Tuesday, September 20, 2016

India



I grew up in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. It has the biggest Indian population of any city outside of India. After studying in London, a 24 year old Gandhi came to the British Colony of Natal to practice Law. There he faced the racial discrimination on trains, in hotels, on sidewalks and in restrictions on dress. He turned to a life of social activism. He returned to India in 1915 where he led the independence movement.  India gained its independence in 1947 in the dismantlement of colonialism that followed World War II. Africa is often over-simplified in speech as a country despite its vast size and population. India is 'only' 3.3 million km2 (v Africa at 30.4 million), but it also has a vast diverse population. In a 2001 census, only about 41% of the population of over a billion were first language Hindi speakers. More continent than country with tentacles of influence that reach all over the world.


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