RE-CALLING HISTORY: THE VOICE OF SUMINTHRA - LOVE, CASTE AND ETHNICITY

 

                        THE VOICE OF SUMINTHRA

 

While researching through my files for stories on the Natal Indian Congress in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, I came across an article about a book written by a local author on love, caste and ethnicity.

The book, “The Voice of Suminthra”, was written by Mr Moghamberry Govender  of Durban sometime in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

I was Editor of the Press Trust of South Africa (PTSA) at this time and we had written the story for publication in Indian newspapers through the Press Trust of India (PTI).

The story was published, among others, by the Indian Express under the headline: “Call to ban book by SA Indian” and The Hindu under the headline: “Controversy in Durban over Indian’s novel” on February 1 1990.

The story read:

Durban, Feb 1 (PTI): Mr Moghamberry Govender, a South African Indian grandfather, has raised the ire of some community leaders over the caste theme and some explicit sex scenes between the two main characters of his first novel, reports PTI.

Mr Govender (61) of Durban deals in the novel, “The Voice of Suminthra”, with a love affair between a rich Gujerati girl and a poor Tamilian forced to leave school because of his family’s financial circumstances.

The young couple face many trials and tribulations and eventually they elope and leave South Africa for India.

The book contains steamy sessions which Mr Govender says are well within the context of the story. But some members of the Indian community have called for the book to be banned.

But in spite of the controversy, Mr Govender has sold 3 000 copies, some of which to Indian school libraries.

Mr Govender says: “I do not consider the book to be dirty. The book is a genuine portrayal of many young couples who have been caught in caste, religion and language problems.” Ends – Press Trust of South Africa Feb 1 1990

 

              INDIAN GIRL IN LOVE MISSING  

 

The book by Mr Govender has resemblance to a real life story that developed in Durban in June 1973.

I was working for the Daily News at this time and covered a development about a young Gujerati-speaking girl who had gone missing after her parents objected to her relationship with a 20-year-old Tamil-speaking boy.

She went missing after applying to the Durban Supreme Court for permission to marry her boy-friend.

This story made headline news and was published on June 14 1973 under the headline: “Indian girl in love missing”.

The story read:

                          

A young Durban girl who applied to the Durban Supreme Court for permission to marry her Chatsworth boy-friend is missing. Twice this week she failed to appear in court.

Miss………………., an 18-year-old Gujerati-speaking Indian girl, applied to Mr Justice Friedman in the Supreme Court last October for permission to marry her 20-year-old Tamil boy-friend, Mr …………, with whom she had been in love for six years. The application was opposed by her parents.

Miss ……. . was granted an order preventing her parents, Mr and Mrs…….. , from removing her from the magisterial district of Durban.

Mr ……… (her boy-friend) is baffled by her disappearance.

He saw Miss ……. . last Friday and she was in a happy mood.

“She was looking forward to the court case because she was confident that permission would have been granted for us to marry.

“I am now frightened for her safety.”

When Miss…….. applied for permission to marry, the application was opposed by her father who claimed that his daughter’s “so-called love is nothing more than a temporary infatuation”.

He said his daughter’s boy-friend belonged to a different group.

He said: “It is important to me and my family that my daughter should marry within the faith, and my experience is that people who marry out of the faith usually reap unhappiness as they are isolated from the community.”

Despite her parents’ objection, Miss …….sought Supreme Court permission.

When the decision was to have been given on Monday, June 11, she failed to appear. The hearing was postponed for the next day, June 12, but she again failed to turn up.

Her disappearance has been reported to the police by both her boy-friend and her parents. Ends – Daily News Reporter June 14 1073

 

        GIRL CAN MARRY IF SHE RETURNS

 

Then three weeks later on July 6 1973 I wrote a follow-up story that her father would allow her to marry her boy-friend if she returned home.

The story read:

 

The father of Miss….. , the Durban girl who disappeared from her  home early last month after her parents objected to her marriage plans, now says she can go ahead and marry if she will return.

Mr ……… . said today although he had originally objected to his daughter marrying her Chatsworth boy-friend, Mr……… , he had changed his mind.

Miss ……. , an 18-year-old Gujerati-speaking Indian girl, sought Supreme Court permission last October to marry her boy-friend. Her parents objected to the application.

Mr …….. . opposing his daughter’s marriage on the grounds that the “so-called love is nothing more than a temporary infatuation”.

Miss ……, however, continued with her application and a decision was to have been given on June 11, but she failed to appear.

Mr …….. . said anyone seeing his daughter should phone the Chatsworth police at 031 – 846644 or contact the nearest police station. Ends – Daily News Reporter July 6 1973

 

After these two stories were published, the families concerned refused to talk to the media. But it appeared that the young couple married and continued with their lives with the full blessing of their parents.