Hi friends
Nice to see the interest shown about us SA Indians. Oh I didn't realize Saudi Arabia is also SA!! till I read Krishnaamma's posts.
I've been a bit busy lately and furthermore I don't know where to start I have so much to say.
Let me first answer Kalai. These are my impressions and I will have to generalise also - its not a scholar's article or some ologist's - sociologist, archaeologist, etc. I write from my own experiences and impressions and if I offend anyone, I apologise.
No we are not still indentured, we are free!! and infact after 1994 even freeer! That's when SA became a democratic nonracial country. The indenture contract was for 5 yrs therafter you were supposed to get a free passage back and a bonus payment. Many workers were treated harshly and didn't get that bonus. They complained to the Indian government (or Gandhi on their behalf). But most indentured labourers didn't go back to India because they had crossed the seas which was taboo in their communities and they came from impoverished places (in India) where it had been difficult to make a living initially so they took their chances here - acquring some land - small scale farming of vegetable, working in sugar companies, railways etc. Many young men had run away without their parents permission so how could they go back impoverished. In fact they started doing doing quite well contributing to the economy and frightening the white people who saw them as a threat and competition to their livelihood and riches. They passed some laws to prevent them from participating in business etc which Gandhi helped to fight against.
In time the Indian community became quite succesful as workers, teachers, lawyers, doctors businessmen etc. While we have poverty, unemployment etc we enjoy more comforts than our parents and grandparents who struggled to make ends meet.
In general in the younger generation most people work (women too) if you are fortunately not unemployed. My mother's generation are about the last of the stay home mothers. Our economy is such plus as you get accustomed to more and more material comforts its hard to disentangle.
Our dressing is largely western but we use traditional clothing for prayer functions, weddings etc. Infact we get more Indian clothing now than 20 yrs ago. When I was a kid our parents would buy dresses or get party dresses sewn for weddings etc. The ladies' had their saries but if you saw a youngster with an Indian outfit you'd eye her with envy cos some lucky person in her family went to India! My mother wears a sari almost every day now but when she was young they only had western outfits/ dresses.
There's a wide range on how 'Indian" people are. But when I browze Indusladies I feel we are quite diluted!! Some listen to eastern music, watch Bollywood films etc but you have some people that only listen to western music, films etc.(a big chunk of the youngsters) But for most people its a mix. We've integrated into SAn society and adopted quite a bit of western habits. In KwazuluNatal we made a huge impact, our food also since people of all races know an Indian curry, samoosas and biryani. But our food is different from India food because not having all the ingredients our great grandparents adapted.
For example dosai and idli are only made on occassion and in general Tamil people are good at it. I was shocked to know its a staple diet like almost every day for South Indians. The adaptation was that in large familes when there was no bread cos the workers took it for their lunch mum/ granny made dosai for the kids at home but sweetened the batter with sugar and we had that with tea for breakfast!
Have to run but will update you on the present generation and our habits. Take care all.
Neesha
PS Kalay - many people came from Pondicherry too.
Re: Who is my relative? South African Indian 
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