Rajbansi: A dream deferred
By Roy Bhoola
As we commemorate the passing of one of South Africa’s most colourful politicians - Amichand Rajbansi - we are reminded of the pertinent truth regarding his legacy and the new era of thought which has permeated the South African Indian Community.
Rajbansi’s rise to the political realm, as the sole fighter for the Indian community during the dark days of Apartheid, will forever be edged in the memory of every Indian man, woman and child as they progress unabatingly in the new South Africa. His reign was therefore unchallenged, his decisions accepted as truth and his leadership unquestioned. He was the ultimate “Bengal Tiger”.
Rajbansi was to the Indian community what Buthelezi is to the Zulus - A lone ranger who unrelentingly fought for his people to be acknowledged as equals within the democratic dispensation. The sordid Apartheid strategy of Divide and Rule, saw leaders emerge to defend and promulgate for the rights of their people. Rajbansi was a product of a time where communities needed fearless leaders. Leaders who would fight the system the best way they knew how, to ensure that their community was liberated from a torrent system of oppression.
Twenty years after the advent of democracy, South African Indians now face a different challenge. The gauntlet of nation-building and re-integration has been placed upon all by former President Nelson Mandela. We now stand, not as a single group fighting only for our own people, but as a Nation of Africans, united in our diversity, striving to make this beautiful country a better place for all who live in it.
Gone are the days of “Divide and Rule” strategies which fed into ethnocentric politics.
More and more youth are identifying firstly as South Africans. An identity which ties them to this land as their home. Social demographics are ushering in a new era of thought and behaviour amongst Indian youth. As a nation, South Africa is undergoing a demographic phenomenon where ethnic, racial, and cultural identities are rapidly being replaced by a “National Identity”, where citizens identify themselves as South African first, while racial categories like Black, White, Indian and Coloured are secondary.
Amichand Rajbansi laid a strong foundation. His tireless work has enabled this new generation of Indians to scanter forth. He cherished the dream of a South Africa where Indian boys and girls would identify with the greater South African Identity.
Today his dream is no longer deferred.
With his passing three years ago, my responsibility became that much greater. Very few understood the bigger picture under which the Raj was operating, and therefore had limited vision regarding the protection of his legacy.
As my mentor and friend, the loss is insurmountable. Having had the honour and privilege of being handpicked by him to serve two terms within National Parliament, gave me a unique insight into what Rajbansi wanted to achieve.
Therefore, I think the most fitting homage we can pay to him, is to carry forth the cause for which he lived and died. To dedicate ourselves to the task of exterminating racism and building human capital. We need to ensure that Rajbansi’s fight was not in vain, so that this new era of thought becomes a living reality and the greatest monument to his life.