Dear Editor,
This March 2017 marks the Centennial of the official abolition of Indian Indentureship, an era spanning 1834-1917.
Some four million Indians were sent overseas as indentured or girmitya labourers to various countries around the globe.
Their descendants, numbering almost ten million, have been spread out all over the globe. The history and consequences of Indian Indentureship are very important and meaningful to these millions of descendants living in many countries which were the recipients of Indian Indentured labourers — Mauritius (and other islands in the Indian Ocean), Fiji, South Africa and other African countries, Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana, Belize, Guadeloupe, and other territories of the Caribbean region, Malaysia, Singapore and other Asian countries — as well as on USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, France, New Zealand, Australia, etc where the descendants of indentured laborers have settled over the last fifty years. The one hundredth anniversary of the abolition of indentureship, as indeed for any event, is historic and should be commemorated.
A group of individuals met last week in New York to plan the Commemoration of the Centennial of the end of Indentureship with Ashook Ramsaran, formerly of Whim, as Convener. The group met under the auspices of Indian Diaspora Council (IDC) which will plan and execute a series of events around the globe from September thru March.
There is also a plan for a book to be released entitled: Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indentureship: End of an Era of Indian Migration, its Challenges and Progress of the Community.
This book will be a compilation of relevant articles by prominent writers, historians and researchers selected from respective countries to commemorate the centennial of abolition of Indian Indentureship and to provide insights on challenges, progress and achievements during and after that historic era. This keepsake volume is intended to be a historical document for scholars, students, libraries, Indian diaspora researchers and the general public.
Some other planned events are:
Kick-off press conference and seminar: 12 September, 2016 in New York, USA
Recommended Kick-off press conferences and seminars in selected countries: Sep – Oct, 2016.
Release of publication: Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indenturedship: End of an Era of Indian Migration, followed by Challenges and Progress: 2 January, 2017
Conference session at Uttar Pradesh Divas 2017 (Lucknow, India): 4 January, 2017
Panel Session at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2017 (India): 8 January, 2017
Coordinated country commemoration conferences & cultural presentations in at selected (31) Indian Embassies & Consulates in countries impacted: 5 March, 2017. (Cities: Suva, Port Louis, Singapore, Kula Lumpur, Hong Kong, Naypidaw, Sydney, Auckland, Kolkata, Chennai, New Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, Saint Denis, Durban, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Toronto, Orlando, Georgetown, Paramaribo, Port of Spain, Kingston (Jamaica), Kingston (St Vincent), Corozal (Belize), St Georges (Grenada), Castries (St Lucia), Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe), Fort-de-France (Martinique). Other cities would be added as needed.
Global Convention in Port of Spain (Trinidad & Tobago): 18 – 20 March, 2017. Activities to include: Conferences, Break-out sessions, workshops, resolutions, action items team, cultural entertainment, receptions and banquets; recognition awards for notable achievements.
Coordination Teams in every country are being set up. The IDC welcomes the community’s interest and seeks participation in the varied planned activities in this global Commemoration of Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indentureship (CCAII).
IndianDiasporaCouncil.org website is being developed and updated information will be posted on a regular basis.
More details can be obtained from [email protected]
Yours truly,
Dr Vishnu Bisram
