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Rahul Gandhi charms South African Indians
Rahul was on a brief visit to South Africa to accept highest honour to his great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru.
Rahul Gandhi, the MP son of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, charmed his way into the hearts of South African Indians at a reception here.
Rahul is on a brief visit to accept on behalf of his mother South Africa's highest honour, the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo (Gold), to his great-grandfather and first prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru.
He met several South African Indians at a reception here hosted in his honour by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Kumar Monday evening.
Although he did not make any address, he endeared himself to all present with his warm approach, and women in particular clamoured to get their picture taken with him, one even remarking that he was a very eligible bachelor.
Two women who were particularly impressed with Rahul's attentive nature were South African Indian historian and writer Shireen Munsamy and Fatima Hajaig, chairperson of the Sub-Committee on International Affairs in the South African Parliament.
Munsamy presented him with a copy of her book outlining the history of Indians who first arrived here as tillers of the land to eventually become landowners.
"He showed great interest in some of the photographs as he glanced through the book, promising to read it in detail later," Munsamy said.
Hajaig showed Rahul an ageing black and white photograph dating back to the early 1950s, featuring her grandfather with Nehru as the prime minister officiated at the opening of a clinic and water works in the village of Kacholi in Gujarat.
"That's my grandfather and your great-grandfather," Hajaig proudly told Gandhi, who studied the picture with keen interest.
Hajaig explained that her grandfather, Mohamed Nagdee, had come to South Africa, but returned to India briefly at the age of 82 to share some of his wealth earned here by setting up community facilities in his ancestral village.
"He actually delayed the official opening until a time when Nehru indicated that he would be available after returning from the Commonwealth Conference," Hajaig told IANS.
The Order of the Companions of OR Tambo to Nehru will be made by President Thabo Mbeki at the Union Buildings ahead of South Africa's Freedom Day celebrations Wednesday.
Nehru will be one of four acclaimed international world leaders who will posthumously receive South Africa's highest national honour. The award has been made in recognition of Nehru's exceptional contribution to the founding of the Non Aligned Movement and for striving for the ideals of equality and justice in the world.
