Into That Heaven of Freedom

Through the story of one family, this book captures the history and experiences of the South African Indian pioneers from 1894, when an Ismaili, Jivan Keshavjee, left Kathiawad (Gujarat) and arrived in South Africa, to 1994, when the country attained its multiparty democracy following the release of Nelson Mandela. Keshavjee describes vividly, with a dash of humour and pathos, life in urban South Africa under apartheid and the long struggles for human rights. Using historical sources and numerous remembered anecdotes, he highlights Mahatma Gandhi's early work, which led to the formulation of Satyagraha (Passive Resistance), and Gandhi's interactions with the Indian families that are remembered to this day. The book ends by describing the lives of the exiles in independent Kenya and Uganda?where they were forced out by Amin?and their arrival in Europe and North America. With 60 historical photographs, a family tree, and a facsimile of Mahatma Gandhi's letter to Velshi Keshavjee in 1938, this unique account is not only a multigenerational family history but also a history of the Asians of Africa over a hundred years. With a Foreword by Ahmed Kathrada, leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa.