ribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC) 2017 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.

(ICC) 2017 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)

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Indian Arrival Day

2017 Trinidad and Tobago Volume 18, Number 1

Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

 Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago
by Dr. Kumar Mahabir
On May 30th 1845, the Fath al
Razak docked near the lighthouse in
the Port of Spain harbour in Trinidad
and Tobago. There were 225 im-
migrant passengers on board who
had left India to come to the British
colony to work on the sugarcane
plantations after the abolition of
African slavery. They had spent
103 days at sea, enduring a long
and traumatic journey that spanned
14,000 miles (36,000 km). The
immigrants were contracted to work
for ve to ten years on the sugarcane
estates in a system of indentureship
that nally ended in 1917.
A total of 147,596 Indians came to
Trinidad over this 72-year period.
Although they were promised free
return passage back to India, at
least 75 per cent of them stayed and
settled in the New World. In many
ways, they brought India to the
Caribbean through their religious
traditions of Hinduism and Islam,
and contributed to the transforma-
tion of Trinidad and Tobago into a
colourful, cosmopolitan society.
Descendants of these Indian im-
migrants, who now comprise about
half of the islands multi-ethnic 1.3
The 2005 edition of the ICC magazine on the theme Temples and
Tourism in Trinidad won an Excellence-in-Journalism Award.
ISSN 1683-4143
Volume 18, Number 1.
Publisher:
Indo-Caribbean Cultural
Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
Editor-in-Chief & Chairman:
Dr. Kumar Mahabir
Researcher:
Diana Hosein
Contributing writer:
Nandika Ragbir
Proofreader:
Shivali Naraynsingh
Cover Photo:
Preddie Partap
& Dr. Kumar Mahabir
Cover & page design:
Preddie Partap
Artist:
Hayden Geeawan
million population, commemorate Advertising:
the arrival of their ancestors annu- Ramona Harripersad
ally. The commemoration occurs in & Amrit Ragbir
the form of prayers, speeches, songs, Facilitators:
music, dances and plays which are Shaheed Ali
held in communal as well as public & Alladin Ramroop
spaces. At various beaches, the spirit
of history is invoked with the re- Chief Financial Ofcer:
enactment of the landing of the rst Mera Heeralal
boat-load of pioneers who gave birth Indo-Caribbean Cultural
to the Indian community in Trinidad. Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
The historic day has been a national 10 Swami Avenue, Don Miguel Road,
holiday since 1994. San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean
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The entire month of May has been
Tel/fax: (868) 675-7707
deemed Indian Heritage Month, but
E-mail: dmahabir@gmail.com,
May 30th holds special historical
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signicance. On this day, partici-
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pants gather to honour their ances-
tors who had crossed three oceans Copyright
and travelled halfway around the ICC 2017. All rights reserved.
world to reach the Caribbean. The The writing, artwork and/or photography
descendants gather to pray for the contained herein may be used or
souls of their fore parents, and to reproduced ONLY with written permission
seek guidance and blessings for the of the Chairman of ICC, or his agents.
future. Scholars, teachers, elders Disclaimer:
and activists continue to share their Although all efforts have been made
knowledge of the past as well as to ensure accuracy of the contents of
increase public awareness on this this publication, ICC cannot accept
important aspect of the nations responsibility for errors, omissions or
history and heritage. advice given. The views expressed in this
magazine are not necessarily those of ICC.
Editorial
Historical novels on indentureship in the Caribbean.
A historical novel is a detailed
story which has been set in the
past. It is a blend of history and
ction which sometimes serve to
popularise history itself. Historical
novels belong to the literary genre
of historical ction which includes
other narrative forms such as plays,
poems, songs, movies and comics.
Most people enjoy reading historical
novels more than studying history
books because they gain insight into
the hopes, dreams, fears, failures and
triumphs of characters (e.g. kings,
governors, rebels, etc.). Readers
also catch a rare and privileged
opportunity to peep into the private
lives, minds and thoughts of his-
torical gures through their hu-
manisation. They may also read how
historical novelists challenge the
grand narratives of conventional
historiographies.
Unlike historians, historical novel-
ists provide details of language,
manners, dress, food, furni-
ture, houses, etc. of that period.
Accordingly, they provide a deeper
and more intimate understanding of
the past based on historical research.
However, writers of historical ction
are sometimes questioned and
criticized by historians for the lack
of authenticity.
The thirteen (13) historical novels
highlighted in this magazine include:
(1) Lutchmee and Dilloo: A Study
of West Indian Life by Edward
Jenkins (1877), (2) Those That Be
in Bondage by ARF Webber (1917),
(3) The Jumbie Bird by Ismith
Khan (1961), (4) The Dispossessed
by Clem Maharaj (1992), (5) The
Promise by Sharlow Mohammed
(1995), (6) The Counting House by
David Dabydeen (1996), (7) Ramas
Voyage by Ron Ramdin (2004), (8)
Jahajin by Peggy Mohan (2008), (9)
Chalo Chinidad by Jang Bhagirathee
(2009), (10) Weaving Water by
Ryhaan Shah (2013), (11) Sugars
Sweet Allure by Khalil Rahman Ali
(2013), (12) A Dip at the Sangam by
Reuben Lachmansingh (2014) and
(13) Sangam: The Jhansi Legacy by
Balkrishna Naipaul (2014).
Lutchmee and Dilloo (1877) by
Edward Jenkins is the rst novel to
be published on indentureship in
the Caribbean. It was written by a
white colonial for British readers
at home and in the colonies. The
novel depicts the tensions between
indentured labourers and plantation
administrators in the sugar colony of
British Guiana/Guyana. The second
