Bodasing, Babu
Bodasing, Babu
Born in Gosheekigurh, Agra district of Northern India, circa 1853 and died in Durban on 15th November 1919, also known as Dulel Sing Boodhasing, colonial number 8726, was a prominent sugar cane farmer and landowner on the Natal north coast. The family belonged to the Rajput or military caste. Bodasing arrived in Natal on the immigrant ship Enniore l, which sailed from Calcutta on 1 August 1874 and arrived at Port Natal on 1 September 1874.He was the second son in a poor family of seven children and he became an indentured immigrant for purely economic reasons. He gave the name of his mother, Kissonee Boodhasing, as his nearest relative. Nothing is known about his personal appearance except that, like most of his generation of Indian indentured immigrants, he was short – his height is recorded as 5 foot 2 inches (about 157,48 cm). How much schooling he had is not known, although he was literate and obviously had come from an agricultural background and understood both the value of land and how best to utilize it.
Immediately after his arrival he was indentured to the New Guelderland estate at Groutville on the north coast. The estate, one of the largest in Natal, had been established by T.C. Colenbrander but he was declared bankrupt in 1870; in 1874 when Bodasing arrived it was in the hands of the Glasgow and Natal Sugar Company. However, by 1880 the estate was insolvent again and in 1882 it was taken over by a Matthews, Ash and Stewart. This estate was exceptionally well equipped with milling equipment and machinery necessary to refine sugar for export. Bodasing was allocated to the sugar milling section and spent the entire period of his indenture there, first as a labourer and then, as his leadership qualities were recognized, as a sirdar (a title indicating rank or leadership). He thus had the opportunity to learn all aspects of the sugar industry.
Throughout his time as an indentured worker he saved every penny he could from his wages. In addition he kept back some of his rations each week and sold them to his fellow workers who had families to feed. With the money he accumulated he hired a piece of land adjoining the estate and, working in his spare time, planted it with mealies, ground nuts, tobacco and vegetables, selling the harvest to supplement the rations provided to indentured labourers. As a result of this industry and initiative he found himself in the position to buy land in the Nonoti district (in the vicinity of the Nonoti River to the north of Stanger) as soon as his contract expired. (The contract was for a five-year period. Thereafter the worker was given an option of serving another five years for a free passage back to India, or obtaining his freedom. It is assumed Bodasing did not renew his contract, but chose the last option.)
From the outset he planted sugar cane. To raise the capital he entered into an equal partnership agreement with a Hollander named Frikson. Bodasing ploughed back all profits into the farm, buying more land as the opportunity arose. His next venture was in the vicinity of Dotana Beach near Stanger where he again planted sugar cane. Next he acquired land in the Groutville area not far from New Guelderland. In bad times he was able to survive because he never overextended his resources and in good times he used his profits thriftily. By 1900 he owned several thousand acres under cane, and three acres at Tugela, used for stock farming. By this time he was undoubtedly the largest Indian landowner in Natal and the first independent Indian sugar farmer. He dreamed of opening his own sugar mill but died before he could do so.
With his farming activities established, he began to buy property in Durban and in towns along the north coast, opening trading stores on several of the sites although his main investment was in residential property. He eventually built a large house on his New Guelderland property which he named Delhi. Bodasing was aware of the value of education and began to interest himself in schools for Indian children and for his workers. The first school was opened for workers on his New Guelderland farm. His sons continued his educational work after his death and in 1929 the school was moved to the original Bodasing farm house and named the New Guelderland Government Aided Indian school. Bodasing was also ahead of his time in providing housing for his workers and taking an interest in their welfare.
Bodasing was a staunch Hindu, interested in cultural activities relating to his people, and a firm believer in Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence.
Bodasing apparently married a young Indian girl named Lukkia on board ship on the voyage from Calcutta. Her father was recorded as Subnath (colonial number 7490). Lukkia’s parents were of the Chhattri or warrior/land-owning caste of Northern India and as Chhattri is given as synonym for Rajput the bride was of a caste similar to Bodasing’s – an important fact in the India of the time. Nine children – five sons and four daughters – were born of the marriage. Bodasing and his wife died in the same year, she in June and he in November. A note in the death register states that he was probably the wealthiest Indian-born man in Durban, with extensive property holdings in Stanger.
Article Source and Image: New Dictionary of South African Biography