Johannesburg - The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has come under fire for using the sacred period of Diwali to protest against the controversial Gupta family.
On Saturday sparks flew as individuals and organisations called on the foundation to explain its decision to picket outside the Gupta’s Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg on Friday night.
Diwali/Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights synonymous with the triumph of good over evil, is celebrated over a five day period, which started on Friday.
Neeshan Balton, spokesperson for the foundation, said they felt that the timing was relevant given the global momentum under way to hold the three brothers to account for their deeds.
He said the Guptas had used Diwali for nefarious purposes.
“The Guptas have used Diwali in its most negative form in terms of their lavish celebrations, and we suspect that many of those were used to invite people over and draw them into the state capture network,” he said.
Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta are synonymous with state capture in South Africa and their links to former president Jacob Zuma. Earlier this month, the US Treasury announced that the Guptas and their associate, Salim Essa, were banned from doing business in the US or with any US company.
In a blistering attack, Ram Maharaj, the president of the SA Hindu Dharma Sabha, likened the foundation’s picket to a form of “religious shaming”.
He said Diwali should not be associated with the Gupta family and no inference should be drawn to Hindus and the Gupta’s activities.
“Diwali is a happy occasion and has nothing to do with protest action.
“We don’t need others to ambush our festivals. People must not bring religion into the fray as the Guptas are enjoying protection in Dubai and the government must deal with it using appropriate legal treaties. Do not use religious occasions to highlight failures of government.”
However, Balton said the foundation saw no harm in picketing outside the Gupta compound.
“This is not a religious site, this is not a sacred site for Hindus and for those who want to make it a sacred site, we can only conclude that they would do so because they are in favour of what the Guptas had done or how they abused Diwali.”
Friends of India in South Africa said the picket was a “blatant” attack on Hindus during Diwali and “portrayed all Hindus as Guptas”.
It questioned whether the foundation would do a pre-Christmas protest at Nkandla because Zuma was Christian or protest outside the home of Zuma’s former financial adviser Schabir Schaik during Eid, as he was Muslim.
Before the picket, the World Hindu Foundation-SA said it was disappointed and called on the foundation not to sully the occasion with “the evil that men do”.
Chairperson Pravesh Hurdeen said: “We find the reasons for the protest an insult to the Hindu faith, the Hindu community and the subtle message and perception that clouds this event”
On Saturday, Ashwin Trikamjee, president of the Hindu Maha Sabha, said he received a number of letters.
“The Kathrada Foundation is highly respected. Diwali is a time when light dispels darkness. A simple interaction between the foundation and the individuals concerned would have avoided the anger generated by the picket.
A group of about 80 people had participated in the picket.