RECALLING HISTORY - FORMER INDENTURED LABOURER, SEORAJ RUGNATH, DIES, AGED 106, IN MAY 1973

 
MR SEORAJ RUGNATH – DEATH OF INDIAN AGED 106

 
Paging through my articles that I did when working at the Daily News in Durban between 1973 and 1980, I came across another story about a former indentured labourer passing on at the ripe-old age of 106. The article was published under the headline: “Death of Indian, aged 106,” on May 23 1973.

The story read:

A Durban man, Mr Seoraj Rugnath, who arrived from India as an indentured labourer at the age of 16, died, aged 106, at his Sea Cow Lake home yesterday.
Born in Allabahad, India, Mr Rugnath, came to South Africa in 1883 and worked at a sugar plantation in Cornubia, on the North Coast.
Mr Rugnath later became one of the first bus operators in Durban.
He had seven children and a number of grand-children and great-grand-children.
Mr Rugnath was to be cremated at the Clare Estate Crematorium this afternoon. Ends – Daily News Reporter May 23 1973

 

FOOTNOTE: It would be interesting to know whether the descendants of Mr Rugnath have any knowledge about the arrival, work at the sugar estate and life of their former indentured-labourer ancestor. Any of the descendants who have some information should contact the writer on: subrygovender@gmail.com .