historical novel is Those That Be
in Bondage which examines the
tyranny of indentureship in Guyana
and Trinidad, and the rebellion
against the system.
Eighty-four (84) years after the pub-
lication of Jenkins novel came The
Jumbie Bird (1961) by Ismith Khan.
It is the rst novel to be written by
an Indian in the Caribbean, not so
much on indentureship, but on the
longing of ex-indentured immigrants
to return home. Unlike most of these
historical novels, this coming-of-
age work of ction is not set in the
sugarcane plantations but in the city
of Port-of-Spain, near (Sir Ralph)
Woodford Square. The second
historical novel on indentureship is
The Dispossessed by Clem Maharaj
which deals with the loss that the
labourers had to encounter when the
sugar plantation went bankrupt.
Also on Indian indentureship in
Trinidad is The Promise (1995)
by Sharlow Mohammed, which is
subtitled, After all Weve Done
for You. The novel details the
broken promises made to indentured
Dr. Kumar Mahabir, Assistant Professor
University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)
Ph.D. Anthropology, University of Florida
Chairman, Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
migrants, of lands where the streets
were paved with gold David
Dabydeen is the rst Guyanese
Indian to write a historical novel on
indentureship. The Counting House
(1996) exposes in explicit detail the
violence, sexual desire, misogyny
and commodication of women
in sugarcane plantations. Like The
Jumbie Bird, the story of Ramas
Voyage by Ron Ramdin unfolds
through the eyes of a boy with
emphasis on a journey by ship from
Calcutta to Trinidad.
Jahajin by Peggy Mohan is the rst
historical novel to be written by
a/n (Indian descended) Trinidadian
woman who wrote the story in India
where she migrated. Chalo Chinidad
may be the rst historical novel on
indentureship to be converted into
a lm. Weaving Water by Ryhaan
Shah is the second historical novel
on indentureship to be written by
a woman. Like Jahajin by Peggy
Mohan, it is a multi-layered work of
art. Both novels are written through
strong female voices that negotiate
their status as women in a world
dominated by men.
Sugars Sweet Allure comprises four
of the thirteen novels on indenture-
ship by Muslims. Not surprisingly,
Khalil Rahman Ali weaves his plot
around the forbidden love between
a Muslim man and a Hindu woman
in a sugarcane plantation in Guyana.
A Dip at the Sangam (2014) and
Sangam: The Jhansi Legacy (2014)
are two of the most recent historical
novels on indentureship. They can
be considered as epics in the canon
of historical novels on indentureship
because they narrate the adventures
of heroic gures and cover an ex-
tended period of time and place.
Greetings from Minister of Community
Development, Culture and the Arts
Dr The Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, MP
On behalf of the Ministry of Community
Development, Culture and the Arts, it is
a pleasure to present this message to the
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd
(ICC). This edition of the magazine com-
memorates 172 years since the arrival of
the East Indians to Trinidad and Tobago.
With the theme of this years edition
being Historical novels on indenture-
ship in the Caribbean, we proudly
acknowledge the reection of the East
Indian arts, religious beliefs, and tradi-
tions on our culture, through the thirteen
(13) novels being highlighted. These
stories depict historical and ctional
characters with traditional cutlery, food, clothes, furniture, houses,
manners, language, etc. in realistic detail.
These literary inuences create a unique expression which is part of our
cosmopolitan Trinbagonian culture.
The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts lever-
ages our culture and diversity as we build resilient and culturally-rich
communities.
We support the preservation of our diverse cultural traditions across
communities in Trinidad and Tobago in many ways. We construct and
maintain community facilities which provide performance spaces for all
indigenous arts throughout the country. Our outreach projects, museums,
cultural training and programming all incorporate and are enriched by
the heritage of our East Indian ancestors.
The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts extends
greetings to the East Indian community and all citizens on the anniver-
sary of Indian Arrival.
Let us continue to embrace our unique culture and heritage in recogni-
tion of all which has made us the nation and people we are today.
It gives me great pleasure to learn that the Indo-Caribbean Cultural
Centre is publishing a commemorative magazine on the occasion of
Indian Arrival Day 2017.
The rst wave of immigration began in 1834 following the abolition
of slavery. To meet the labour shortages in countries forming part of
the then British Empire, Indian indentured labourers were transported
to Mauritius, followed by Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago,
Malaysia and Fiji. Between 1845 and 1917 a total of 143,939 came to
Trinidad.
These migrants underwent untold miseries, extreme hardship and
torture. Many of them died for lack of medical attention. The inhuman
treatment under slave-like conditions did not deter them. With bravery
and fortitude, they recovered from their humiliation and started rebuild-
ing their lives.
The occasion of Indian Arrival is one of commemoration which serves
to remind the Indian Diaspora of the tremendous accomplishments of
their ancestors despite severe hardships. The sacrices made by their
forefathers did not go in vain.
Today, the Indian Diaspora in Trinidad is one of the most vibrant across
the globe. They have produced some of the best writers, medical practi-
tioners, lawyers, sportsmen, musicians, and to an extent, some very good
politicians.
In this context, the commemorative magazine reviewing Historical
Novels of Indentureship in the Caribbean is a timely and commendable
step taken by Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre.
On this occasion, I on my own behalf, and on behalf of the Government
and the people of India, convey my best wishes to the people of Indian
Diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago.

