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PRESS RELEASE

29-10-04

BBC explores Indian immigration to South Africa

The BBC Tamil Service, Tamilosai, launches a major new five part-series on Saturday, 30 October, exploring the history of Indian immigration to South Africa in the mid 19th century. The series, ‘Africa Mannil oru Indhiya Kanavu ‘ ( An Indian dream in African soil) looks at the migration and long-term impact of thousands of Indian labourers working in South Africa from 1860, many of them indentured to the sugar cane plantations and coal mines of Natal province.

Producer Ethirajan Anbarasan travelled to Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town to trace the history of Indians in South Africa and see how their descendents live and work in the South Africa of today. Among the histories he explores is Mahatma Gandhi ‘s 21 years living in South Africa. He also discovers what life was like for Indians living in South Africa during Apartheid, when the Indian and South African black communities shared a troubled relationship, which persists today.

Contributors include Mahatma Gandhi ‘s grand daughter, Ela Gandhi, the historian Fatima Meer and the African National Congress activist Ahmed Kathrada who spent 26 years in prison alongside Nelson Mandela and Walter Sislu.

BBC Tamilosai programmes are available on 31, 41 and 49 metres on short wave at 21.15 IST and 21.45 Sri Lankan time. The series will also be available to Tamil-speakers, wherever they are, on the BBC Tamilosai ‘s recently re-launched website bbctamil.com

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For more information contact:

Thirumalai Manivannan, Head of BBC Tamil Service

+44(0)207 2403456; thirumalai.manivannan@bbc.co.uk

Lala Najafova, International Publicist, BBC World Service

+44(0)207557 2944; lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk