A bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi now proudly stands at the Anglo-Boer War Museum in Bloemfontein, the capital of South Africa’s Free State province. The statue was created by famous Indian sculptor Ram Vangi Sutar, a Padma Bhushan award winner. It was gifted to the museum by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

The statue was launched on April 11 by Indian High Commissioner Prabhat Kumar. The ceremony also included the release of a documentary and a book that tells the untold story of Indian involvement in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902.

A province that once banned Indians

The Free State, previously known as the Orange Free State, carries a troubled history. For over 100 years, Indians were not allowed to live there under the country’s apartheid laws. Even those just passing through to reach Durban, where many Indian workers first arrived to work on sugarcane farms, needed special permits.

This ban was lifted only in 1994, when Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected president.

The statue of Gandhi is part of a bigger effort by the museum to acknowledge the role of Indians in the Anglo-Boer War—something that had been left out of history books.

“The War Museum in Bloemfontein has the South African Anglo-Boer War as its central theme. This war involved South Africans of all races, including white, African, coloured, and Indian,” said Tokkie Pretorius, the museum’s director.

“The transcript discusses the painful story of Indian involvement in the war now referred to as the South African War, which was previously omitted from history... It is very necessary to emphasise the importance of acknowledging the whole truth in reconciliation and nation-building,” Pretorius added.

By placing Gandhi’s statue in Bloemfontein and sharing the real stories of Indian soldiers and citizens, the museum hopes to promote healing and bring people together. 

 

You might also be interested in - Mahatma Gandhi's Gold-plated glasses sold for $340,000 In UK Auction