Bishwadip Dey
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

Lutchmee and Dilloo: A Study of West Indian Life

John Edward Jenkins
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Macmillan Education, London.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1877/2003
SYNOPSIS
Dilloo and Hunoomans rivalry over
Dilloos wife, Lutchmee, contin-
ues from India to a sugar estate in
Guiana/Guyana. The rivalry leads to
the planning of an armed rebellion
and a tragic ending.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER III:
THE RECRUITER. Pp. 41-42.
A delighted buzz came from the
throng as this dazzling prospect
was held out to them. It must be
true, they thought, for there was the
chuprass on the breast of the speaker
to vouch for it! Dost Mahommed
pursued his advantage, and conde-
scended to particulars.
All this you may have, and much
more, in lands where the sun is
warm and like the sun of Bengal,
and the water is plentiful and pure
like the streams and tanks of India, every days work. See: here is the and food free of charge. All this
and the earth is richer and more pro- proof! was vouched by the authority of the
ductive than ours; where the mango Governor and Legislature of British
The crowd eagerly leaned forward to
and banana, and breadfruit and rice, Guiana, and certied by a sahib at
look at the paper which he now pro-
and sugarcane and cotton grow. Calcutta, who dated from Garden
duced from the breast of his uniform.
Great English sahibs own these Reach on the Hooghly.
It was in English, but he gave a very
lands, and want labourers like you
free translation of it. Representations
to cultivate them. They are rich and
were thereby made that there was
they are generous. There a man may
a great scarcity of labourers in the
get every day of his life as much or
West Indies; that thither emigrants
little as he likes. The work is easy,
would be carried for nothing; would
like your own garden work, and
receive a bounty of one hundred
for such labour a man or a woman
rupees; would be indentured to kind
can make from ten annas to two
masters; would get house-room
rupees he deliberately counted this
for nothing; when sick would be
extraordinary sum on his ngers as
admitted to an hospital, and there be
he uttered the magical promise for
provided with a doctor, medicines,

