18. Narayanan searches for his wife and child

From the book: A Documentary History of Indian South Africans edited by Surendra Bhana and Bridglal Pachai

Narayanan, who worked for a Port Shepstone sugar mill, wrote to the Protector on 7 September 1907 asking for help in locating his wife and child. It seems that nobody had told him that his wife had been sent back with the child on 18 April 1907 because she was found to be an 'invalid'. Source: I.I./2/5, unregistered papers, Natal Archives.

I respectfully beg to ask your honour for help in the following matter.

My name is Narayanan, no. 128851. I arrived here in January of this year, and was allotted to the Umzimkulu Estate Ltd. My wife Chinnama, and child - a girl one month old ”” arrived with me, but she was detained at the depot on account of illness. To this day I am ignorant of the whereabouts of my wife and child, or as to whether they are living or dead.

I have often enquired, week after week, from my employers, and they have said they know nothing about her.

I implore your honour to set at rest the anxiety that I feel as a husband and father by giving me some information as to whether I shall ever see them again.

She was not a concubine, but my legal wife, married in my native village of Thenani, Thirunamallai, North Arcot, and I am therefore suffering day and night untold agony in thinking of my wife and little one.