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| Review : The Lotus People (Aziz Hassim) |
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| bismilla |
| 12/19/03 at 05:58:51 |
| The trials and triumphs of the LOTUS PEOPLE First-time author Aziz Hassim makes a hauntingly accurate evaluation of the Indian community, says Nirode Bramdaw in this review of an important new work Aziz Hassim has eloquently crafted one of the most important and incisive literary pieces to emerge in post-apartheid South Africa. His award-winning debut work, The Lotus People, is an epic that charts, in an entertaining and anecdotal format, the metamorphosis of the Indian community from before the turn of the century to the late 1980s. Hassim skilfully juxtaposes the life and times of his protagonists, beginning in the late 1800s - their arrival in a foreign and hostile country - with events a century later. He brings the time warp to a close in a denouement that compels the reader into introspection as he questions, via his characters, the efforts of the Indian community in meeting the denials of their existence and challenging the arrogance of the state. The Lotus People revolves around the household of a Pathan family in central Durban and its struggles to survive in the face of scant inherent and economic resources. It tells how members of the "passenger Indian" community forged unassailable bonds and relied on each other's strengths, making up for individual shortcomings. In this symbiosis, the commercial acumen of the Gujarati complements the martial ability of the Pathan. A strong sense of community and common cause resonates throughout the book, almost to the degree of incredulity at times. The evening gathering of menfolk at streetcorners to exchange views on events of the day and the chance visit by Mohandas Gandhi to address them is told, like much of the book, in vivid detail. Hassim's thorough research into political events of the time comes through readily as he recounts the mass gatherings at Durban's Red Square, where dynamic political and trade union leaders brought it to legend with their stirring speeches of condemnation and calls to resistance. The book details how varied and seemingly obscure characters come together to take on the common enemy of their oppression. From what seems to be a first-hand account, Hassim brings to life the nefarious underbelly of the Durban casbah gangs, like the Victorians, the Crimson League and the Dutchenes, whose deeds are still recalled today, and imbues them with various shades of honour and ability. What unites them all - aside from their illicit enterprise - is their singular support for the liberation struggle and opposition to the regime of the day. He documents also the vicissitudes endured by the Indian community, from the Ghetto Act, 1949 riots and forced removals under the Group Areas Act to the House of Delegates' collaborators, Inanda riots and arrest and murder of political activists by the white regime. Outside of the body politic of the day, Hassim makes a hauntingly accurate evaluation of the entire Indian community. Nithin, a central character, postulates: "There are three types of Indians: there are those that openly defy the system, to the point of losing everything they possess. They deserve our admiration. "There is a second group that is so completely intimidated into servitude that all they have left to fall back on is their dignity. Old man Soobiah in the postal department is a good example. He stoically accepts the reality of his existence and, denying himself even the simplest of pleasures, commits himself to providing the best education possible for his children. He forfeits his own future comforts to the realisation of an all-consuming dream - that his offspring will, hopefully, escape the miserable existence to which he himself has been relegated. He deserves our sympathy. "Then there is the third kind, the despicable wretch who energetically reduces himself to the level where he resembles a clone that not only imitates his oppressors but actually outclasses them in his effort to emulate their behaviour. His every action, even his private thoughts, is solely devoted to obtaining his master's approval. It is by his behaviour that the rest of us are judged. To treat him with contempt is not enough. He should be completely ostracised from our ranks." A considered criticism of Hassim's writing is the usage, in some instances, of highfalutin language in the speech of some of the characters. The use of such language in what is otherwise common parlance distracts to a point. And I don't think the Garach clan would appreciate his spelling of garak either. While Hassim describes the book as a personal catharsis - one that allowed him to vent the years of anger as a first-hand recipient of apartheid injustice - it goes beyond that. In giving readers a graphic insight into the travails of the community over a century, he forces an introspection that is as germane as it is timely. In recounting the history of the community in the book, Hassim argues that, without knowing whence one has come, how would one know where one is heading? In this respect, the book has its greatest value. At a time when the Indian community is both leaderless and saddled with a self-imposed identity crisis, a work such as this offers hope. It is incumbent on us, Hassim insists , to evaluate what each has done to ameliorate the plight brought about by oppression and to further the cause of liberty and justice. He expertly weaves into his tale a climax in which the protagonists are interrogated by their young and evaluate their lives, often misspent in the pursuit of their own survival, rather than that of the collective. While The Lotus People is a must-read for every person of Indian extraction and should be handed down to fupure generations as an heirloom, it cannot be regarded as exclusive. It is of relevance to the broad history of the country because of the sweeping panorama within its covers. It would make a most appropriate school setwork. It celebrates the triumph of a minority resolve over seemingly insurmountable odds without once belittling its subject, a shortcoming of other books of this genre. Source : http://www.suntimes.co.za/2003/11/16/news/durban/ndbn09.asp |
| Re: Review : The Lotus People (Aziz Hassim) |
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| bismilla |
| 12/19/03 at 06:01:50 |
| [slm] i read this book this week and found it highly moving. It gives a rare insight into a history rarely told these days...the part that the Indian community took in building the new South Africa. I found the struggles / racism and Government high handedness in dealing with what it viewed as a threat to it's 'molly-coddled' existence is something that can be found in most countries today when it comes to Muslims. It is a highly recommended read for all Muslims especially, becuase no matter where we are in this world, it seems we only have each other. [slm] |
| 12/19/03 at 06:22:44 |
| bismilla |
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