Page 4D SUNDAY STABROEK, March 19, 2017 How it started · 2017. 3. 3. · Page 4D SUNDAY STABROEK,...
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Page 4D SUNDAY STABROEK, March 19, 2017 deficiency, of which there is no indication in their countenance, which is often one of intelligence. They are also very docile and easily managed, and appear to have no local ties, nor any objection to leave their country… The best period for procuring and ship- ping the men is in our cold season, between the months of November and April, and the instruction to procure the men should precede the ship about two months, to give time to collect them; we should of course not be able to find a cargo for the ship, but some morghy rice might be sent, which with a little care would keep for three years… The Hill tribes, known by the name of Dhangurs [Dhangars], are looked down upon by the more cunning natives of the plains, and they are always spoken of as more akin to the monkey than the man. They have no religion, no education, and, in their present state, no wants beyond eating, drinking, and sleeping; and to procure which they are willing to labour. In sending men to such a distance, it would of course be necessary to be more particular in selecting them, and some lit- tle expense would be incurred, as also some trouble; but to aid any object of interest to you, we should willingly give our best exertions in any manner likely to be of service. Gladstone was an absentee planter whose plantation would have been man- aged by an attorney, and who may, or may not have known the real conditions that existed there. Whatever the case, the real- ity for the Indians who eventually arrived here was in no way related to Gladstone’s fantasy. The first Indians arrived in British Guiana on board the Whitby and the Hesperus – 396 men, women and children ‒ two years later on May 5, 1838. They included ‘Hill Coolies’ from the Chota Nagpur plateau about 300 miles from Calcutta. Even before this, Indians had been indentured to work in other colonies, including the French territory of Réunion in the Western Indian Ocean, and eventu- ally they could be found in a range of British tropical colonies, as well as in the Dutch colony of Suriname. For the next 79 years—a lifetime—except for two stoppages between 1839 and 1851, about 239,000 Indians were brought to British Guiana, initially on five-year con- tracts, which included transport back to India at the end of their period of indentureship. However, only a minori- ty either chose to return or were actually able to go back. The stoppages came about following complaints about how badly the Indians were being treated and the British government launched enquiries and then appointed immi- gration officials, who were to ensure that the regulations were adhered to. Nevertheless, the exploitation continued and inevitably the Indians in due course were involved in disturbances or went on strike on various plantations. Historians have documented disturbances and strikes at Plantation Leonora, West Coast Demerara in July 1869; at Planta- tions Hague, Zeelugt, Vergenoegen, Uitvlugt, Success and Non Pareil in 1870, and at Plantation Devonshire Castle in 1872. The causes of these strikes were the wide- spread dissatisfaction with long hours of work, reduced pay and deductions from pay along with general ill-treat- ment and abuse. Many Indians were arrested and incar- cerated and some lost their lives. According to Associate Professor Emeritus York College, CUNY, Basdeo Mangru, it was a campaign in India that set the stage for the abolition of Indian inden- ture. It began, he wrote in a letter to this newspaper, with a resolution by Indian nationalist, Gopal Krishna Gokhale that was introduced in the Viceroy’s Imperial Legislative Council in 1910 to terminate emigration to Natal. This was passed the next year and Mr Gokhale then sought another resolution for the prohibition of recruitment of Indian labour for colonial and inland employment. He listed several objections to indenture: an unfair contract which omitted the penal sanctions, high mortality, absence of safeguards, mounting number of court prose- cutions, appalling number of suicides, the degrading posi- tion of Indians who were disparagingly referred to as ‘coolies’. This motion failed, but interest had been drummed up and two years later, indentureship was abol- ished in Mauritius. Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, who served as Viceroy and Governor General to India from 1910-1916, based on reports he received, con- demned the high death rate, the appalling incidence of suicides, mounting planter prosecution and the “inde- scribable sexual immorality” among Indian women which produced a high level of Indian wife murders. He called for the abolition of indenture “to remove a social stigma” which was bitterly resented by Indian educated opinion, Prof Mangru said. Lord Hardinge’s indictment coupled with an intensive anti-indenture campaign and the outbreak of World War I which required Indian ships and labour led to the suspension of indenture on March 20, 1917. The system was officially abolished three years later. How it started From page 2D Vegetable sellers in Georgetown circa 1900
Transcript of Page 4D SUNDAY STABROEK, March 19, 2017 How it started · 2017. 3. 3. · Page 4D SUNDAY STABROEK,...
