Thaindian News

By Abhishek Roy
Pietermaritzburg, June 30 (IANS) Amidst the hysteria of World Cup football, the historical railway station of Pietermaritzburg, from where Mahatma Gandhi began his journey towards immortality, lies desolate and virtually forgotten.

When the whole of South Africa is drowned in the euphoric madness of the World Cup, even its ripples are not felt in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of Kwazulu Natal province, that lies just 80 km from Durban, one of the nine World Cup venues.

The station of Pietermaritzburg enjoys the status of a heritage, because of its association with Gandhi who began his political journey in South Africa, but this time there are hardly any visitors around.

Patricia, the chief cleaner of the station, is, however, always around and she is disappointed that when the country is overflowing with visitors, none came to visit this historical place.

“We were very excited at the start of the World Cup. We expected a lot of visitors at this historical place, but we are really disappointed,” Patricia told a visiting IANS correspondent.

“The problem is the bad railway connectivity between Johannesburg and Durban. We hope the situation improves in August and we can see a rise in the number of visitors. But we lost an opportunity this time,” Patricia added.

It was from this railway station that Gandhi spread the message of satyagraha, or non-violent campaign in quest of truth, in both India and South Africa. On a chilly morning of June 7, 1893, a young Gandhi was thrown out from a train at this station after he entered into a compartment reserved for whites.

That marked the beginning of Gandhi’s fight against oppression. Gandhi soon became a voice for non-violence struggle for native South Africans, fighting against apartheid.

In contrast to Pietermaritzburg, the nearby city of Durban, which is also in the same province, is buzzing with activity as it is one of the nine World Cup venues.

Gandhi’s love for the beautiful game is folklore among the South African natives, but little known even in India, as he started one of the first football clubs in Johannesburg and Pretoria, known as the Passive Resisters.

But the station of Pietermaritzburg is untouched by football fever. The waiting room is adorned with pictures of Gandhi, though the big clock at the entrance has stopped working.

Only one train, which connects Johannesburg with Durban, passes through the day. In fact there are no trains on Tuesdays.

The Station Master comes in at 2 p.m. in the afternoon and leaves by 10 p.m. The subway connecting the two platforms is kept locked and is only opened 20 minutes before the arrival of the train.

(Abhishek Roy can be contacted at abhishek.roy@ians.in)