Page 170 - EW October 2024

Books

Slavery by THE INDENTURED AND THEIR graphic detail the deceit-
ful girmit innovated by
other name ROUTE: A RELENTLESS QUEST overseas planters with the
FOR IDENTITY
Bhaswati Mukherjee connivance of Raj officials
when slavery ended in the
HIS IS A BOOK RUPA PUBLICATIONS British Empire, and the
which chronicles the Rs.595 Pages 214 hazardous journey of the
Tuse, by indenturing, indentured.
of 1.3 million impoverished Other incisive details
labourers from eastern and of the exploitative girmit
southern India for cultiva- as saviour for the inden- As soon as slavery system are described in
tion in the British-owned tured, flourishing over was outlawed in all progressive chapters. The
plantations in West Indies, time as diaspora. territories of the thumb-print substituting
Fiji and Mauritius. It tells Mukherjee further British empire in for signatures of com-
a grim tale of inhumane comments, in the preface 1834, the practice of pletely illiterate labourers
conditions, both in the which follows, on the for- indenturing labour for providing the girmit
voyage to far flung planta- gotten indentured route, from India began was treated technically “…
tions as well as the tortur- contrasting the slave route as a legal contract between
ous conditions of work which was brought to light equal partners”, one more
they had to endure in alien by Unesco and African a minimum period. The instance of fraudulent
situations. As analysed by states in 2014. However, causes of migration were administration by the Brit-
other scholars, the book the author contradicts that impoverished labour- ish rulers of India. One can
refers to the link between herself with her citations of ers in India’s country- add that this was in accord
the legislation which ended available literature which side faced severe famine with the well-designed
slavery in British territo- abound, very appropriate- (mostly man-made), expropriation of surpluses
ries by 1808 as well as the ly, in her scholarly book. commercialisation of agri- from subordinated colo-
end of ‘apprenticeship’ by Before proceeding culture and huge transfers nies like India.
former slaves in British- further, she highlights of financial resources to Information on the
owned plantations in 1834, how unfair the practice of meet Britain’s overseas journey, which often
and the indenturing of la- indenturing turned out, expenses (titled as ‘home caused fatal infectious
bour, primarily from India, with ‘so-called’ written charges’) — all of which re- diseases such as cholera
starting in 1834 itself. The contracts (girmit) and sulted from policies which along with back-breaking
arrangement implied the migration to undisclosed suited Great Britain. These manual work in the
need to find labour to work destinations, was different conditions made it easy plantations, was gradually
in near servitude condi- in form (but not content) for recruiters (arkatiy) to filtering out to the public
tions so not to interrupt to slavery. entice and trap the poor in England as well as in In-
cultivation in plantations Only one-fifth of the 1.3 for the undisclosed voyage. dia, prompting pressure to
owned by British finan- million recruited between Incidentally, payments end the indenture system.
ciers. 1838 and 1917 (when the to recruiters by higher The anti-slavery lobby in
A diplomat by profes- system ended) returned to officials were made on England and nationalist
sion, Bhaswati Mukherjee India. Thus the perilous the basis of the number groups in India (led in par-
wears the robe of a meticu- conditions of the journey recruited. ticular by Pandit Madan
lous historian in drafting which took a toll on 80 Those lured (or even Mohan Malaviya) forced
the contents of this slim percent of the recruits con- blackmailed or kidnapped) the end of indenturing of
book. She highlights three tinued, despite the promise to join, faced a rough Indian labour in 1917.
specific aspects of her agreed upon in their journey under bleak condi- This history details the
proposed analysis in its contract (or girmit) of tions, which often led to tortuous journey, across
blurb. They include: (a) providing return fare! The death. However, from the the kalapani (ocean)
differential between inden- reasons are documented in British perspective, the which for a large number
tured status and slavery the following chapters. offer of indenture was a re- of Indians was prohibited
(or coolitude) of workers; The deceit implicit in lief, the prospect of a better by caste or religion. The
(b) a need to discover the the so-called girmit was life for the famine-stricken indentured had the least
route (or journey) of the the promise of a better life poor of the subcontinent. idea when putting their
indentured, and (c) the and safe return home on In the chapters follow- thumbprint on a contract
search for identity serving completion of work over ing, the author recounts in that the journey would be

170 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2024