Page 4D SUNDAY STABROEK, March 19, 2017
deficiency, of which there is no indicationin their countenance, which is often one ofintelligence. They are also very docile andeasily managed, and appear to have nolocal ties, nor any objection to leave theircountry…
The best period for procuring and ship-ping the men is in our cold season,between the months of November andApril, and the instruction to procure themen should precede the ship about twomonths, to give time to collect them; weshould of course not be able to find acargo for the ship, but some morghy ricemight be sent, which with a little carewould keep for three years…
The Hill tribes, known by the name ofDhangurs [Dhangars], are looked downupon by the more cunning natives of theplains, and they are always spoken of asmore akin to the monkey than the man.They have no religion, no education, and,in their present state, no wants beyondeating, drinking, and sleeping; and toprocure which they are willing to labour.In sending men to such a distance, itwould of course be necessary to be moreparticular in selecting them, and some lit-tle expense would be incurred, as alsosome trouble; but to aid any object ofinterest to you, we should willingly giveour best exertions in any manner likely tobe of service.
Gladstone was an absentee planterwhose plantation would have been man-aged by an attorney, and who may, or maynot have known the real conditions thatexisted there. Whatever the case, the real-ity for the Indians who eventually arrivedhere was in no way related to Gladstone’sfantasy.
The first Indians arrived in BritishGuiana on board the Whitby and theHesperus – 396 men, women and children‒ two years later on May 5, 1838. Theyincluded ‘Hill Coolies’ from the ChotaNagpur plateau about 300 miles fromCalcutta. Even before this, Indians hadbeen indentured to work in other colonies,including the French territory of Réunionin the Western Indian Ocean, and eventu-ally they could be found in a range ofBritish tropical colonies, as well as in theDutch colony of Suriname.
For the next 79 years—a lifetime—except for twostoppages between 1839 and 1851, about 239,000 Indianswere brought to British Guiana, initially on five-year con-tracts, which included transport back to India at the endof their period of indentureship. However, only a minori-ty either chose to return or were actually able to go back.The stoppages came about following complaints abouthow badly the Indians were being treated and the Britishgovernment launched enquiries and then appointed immi-gration officials, who were to ensure that the regulationswere adhered to.
Nevertheless, the exploitation continued and inevitablythe Indians in due course were involved in disturbancesor went on strike on various plantations. Historians havedocumented disturbances and strikes at PlantationLeonora, West Coast Demerara in July 1869; at Planta-tions Hague, Zeelugt, Vergenoegen, Uitvlugt, Successand Non Pareil in 1870, and at Plantation Devonshire
Castle in 1872. The causes of these strikes were the wide-spread dissatisfaction with long hours of work, reducedpay and deductions from pay along with general ill-treat-ment and abuse. Many Indians were arrested and incar-cerated and some lost their lives.
According to Associate Professor Emeritus YorkCollege, CUNY, Basdeo Mangru, it was a campaign inIndia that set the stage for the abolition of Indian inden-ture. It began, he wrote in a letter to this newspaper, witha resolution by Indian nationalist, Gopal Krishna Gokhalethat was introduced in the Viceroy’s Imperial LegislativeCouncil in 1910 to terminate emigration to Natal. Thiswas passed the next year and Mr Gokhale then soughtanother resolution for the prohibition of recruitment ofIndian labour for colonial and inland employment. Helisted several objections to indenture: an unfair contractwhich omitted the penal sanctions, high mortality,absence of safeguards, mounting number of court prose-cutions, appalling number of suicides, the degrading posi-
tion of Indians who were disparagingly referred to as‘coolies’. This motion failed, but interest had beendrummed up and two years later, indentureship was abol-ished in Mauritius.
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst,who served as Viceroy and Governor General to Indiafrom 1910-1916, based on reports he received, con-demned the high death rate, the appalling incidence ofsuicides, mounting planter prosecution and the “inde-scribable sexual immorality” among Indian womenwhich produced a high level of Indian wife murders. Hecalled for the abolition of indenture “to remove a socialstigma” which was bitterly resented by Indian educatedopinion, Prof Mangru said. Lord Hardinge’s indictmentcoupled with an intensive anti-indenture campaign andthe outbreak of World War I which required Indian shipsand labour led to the suspension of indenture on March20, 1917. The system was officially abolished three yearslater.
How itstarted
From page 2D
Vegetable sellers in Georgetown circa 1900