BIO DATA OF AUTHOR

John Edward Jenkins (1838-1910) was an attorney, author and politician with the Liberal Party in the UK. He
was born in Bangalore, Mysore in India. Jenkins travelled in 1870 to report on the condition of Indian indentured
labourers in Guiana.

Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017

8 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
Those That Be in Bondage:
A Tale of Indian Indentures and Sunlit Western Waters
ARF Webber
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Calaloux Publications, Trinidad and Tobago.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1917/1988
SYNOPSIS
This historical romance novel is set
in Guyana, Tobago and Trinidad
between 1890 and 1913. It traces
the lives of two generations of white
sugarcane plantation owners. Edwin
Hamilton marries a bare-footed
Indian, Bibi, and has a mixed daugh-
ter, Marjorie, who is in love with
Harold Walton.
EXCERPT FROM THIRD
CHAPTER. Pp. 32-33.
Well, old man, he began, you
are out late tonight. What has gone
wrong? Driver giving your house to
somebody else? Or what?
Sahib, replied the old man, I
BIO DATA OF AUTHOR
Albert Raymond Forbes Webber (1880-1932) was born in Tobago and later joined his father in Guyana who
was in the gold and diamond trade in Bartica. Webber himself grew up in business, working with the Booker
Brothers and later in journalism.
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
10 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
have waited for your return for
many hours. His voice was musical
and he spoke with a correctness of
diction that was remarkable. The
driver will indeed give my house to
another man, for the big Crosby
has spoken, and the paper has
arrived which drives me away. The
Sahib, my friend, will know how
bitter it is that I leave everything.
My cow and kine can walk the
journey with me, but my rice eld
that I worked long and patiently
upon, when the rains came not, must
I leave; and my provision bed must
I also forsake. I have done nothing,
oh Sahib, my friend, yet when I ask
why am I driven away to whither I
may not choose, I am told merely it
is the big Crosbys will, against
which nothing can prevail.
Edwin listened patiently to the old
mans tale of woe, then he answered
with his heart yearning in two
opposite directions: But old man,
perhaps all will be for the best. You
will make new friends, and perhaps
better ones, at the new place. And
then what can I do? As you rightly
say, against the will of the Big
Crosby who can prevail?
Then answered the wily old Afridi:
Against the will of the big Crosby
nought can prevail. But the big
Crosby: he the Lord of all, can be
inuenced. The very big Sahib is
in favour with the big Crosby and
a word spoken is a word of weight:
you Sahib, my friend, are in favour
much with the very big Sahib, for
she of your blood comforts him, and
is the light of his household, there-
fore a good word from you turneth
away wrath. For this have I waited
these many hours, until my daughter,
weary of waiting came to seek me.
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Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
The Jumbie Bird
Ismith Khan
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: MacGibbon and Kee, UK.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1961/1987
SYNOPSIS
The story is based on the childhood
world of Jamini, his childhood
sweetheart Lakshmi, as well as his
father Rahim, a struggling jeweller,
and Jaminis erce, proud grand-
father, Kale Khan who dreams of
returning to India.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER
6. Pp. 78-79.
Out of the crowds and in front of the
Hussay darted a gure dressed in
white annel trousers, narrow at the
bottom, like riding breeches. His feet
were bare, and across his chest he
wore two leather cartridge belts lined
BIO DATA OF AUTHOR
Ismith Khan (1925-2002) was born in Port-of-Spain in Trinidad, in a house near Woodford Square. His grandfather
was a militant Pathan Indian who was wounded by the British colonial authorities during the Hosay/Muharram
massacre of 1884 in San Fernando. Khan migrated to the USA.
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
12 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
with bullets; a revolver was tucked
in at either side. In an instant he
was on the strip with a crack, crack,
crack of his lathi [stick]. Look . . .
is Kale Khan, a man in the crowd
shouted. And they edged up as close
as they could. Let me see if is true .
. . Kale Khan does wear a Tabeej on
his arm when he come to play stick
ght. As the gure turned round to
let someone remove his belts, they
saw the Tabeej, a religious charm
placed in a small silver box which
