Columnist should keep his opinions to himself

I WAS perturbed to read a column published on the POST newspaper’s Facebook page titled “South Africans of Indian origin should pledge allegiance to SA, not India”. The publication of the said column is abhorrent, deplorable and inappropriate for various reasons as it borders on cultureshaming a marginalised group of people within South Africa.

For one thing, the writer, Edwin Naidu, has erred in his view that South African Indians need to “pledge allegiance” to one country and not the other. By expressing such a woefully ignorant view, Naidu has failed to understand the difference between pledging allegiance to one country and feeling a strong cultural affiliation with another country due to historical injustices.

I am curious to know if Naidu would tell the Muslim community of South Africa to refrain from making their annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Their Hajj represents their deeply religious and cultural affiliation to Saudi Arabia – regardless of whether they were born there or not.

In the same breath, will he also instruct the Jewish community to sever all the ties they may have with Israel?

Or maybe he will demand that the same Jewish community (and the world) erase all reminders of the Holocaust?

What about the French-Canadians, who live in Canada yet still identify as being of French-origin due to their historical affiliation with the European country?

Perhaps his next crusade will be to eradicate the language of French from various North African countries because they were colonised so many years ago that it is no longer significant in the eyes of Naidu.

This alone demonstrates the writer’s gross inability to understand the historical injustices of the past, which have shaped the world we live in today.

He has also failed to take Constitutional freedoms into consideration when formulating an opinion, which is evidenced by his inability to see the world through a broader spectrum.

The POST ought to be ashamed for having employed an individual who not only lacks insight into the world, but who thinks that he can lecture a community as to how they should define themselves.

The Indian community of South

Africa exists because our ancestors were brought to this country, against their will, to serve as indentured labourers. They were taken from their home country, their families, stripped of their culture, traditions and their way of life. They were dehumanised.

Had the writer taken the time to understand the cultural, religious and historical past that has shaped the identity of South African Indians, which is deeply rooted in the injustices that were committed against our ancestors, perhaps he would better appreciate the cultural affiliation that the Indian community of SA has with India.

Naidu need not lecture the Indian community of South Africa about patriotism when he clearly does not even understand the concept of Ubuntu. I am proud to be an Indian and I am equally proud to be a South African, so much so that I studied for and obtained a South African law degree – not an Indian one.

His superiors would be wise in advising him to keep his “opinions” to himself or publish said opinions on his personal social media pages – not in a national publication.

He is further advised to familiarise himself with the rights and freedoms upon which our democracy is built and remind himself that our constitutional epoch was fought for by people who possessed a desire to unify. He preaches about the rainbow nation, but lacks a basic understanding of diversity. His column is laden with undertones of division and incongruity.

If his intention was to establish himself as a controversial writer who pens thought-provoking conversation-starters, he has failed dismally, because it is a rule of journalism to never denigrate the culture, religion, or historical injustices of a person or a group of people. An ethic that he clearly lacks.

With that being said, I wish to bring to your attention the fact that any social media post that is published on a public platform, which brings subsequent harm, violence or threats to a person or a group of people will be classified as inciting hate speech and/ or inciting violence.

As the iconic Nelson Mandela once said: “Those who forget the past are bound to repeat it.”

PAVANIA NAIDOO

Durban North