Hundreds of Indians attempted to make a living on the streets of Durban as hawkers and flower sellers between 1910 and 1948 as they left plantation indentures to find work in the urban environment. An analysis of their history adds to our under-standing of the local roots of racial separation that predated apartheid policy in South Africa. 1 The activities of Indian hawkers brought them into conflict with a local government committed to its white electorate. The primary theme of this article is that of state repression and attempts by Indians to forge …