MRS SAVUNDALAY PADAYCHEE - LIFE OF A SECOND GENERATION DESCENDANT OF INDENTURED LABOURERS WHO REGARDED TAMIL NADU IN INDIA AS HER SECOND HOME.

June 13 2020 A second-generation descendant of indentured labourers, who regarded Tamil Nadu in India as her second home, has died at the age of 93 at her home in the town of Dundee in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Mrs Savundalay Padaychee passed on, on Thursday evening (June 12 2020), and her funeral was held on Saturday, June 13 (2020) under the Corona Virus lockdown conditions. Mrs Padaychee lived in the northern KwaZulu-Natal rural town all her life after her first generation indentured parents, Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender, of Clairwood in Durban married her off at the tender age of 15 to Mr Shunmagum Sunny Padaychee of Dundee.

(MR SHUNMUGAM SUNNY PADAYCHEE - SAVUNDALAY'S HUSBAND) Mrs Padaychee, a small scale business woman, became attached to India after she made her first visit to the land of her ancestors in the early 1980s. She travelled by ship on her first visit but thereafter made regular aircraft trips to purchase Indian clothing to sell them to family and friends in South Africa. During these trips she also had the privilege of meeting a number of Tamil movie actors, including Rajnikanth and Sivaji Ganesan.

MRS PADAYCHEE WITH TAMIL SUPERSTAR, RAJNIKANTH, IN CHENNAI DURING ONE OF HER TRIPS TO INDIA

MRS PADAYCHEE WITH TAMIL LEGENDARY ACTOR, SIVAJI GANESAN. WITH HER IS HER SISTER, SALATCHIE, AND OTTAWA AUNTY “India, over a time, became like a second home to me,” she told this correspondent during several interactions since the early 1990s. Her maternal grand-parents, Kandasami Naiken, and Thanji, had arrived as indentured labourers from the village of Navalpore in the North Arcott District of Tamil Nadu in January 1882. They worked as indentured sugar cane labourers at the Blackburn sugar estate, near Mount Edgecombe, for 10 years. It was here in Blackburn sugar estate that her mother, Muniamma, and aunty, Yellamma, were born.

(Savundalay Padaychee (centre) with her sisters, Salatchi and Patcha.) Thereafter they settled in Dayal Road in the area of Clairwood in Durban after at first travelling to Ladysmith with a white “boss”. Her mother, Muniamma, and aunty, Yellamma, were barely 11 or 12 when they were married. Savundalay was born on 8th of July 1927 in Dayal Road, Clairwood, along with 13 other siblings, 11 of whom who survived to give birth to the greater Muniamma family that numbers more than 500 descendants and stretches 6 generations today. Life was tough for Savundalay and her four other sisters and 6 brothers. She was not allowed to go to school as her parents and elder brothers were of the view that girls should get married as soon as they reached adulthood. Although she did not go to school, she became fluent in the Tamil language and taught Tamil to children in the Clairwood area. She also helped her father and brothers in the family’s market garden as a labourer. During her married life, she continued with her gardening profession and used to travel door-to-door in the Dundee area to sell her vegetables. All the extra pennies went towards helping her husband in supporting the family and seven children. Two of her children became teachers while others became skilled workers. One of her 24 grand-children graduated to become a medical doctor while most of the others and 23 great-grand-children entered various trade, business and professional occupations. Most of the grand-children and great-grand-children have migrated to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, other parts of the country and even to Europe.

Mrs Padaychee also took a great interest in the welfare of the extended Muniamma family and was a regular visitor to the homes of her brothers and sisters in Durban, North Coast and Port Shepstone. She also became a patron and supporter of the Muniamma Family Social Club and used to attend their annual gatherings on the south coast and in Durban. A few years ago, she was one of the last three surviving elders of the Muniamma Family to attend the family history book launch at the Convention Centre at the old Louis Botha Airport in Durban. The two elders who are still around today are her sister, Mrs Amoy Moodley, of Chatsworth and her sister-in-law, Mrs Soundler Govender, also of Chatsworth.

(Mrs Padaychee with her brother, Isaac, sister, Amoy, and sister-in-law, Soundler) She is also survived by her six children – Saro Govender, Jayce Padyachee, Margie Nair, Kogie Naicker, Nelson Padyachee, and Raja Padaychee. One of her sons, Nickel, passed away some years ago. Mrs Padaychee is also survived by 24 grand-children, 23 great-great-grand-children and three great-great-great-grand-children; and more than 400 nephews, nieces, and their descendants. During her long life, Mrs Padaychee has not only been an independent and strong person, but also at the same time she ensured that she was there for all in times of stresses and strains.

In a speech read out at her funeral on behalf of the greater Muniamma Family, one of her nephews, Mr Sadha Subramoney (who is also known as Subry Govender), said Mrs Padaychee’s love for her family and the greater Muniamma Family had been ingrained in her roots, culture and history. “She told me many times that if she had her way she would have settled in the land of her ancestors because of her love for the language, culture and traditions.” She will be sadly missed not only by her immediate family members, grand-children, and other descendants but also by members of the greater and extended family.

The following message by an anonymous American author best describes the memories that the greater Muniamma family had of Mrs Padaychee: “IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, AND A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT IT TAKES AN ENTIRE LIFETIME TO FORGET THEM.” “As we say our last farewells to Mrs Savundalay Padaychee, we know that she will be joining her parents – Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender; and nine other brothers and sisters - Sowabaigium, Nadasen, Chinna Govindsamy, Sooboo Soobramoney, Dick Velayudam, Ruthinsamy Munsamy Isaac, Salatchi, Patcha Mariamah and Peri Boya Percy – her son, Nickel, and other family members - in the heavenly world above. “We are certain they will welcome her with hugs and kisses to join them in the heavenly world.” Mrs Padaychee had a rich life as a second generation descendant of indentured sugar cane Indian labourers. One hopes that other descendants would learn something about her hard early life, her settlement in a rural town for most of her life, and her commitment to her cultures, traditions, and language. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com June 13 2020