One hundred years ago yesterday the then Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmsford, formally ended the practice of indentured labour, which started in the 19th century. By the time it all came to a halt a few weeks later, the scheme had been responsible for the emigration of nearly 1.2 million Indians to British colonies in Asia, Africa and the West Indies.
For those who were recruited during its first phase, the conditions faced were barely different from what African slaves endured before them. Mortality on board ships leaving India was high due to poor conditions. Life on the plantations was not much better. Many of those who first arrived in Guyana were simply left to starve in the fields for failing to adhere to a draconian contract. Although improvements were made over the years to protect indentured labourers, conditions remained harsh and contracts lopsided in favour of plantation owners to the very end.
In total, nearly 144,000 Indian indentured labourers came to Trinidad under the scheme–the second largest contingent in the West Indies. Although for the colonial powers of the time, labourers were not seen as human beings but simply as pieces in a production process required to make farms profitable, this group of hard working men and women, living mostly in appalling conditions, far from home and in a strange land, turned out to be a blessing for Trinidad and Tobago.
According to the last census in 2011, East Indians now form, by a very small margin, the largest ethnic group in T&T, followed closely by those of African descent. In third are mixed people–a number of them with direct links to those who came here from French and Spanish former colonies in the Americas. Whites and Arabs, together with the Chinese and Portuguese, many of whom also brought here first as indentured labourers, barely reach one per cent of the country’s population but play their part in shaping the uniquely rich mix that make our country. The vast majority of the people who came to T&T—by force or by choice—had to work hard to survive, often in inhumane conditions. They also shared one powerful common aim: to make life for their families’ next generation better and less painful than theirs.
As we face considerable challenges in our country, from crime to corruption and economic contraction, it’s time to go back to our roots and be inspired by the hard work and determination of those who, against all odds under slavery, indentureship or as economic migrants in a foreign land, not only survived but grew stronger and helped build this young independent nation.
Our melting pot is much more than the combination of roti with blue food, or chutney’s unique blend of East Indian and Caribbean musical concepts. It’s also the combination of centuries of hard work, ingenuity and betterment of younger generations through knowledge and education.
It is our job now to continue with this story of optimism over cruelty, of determination over despondency, and of building on our rich history through ethnic harmony over its destruction through hatred. If we make the right choices, we will overcome the challenges just like our East Indian, African, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabs, Venezuelans and many other did before us on these islands. Failure to do so means not only a poorer future for our children but also a betrayal of the sacrifices made by our ancestors through slavery and indentureship.
