JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, February 16, 2004: South African Hindus chanted hymns and religious songs as they moved through the streets of Lenasia for Maha Sivaratri, but there were complaints that the annual procession was becoming divided on linguistic lines. Cyril Samuels, vice-president of the Hindu Coordinating Council, which organized the event, said “Despite the huge turnout, it would have been even more successful if all Hindu organizations in the area participated actively. “We find that people from the different linguistic groups, like Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati-speaking communities, have sometimes avoided getting involved.” The two major events that the council arranges annually, the Maha Sivaratri Yatra and the Diwali Concert, provided great opportunities for the kind of unity that was necessary in the Indian community. “We need to move outside these events to get more growth,” he added. A similar Maha Sivratri Yatra was held at Laudium, near Pretoria.
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