Indian battle lines and heroes remembered
A MORE than a century-old war memorial was cast into obscurity for many years, but it remains a constant reminder of the contribution made by Indian soldiers and others during some of the country’s famous battles of yesteryear.
By chance, a military veteran, who preferred to withhold his identity, learnt about the forgotten Indian War Memorial in Observatory, Johannesburg, while trawling the internet in 2018.
The monument was built in 1902 to remember Indian soldiers – and camp followers – who served in the Anglo-boer War from 1899 to 1902 with the British army.
The military man immediately connected with other veterans and discussed his find, and soon thereafter they formed the South African Indian Legion of Military Veterans (Sail).
Sail’s main objectives are to preserve and record the military history and heritage of South Africans of Indian descent, interact with other veterans and assist those who had fallen on hard times.
In keeping with their ethos, Sail yesterday honoured some Kwazulunatal veterans and others who served or were associated with the country’s military in the past.
The event, which was staged at Durban’s Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles (formerly Natal Mounted Rifles),
recognised the contributions of more than a dozen men and women.
Vinesh Selvan, Sail’s spokesperson, said yesterday was the first time they had honoured veterans in KZN, having already staged three similar events in Gauteng since their formation in 2018.
“It has taken about four years to get Durban going, while we have done it thrice in Joburg. Most of our members are based in Pretoria and Johannesburg,” he said.
Selvan said that with India being a colony of Britain at the time of the Anglo-boer War, many Indian soldiers were brought to South Africa.
“The Indians were not completely active in the war but were more camp followers, who cared for horses and provided support to the British soldiers.
“Officers from India were mostly white. There were some Indian officers, non-commissioned officers and the rest were camp followers,” he said.
Mahatma Gandhi saw the war as an opportunity to win favour with the British and ultimately alleviate the plight of Indians, in India and in Natal.
While the British and Boers claimed not to have used blacks in their battles, there were occasions when Indians actively fought in Colesberg in the Western Cape.
It was reported that the Indian traders who opposed British rule, provided food rations to the Boer commandos and their families who remained behind on farms while their men went off to war.
It was also stated that the Indian community loaned large sums of money to the Boers to fight the British.
The brochure also touched on how the Indian community had medical auxiliaries doing duty during World War I and that traders and merchants raised funds to kit out soldiers.
During World War II they served in the combined Indian and Malay Corps.
In 1974, the country’s navy enlisted many members from this community for operational purposes as marines.
Warrant Officer Laren Krishan stands out for successfully completing the army’s Special Forces course and joining the elite “Recces” unit, which specialised in counter-insurgency, long-range-reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, hostage rescue, direct action and other operations.
Others from this community opted to join the ANC’S armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, in their bid to topple the apartheid government.
A growing number of recruits enlisted with the army, air force and the military’s medical service in the years before democracy.
When Sherene Rambalee joined the air force in 1987, she became the first Indian woman to do so.
After serving at a South West Africa (now Namibia) border post, Rambalee attained the necessary security clearance and landed a classified registry officer post with the defence ministry in 1993.
Joe Modise became South Africa’s defence minister after the 1994 elections. He appointed Rambalee as his personal assistant, a post that she held until she resigned in 1997 to join her family business.
Rambalee and another veteran, Sam Pillay, were recipients of Sail’s prestigious Order of Merit for lending a helping hand to others in need.
Apart from research and highlighting the accomplishments of Sail veterans, Selvan said they were committed to various projects.
They include producing books on the achievements of veterans and establishing a museum in Durban dedicated to South African Indian military history.
A memorial and a wall of remembrance have been identified as future projects in the city.