Rajbansi deserves the honour

THE letter by Dhayalan Moodley, “Highway renaming sure to be a rocky road” October 3-7), refers.

The author has always been antagonistic towards the efforts of the Minority Front. Hence, we are not surprised by his opposition to this project.

Mr Rajbansi participated in the tricameral parliament and in the House of Delegates to ensure that he could make a difference for the Indian community in particular.

Through his participation, the Indian community received brick houses with running water and electricity, proper sanitation, school buildings with highly skilled and qualified educators, universities, libraries, community halls, parks, access to decent health care and human dignity.

The people of Chatsworth will remember that when they were displaced by the Group Areas Act, they were given shelter in this new development, an initiative of Mr Rajbansi.

The people of Inanda will remember that during those terrible riots, when many lost all their belongings and fled the terror by night with nothing but the clothes on their backs, it was “The Raj” who came to their aid.

Even those from the liberation movement, the likes of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela, who vehemently opposed the tricameral system, praised Raj for his ability to help dismantle the system from within.

Today we have buildings, institutions and monuments in memory of individuals who were colonial slave masters and some who toiled in the struggle for the masses but are recognised because they were black anti-apartheid ambassadors.

It is therefore imperative that we give recognition to those like Mr Amichand Rajbansi, who invested his life so that others could enjoy freedom and liberty. Not only should the highway be named after him but so should the Chatsworth Stadium.