I spent the years 1977 to 1983, involved in Anti-SAIC and UDF campaigns, which inspired me to write a number of plays: We 3 Kings, a farce about ‘Indian’ elections, Ikhayalethu, about dispossession, Masks, the search for African identity. One of my revues, The Masterplan, a comic interpretation of separate development and the Tricameral Parliament, was banned in September 1983. My last play Flight from the Mahabarath, written sometime in the 1990s, is a feminist critique of the epic.
In 1994, South Africa became a democratic country but the racism into which we had been socialised did not disappear at the stroke of a pen and writers continue to reflect experiences gained through racial and cultural balkanisation. Consequently, varying racial, ethnic and cultural experiences, do not find affinity across the board. And publishers, concerned only with markets, are unwilling to takes risks with unknown writers. They told me time and again that there was no market for my work so I decided to go into publishing. I have published A Little Book of Tamil Religious Rituals, Stories from the Asiatic Bazaar, Monkey Business by my sister, Seetha Ray, and am working on a book of children’s plays by my brother Seeni Naidoo, a short story that he has written, more short stories, a novel and three novellas and children’s stories that I have written.
Determined to dedicate myself to writing after I retired from teaching in 2000, my first thought was to capture the history of Marabastad (The Asiatic Bazaar), the location in which I had lived as a child. I immediately set about interviewing people who had lived in the location. During my interviews with Sinthumbi Naidoo, he made me aware of his concern that Tamil religious practices were losing their meaning for Tamil South Africans and suggested that I work with his son, Ronnie, a poosari, to put together a manual that explained the meaning of the rites. That is what we did and A Little Book of Tamil Religious Rituals was published in October 2004. In between interviews for my book on Marabastad, I began recording my experiences as a teacher in Limpopo Province and day-to-day happenings, my friendships, my hijacking, a wedding in the family, among other things and compiled a book of short stories, Jail Birds and Others , which was published in December 2004. Soon afterwards, I completed Stories from the Asiatic Bazaar and it was published in 2007. | Religious Rituals |
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I wrote and published A Little Book of Tamil Religious Rituals at the request of Sinthumbi Naidoo, not because I am a religious person but because I am a writer. I have very little understanding of religious customs and rituals and am interested only in the philosophy of religions, all religions. I study the philosophies in order to enhance my understanding of what influences human behaviour. I do not practise or follow any religion. I am not a believer. People who require information about rituals should get in touch with Kerseven Naidoo who has a deep understanding of and interest in Tamil and Telugu religious rituals. His email address is This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Please telephone: Ayyappan Temple 012 374 0491/012 333 6000 Pretoria Tamil League 012 370 1250 for dates of rituals. |
Hi MuthalPleased you enjoyed SHOGUN, so did I. I have written a sequel, but no publisher is interested Who published your books??Sincerely Malcolm
i want u to send me apartheid poems
exellent
Thanks for this. I read Steward's book over 50 years ago, and remembered only the broad outline. It is important to remember why so many people supported apartheid for so long -- partly because of spi...