps the 150th anniversary mentioned above, but also given a coming of age for South African Indian fiction post apartheid.

Opsomming
In 2010 is die 150ste herdenking van die aankoms van die eerste kontrakarbeiders uit lndie (wat in 1860 aan boord die SS Truro oor die lndiese Oseaan - die kala pani - na Suid-Afrika verskeep is) op verskillende maniere deur die nasate van die oorspronklike pioniers gevier. Een van die baie briewe wat verlede jaar in die pers verskyn het, het bevraagteken of kultuurorganisasies hierdie jaarfees moet "vier" of "herdenk" in die lig van die moeilike toestande waarin die kontrakarbeiders hulle bevind het. Hierdie artikel bou voort op hierdie vraag, naamlik of die gebeurtenis gevier of herdenk behoort te word. Oil probeer vasstel hoe die onderwerp van kontrakarbeid in die plaaslike pers en die fiksiewerk van geselekteerde kontemporere Suid-Afrikaanse skrywers van lndiese afkoms hanteer word, byvoorbeeld in Neelan Govender se Girrmit Tales (2008), Rubendra Govender se Sugar Cane Boy (2008) en Aziz Hassim se Revenge of Kali (2009). Hierdie titels is almal onlangse bydraes tot wat 'n Suid-Afrikaanse plan­tasieletterkunde genoem kan word. Dit is 'n letterkunde wat tans in plaaslike skryfkringe floreer, en is moontlik te danke aan bogenoemde 150e herdenking van die aankoms,of die mondigwording van Suid-Afrikaanse lndiese fiksie in die post-apartheid era.