It was a momentous occasion for the members of the 1860 Indentured Labourer Foundation and the community of Verulam when a bronze bas relief plaque and an al fresco mural was unveiled at the corner of Wick and Ireland streets on Sunday, 28 May.
The president of the Foundation, Jaisingh S Singh and media liaison officer, who spearheaded the project, Anand Jayrajh, were among those in attendance at the unveiling. Jayrajh was the one who put forth to the members of the Foundation a long-cherished and personal dream to create something more tangible, durable and enduring to honour the Girmitya Forebears.
He said: “We needed something that will stand as a beacon of hope to the public and posterity that will last and endure long after we all have said farewell to our earthbound existence. Confident that we were capable of mustering sufficient resources in pursuance that dream, I proposed that the Foundation embark on a project to erect a commemorative monument in Verulam. The idea that I put forth was that of a monument in the form of a Bronze Bas Relief Plaque to be erected in Verulam, depicting some critical and relevant aspects of indentured labourers.”
The idea was embraced by the Foundation, established in December 2008 to honour, cherish and preserve the history as well as the heritage of those intrepid and indomitable pioneers. Collectively they took the seminal decision to install a 2.2 meter wide by 1.6 metre high plaque, mounted on the solid mason structure constructed of enforced bricks, at the heart of the Verulam CBD.
Jayrajh said the plaque was completed by the end of April and the mural, done by Durban University of Technology (DUT), was installed on the rear wall of the structure on Thursday, 25 May, ahead of the big reveal.
“The plaque depicts some essential elements of indenture which includes a male labourer in traditional work attire cutting sugar cane in a cane field with a woman sitting on the ground cutting seed canes. There is also a young boy and a young girl helping out on the field and a paddle steamer steam ship is shown in the distant background of the cane field,” said Jayrajh.
He further added that the pedestal in front of the main monument with a brief write-up on indenture was unveiled by Yaga Govender, a member of the Board of Directors of Natal Canegrowers Association and Divesh Govender, the managing Director of Dawns Trucking. The sponsors board on the side of the monument was unveiled by Mr and Mrs Ramauthar, representing Rambros Construction who built the structure.
The unveiling session was followed by a formal function at the Verulam Day and Frail Care Centre which was attended by about 350 guests. “The functions were well received and turned out to be a great success with photographs and congratulatory messages trending on social media. The monument will stand as a long-lasting and tangible tribute to and a reminder of the indentured labourers and their valuable contribution to South Africa as well as its history and heritage,” said Jayrajh.
Ward 106 Councillor Johnson Chetty commended the Foundation for their sterling efforts in getting the desired recognition for their forebears. He said Verulam is one of the oldest towns in KwaZulu-Natal, in which the settlers from India had relocated to over a century ago and therefore it is fitting that the 1860 Indentured Labourers Foundation of Verulam had a vision of creating a commemorative plaque to honour our ancestors who thrived despite the hardships and adversity.
“The Foundation approached me to get municipal approval for a commemorative site at the entrance to Verulam. Working closely with the municipal director of museums, I was able to place the request on the council agenda. At the full council meeting about three years ago, I delivered a motivational speech to council in support of the application. The resolution to grant the site to the Federation was passed unanimously,” said Cllr Chetty.
He added that the federation has proven itself in keeping the legacy of the communities predecessors alive through brochures, seminars and motorcade among other activities. “The crowning glory is obviously the plaque which is of a magnificent quality. I will place the plaque on the municipal tourism list for visitors to the Verulam. I wish the Foundation well on its future endeavours,” Cllr Chetty said.