was tied with a ne black string
around his arm, another paradox
of his Pathan blood. Well, at last
we stickman come! At last we have
somebody to ght with that pissin
tail boy tonight! they said to each
other, boastfully.
The mounted police stood up in their
stirrups to get a better look at the
gure who had roused the crowd.
They watched him jutting his lathi
in the air. The drummers started
beating their drums with a new zeal,
a new pride, which would lead up
to the frenzy of the stick ght. Kale
Khan held his lathi at both ends,
swaying left and right in front of
the Hussay as the drums beat for
him, not glancing once at the dark
boy who challenged the stickman of
Princes Town. The boy stood to the
side now, waiting more sullen now
as Kale Khan preened and paraded
before the Hussay, his head thrown
back, letting the cymbal clashes
peck and pull at his chest-muscles,
letting the drum-beat summon up the
ghting passion in him. The crowd
watched his body begin to quiver,
his arms shaking his lathi from the
wrist pointing it at the dark boy.
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
The Dispossessed
Clem Maharaj
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Heinemann, USA.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1992
SYNOPSIS
The Indian indentured labourers
were forced to work and survive in a
hostile world, not knowing when the
next days meal would come. This is
the story of their lives, their resil-
ience and their ultimate survival.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 1 THE
WORKING MAN. Pp. 3-4.
On leaving the pen, he walked
throught the estate storage yard.
The cane cut during the day was
stacked in large piles waiting to be
loaded on to cane trucks. Adjoining
this was a newly built estate bunga-
low for the white overseer and his
family. A strongly built wire fence
surrounded the yard, patrolled by a
huge Doberman that was allowed
to run free after the days work was
over and until the next one began.
Whenever a person walked near
to the fence, this ferocious animal
BIO DATA OF AUTHOR
Born in Chaguanas in Trinidad, his early life was transient at best. He grew up on a sugar estate in Princes Town
and then attended a Roman Catholic secondary school in Port-of-Spain. In 1967, he migrated to London.
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
14 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
charged, baring its teeth and attempt- mothers calling home their wayward
ing to hurl itself through the wire to children, and chickens being enticed
get at them. Sankar, expecting the by calls of Chick, chick, chick and
charge, xed his strong brown eyes a few grains of rice or corn to come
on the beast and, drawing his shining home to roost. A wry smile came
cutlass, stared at the dog without any across his face, for another days
sign of fear. work was over, and his return was
He walked on to the track, well safe.
kept and gravelled, unlike those of As he walked past the rst ram-
Highlands Estate which had been shackle barracks, he was greeted by
allowed to deteriorate and were a now familiar question. Any wok
nothing more than a mud and gravel going down dey?
mix with large ruts, making walking
on bare feet very uncomfortable.
The setting sun cast its orange glow
over the land. The canes swayed
in a gentle breeze; birds nestled in
the hedges, chirping their evening
song. The soft, cool, late afternoon
temperature mixed with the silence,
creating an atmosphere to relieve
the pressures of the gruelling day.
Sankar made his way home. Nearing
his village, he could hear cries of
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
The Promise
Sharlow(e) Mohammed
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: S. Mohammed, Trinidad and Tobago
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1995
SYNOPSIS
The plot centers on Rati and her
husband, Guha, who both left the
district of Gaya in India to work as
indentured immigrants in Trinidad.
Rati is raped by Emmanuel Chase,
the estate manager. Rati is contrasted
with the courtesan, Indrani.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER
5. Pp. 91-92.
The following Sunday was
Christmas day, and the young mans
rage had not abated one whit. John
Paul knew what was missing; knew
if he were the real master that the
coolie, Guha, would be toiling on a
faraway plantation. The thought of
whipping Rati to know his will had
become a fetish. Aye, instead the
BIO DATA OF AUTHOR
Born in Longdenville in Trinidad, Sharlow Mohammed (1949-present), writes full-time with the support of his
wife. Mohammeds work often voices his own opinions on social themes such as race relations and fundamen-
