Indo-Caribbean thought

OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to explain IndoCaribbean thought and highlight the contributions of Indians to the Caribbean.

INDO-CARIBBEAN PEOPLES are those who can trace their ancestry to the subcontinent of India. Today, many of the Indo-Caribbean natives still practise the rich heritage of India in relation to cuisine, religion, dance, music, and customs. Between 1845 and 1917, Indians came to the Caribbean after the abolition of slavery to work as migrant labourers based on contracts stipulated through the Indian labour migration trade. Professor Verene Shepherd (1999, p. 123) states that the majority of migrants came from impoverished agricultural castes and the lower castes in general. She further notes that only a minority came from the higher castes of the Brahmins and Kshatriyas. Many who made themselves available for emigration did so because they had been affected by the economic policies of the British rulers in India. These policies caused landlessness, indebtedness and poverty among the villagers who then sought emigration as a solution to their plight.

INDIANS IN THE CARIBBEAN

In his Gleaner article titled ‘Indian civilization-worthy of emulation’, Robert Buddan (2006) posited that the month of May bears great significance for Indians in the Caribbean as it was in this month that Indians first arrived as indentured labourers in countries such as Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Suriname. Interestingly, Labour Day is celebrated in this same month in Jamaica. Even before the abolition of indentureship, the Indian community throughout the region demonstrated a desire to remain a separate ethnic group. Many members saw themselves as transients who were only in the West Indies for a period until they could return to India.

It is a known fact that Indians have made significant contributions in the areas of Caribbean culture, the economy, and politics. Though some scholars such as Dr Sultana Afroz would probably disagree, Indians are known to have brought not just the Hinduism religion to the region, but also Islam. Certain succulent foods that many of us enjoy even today such as jackfruit, betel nut, coolie plum, mango, tamarind, curry, and daal, and roti were all introduced to the Caribbean by the Indian indentured servants, according to historical accounts. Furthermore, Hosay, which is a Muslim Indo-Caribbean commemoration that is popularly observed in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and Jamaica, was also introduced by the East Indians who came. This festival is annually celebrated by the Shiite Muslims in the Caribbean, commemorating the death of Husayn, grandson of Muhammad.

Diwali/Divali, which is a festival of lights, is a legacy of the Indians who came, thus, it is celebrated in the region, particularly Trinidad. With one of the largest East Indian populations in the entire Caribbean region, Divali is the biggest and brightest of all Hindu festivals celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago, with the country boasting one of the largest sites for lighting of diyas outside of India. At dusk, families and friends join together in the tradition of lighting diyas around the home, in yards, open spaces, staircases, and on bamboo stalks bent into innovative shapes and fantastic designs. The hub of all Divali celebrations is held in central Trinidad, which is home to the Divali Nagar, the first Hindu theme park in the world. So tremendous has been the impact of the Divali Nagar that it has inspired Hindu theme parks and other Nagars across the globe. It is observed and celebrated as a national holiday, which unifies the nation in the multicultural, multiethnic and multireligious Trinidadian society. Other religious festivals are Ramadan, Phagwa, and Eid.

The historical background of Indian jewellery takes us back to the history of the country itself as both are almost equally old as it is very rare to find any woman in India who may not have ever loved to decorate herself with jewellery. In India, jewellery has not only traditional and aesthetic value, but is also considered a source of security in times of financial crisis. The amount of jewellery owned by a woman also signifies her status and adds to the riches in her name. Jewellery has covered its journey since the beginning as an evolving art form. The beauty of Indian jewellery lies in the uniqueness of its design and the efforts of the workmanship involved in creating the intricate designs. In the Caribbean, it is seldom that you will find an Indian store that does not sell jewellery. Moreover, the wearing of jewellery has heavily influenced the lives of many other ethnic groups in this archipelago.

Still highlighting the influence of Indians on Caribbean culture, it is interesting to note that the Indian indentured servants were the ones who brought ganja to Jamaica for religious and medicinal purposes. This practice of using ganja has influenced the early tenets of Rastafarianism in the country.

In the area of Caribbean literature, persons such as V.S. Naipaul and Clem Seecharan are some notable authors who have made astronomical contributions. In the late 19th Century, Naipaul’s grandparents emigrated from India to work in Trinidad’s cocoa plantations as indentured servants. Naipaul won the Booker Prize in 1971 for his novel In

a Free State. In 1989, he was awarded the Trinity Cross, Trinidad and Tobago’s highest national honour. He received a knighthood in Britain in 1990, and in 2001, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In terms of sports, Professor Verene Shepherd notes that Indians have also contributed to the development of cricket and horse racing (from grooming to breeding and jockeying) in Jamaica. She further notes that the best-known IndianJamaican-owned stud farm is that of Henry Jaghai in Bushy Park, St Catherine. As it relates to politics, in countries such as Trinidad and Guyana, Indians have formed their own political parties and have been successful during many elections.

In closing, it should be observed that Indo-Caribbean thought highlights the various contributions of the Indian indentured immigrants to the region. Their contributions have helped to shape their identity and to solidify their citizenship in the West Indies.

Sources used:

https://caribbean.britishcouncil. org/programmes/society/ divali-trinidad-tobago

The Caribbean, the Atlantic World and Global Transformation. Editors: J. Jemmott, A. Josephs & K. Monteith. Women in Caribbean History. Shepherd, V. (1999). Nicole Baker is a teacher at Eltham High School. Send comments to kerryann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com.