By Yogin Devan
WHILE critics of in-system politics derided those who served on government-created structures during the apartheid era, Thulkanna Palan was not sidetracked from continuing to serve the community through whatever means possible.
The long-standing Chatsworth community worker died on Tuesday morning from an age-related illness. He was 91. His funeral is scheduled to take place on Saturday. He is survived by his wife and four children.
Palan was born in Umzinto in 1933 and moved to Durban in 1963. After a short stay in Clairwood, he settled in Havenside, Chatsworth.
His son Basil Palan said: “My grandfather arrived in South Africa in 1907 as an indentured labourer to work on the sugar cane farms on the South Coast.
“As a child and teenager, my father was forced to work on the farm during the school holidays. If he had refused to work, his family would have been threatened with being thrown off the farm.”
One of 12 siblings, Palan was the only child to attend high school and receive his senior certificate.
His first job was as a clerk in the motor industry, working for a panel beater. He attended training courses and eventually became the section manager. In 1978, Palan started an estate agency in partnership with a friend.
He took up community work because of the poor service delivery. He was a founder member of the Havenside Civic Association, serving as chairperson over three periods spanning 25 years.
From 1971 to 1984, Palan served on the South Durban Indian Local Affairs Committee and was its chairperson from 1980 to 1983. He also served in the Tricameral Parliament from 1984 to 1994, being elected as part of the first group to serve in the House of Delegates.
“My father believed it was important to get a foot in the door and fight from there for what was rightfully due to the community. Hence, despite being labelled a sell-out by those opposed to the tricameral system of government, my father served to the best of his ability and secured better amenities for the people he represented,” said Basil.
After the end of his parliamentary career, he served on the Interim Council in Durban and was then elected ward councillor for Ward 69 in 1999, where he served for 13 years until his retirement in 2011.
Palan served on the board of management of Chatsworth Child Welfare and was an active member of Friends of RK Khan Hospital.
Mubarak Mahomed, a friend, said: “I have known Thulkanna for about 50 years. He was my neighbour, while we lived in Havenside and later, I become part of the Havenside Civic Association, which he founded in 1962. The association still exists.
“When Chatsworth was established, Thulkanna was responsible for getting all the civic associations together to form the Chatsworth and District Civic Federation. He was a gentle administrator. His morality was beyond approach. He would never get angry with anyone.
“What he did for the community, no councillor would ever do. He used to pick up a mother at her home, take her to the Home Affairs offices to do whatever required to be done, and then take her back home. Thulkanna was fantastic.”
Baldeo Dookie, a friend, who was also a member of the House of Delegates, said: “Thulkanna and I met in 1984, while he served in the Tricameral Parliament. He was very particular in what he wanted to do, in that he argued a lot on behalf of the community for more housing and better living conditions. He was a great friend. I spoke to him last week and he did not sound well. I was sad to hear of his passing.”
The POST