A monument in Verulam dedicated to the memory of Indian indentured labourers has been vandalised
A monument dedicated to the memory of Indian indentured labourers was vandalised this week, prompting widespread condemnation from community leaders and residents.
The monument, erected by the 1860 Indentured Labourers Foundation, Verulam, was damaged after terra force bricks were allegedly thrown into the fenced enclosure, damaging the pedestal on which the structure stands. The gate lock was also broken, and rubbish was strewn across the site.
The monument is situated at the entrance to Verulam.
Anand Jayrajh, the foundation's president, strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a "callous" and "deeply disrespectful" act against the memory of the thousands of Indian men, women and children who arrived in Natal between 1860 and 1911 under the indenture system.
