South African Hindus demand end to ‘airbrushing’ of Indian legacy

The South African Hindu Dharma Sabha (SAHDS) is calling on national authorities to stop the “airbrushing” of Indian history in school textbooks and is demanding that the community’s contributions be significantly increased in the revised curricula. President Ram Maharaj highlighted that the current representation of Indians is an “affront” and a “blatant erasure” of their monumental role in building the nation, from their arrival as indentured laborers in 1860 to their active participation in the anti-apartheid struggle. The organization argues that doubling the historical content across all grades is essential to provide an accurate account of the “slave-like conditions” ancestors endured and to showcase how the community turned adversity into success through education and philanthropy. By highlighting key figures like Mahatma Gandhi and various Indian philanthropists who built hospitals and schools, the SAHDS believes a more inclusive history will foster interracial understanding, counter false perceptions of historical privilege, and ultimately strengthen social cohesion and nation-building in South Africa.