talist Christian missionaries who raided Hindu Trinidad in the 1970s and 1980s.
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
16 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
woman was rude enough to display
suspicion of the Lords divinity!
Early morning, John Paul was
doling out the extra rations and
rum for Christmas. Mr. Chase had
insisted: Never deny the coolie his
rum, lad. He thought now about
Christine, who had invited him to
share the Christmas lunch.
Outside, the coolies were already
drinking, rowdy to celebrate in their
ignorance. In fact, the Indians were
making fun of the sahibs man-god.
It was big ghanjat [confusion] to
worship this Jesus equally with the
great Bhagavan, whose abode was in
the higher heavens.
For kiss mass? one Indian cor-
rupted, giggling. The others began
to share the joke and, raising their
bottles in the air, shouted: Kiss
mass, Kiss mass! A further Indian,
in great difculty with his tongue,
nally pronounced: Kiss mass?
Now all shouted: Kiss mass, Kiss
mass!
John Paul stared at the barbarians
in horror, before his rage took over.
That the coolies could make fun of
the Christ disparage the nativity, was
more than he could bear. Seizing the
crow-bar, the young man rushed out
the shop. Ay. He looked a demented
man to the suddenly silent Indians,
as he marched toward their barracks.
The young mans rage carried him
straight into the ajoupa [mud hut], to
the Indians murti. John Paul lifted
his crow-bar, smashing the statue of
the idol-worshippers, the pantheists.
Until his rage was spent. Then he
saw Rati, staring at him with eyes
of sheer dismay. John Paul felt no
compunction as he marched past her.
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
The Counting House
David Dabydeen
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Jonathan Cape, London.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1996/2005
SYNOPSIS
Rohini and Vidia, a young married
couple struggling for survival in
India, are seduced by a recruiters
persuasive talk of easy work and
plentiful land. They sign up as
indentured laborers to go to British
Guiana and discover their harsh fate.
EXCERPT FROM PART I:
ROHINI. Pp. 36.
His parents built a hut for cover,
centipedes curled in obscure corners,
worms sheltered under the stones of
other worms. Everything was hiding
from the face of the sun. But why
should he remain as helpless as the
rest of them? No wonder Rohini was
vexed with him, he thought. A wife
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
18 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
should have her own kitchen, re-
side, tawa [baking stone], pot. But he
was empty-handed, owning nothing
he could not make himself. He could
wind a strip of leather around wood
to make a catapult but what was that
but a boys plaything? He could pick
fadu from trees and form them into
a necklace, but she already had an
excess of these from him. The little
box he had made for her and lined
with a strip from his mothers sari
was already crammed with such
boyish gifts. What she needed was
land, house, kitchen, cow, baby, like
Mala.
Malas parents had made a poor
match with a boy from the neigh-
bouring village. They had built him
a hut on their own plot and furnished
it with all the implements Mala
needed to cook food for him. When
Mala became pregnant, the boy went
to her parents and demanded a cow.
She would probably become preg-
nant every year and the boy would
gain more and more of the herd until
they had nothing left. She was their
only child and the shame would be
too much to live with if he deserted
her. Should he have married Mala as
his mother wanted? He discarded the
question hurriedly from his mind.
No, he desired Rohini, even though
she came from a lesser caste. It was
her stubbornness which bound him
to her, her refusal to put up with his
uselessness.
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Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
The Counting House
David Dabydeen
EXCERPT FROM PART II:
KAMPTA. Pp. 124-125.
I aint no bound coolie for ve-year
contract. I can cut loose and leave
today self, Kampta said deantly.
There was a hollowness in his voice
though which made Vidia no longer
startled by his boasts and threats.
Kampta sensed he had lost some
esteem in the eyes of Vidia. Before,
he could shock the boy with his
belligerency, and gain small favours
from him. Vidia would supply small
measures of rum, or cut Kamptas
portion of caneeld whilst he slept.
In return Kampta taught him how
to spell the names of the tools the
coolies used cutlass, hoe, fork,
shovel. One day Vidia would
become the estates accounts-clerk
and he would need to maintain an
inventory to prevent theft from the
BIO DATA OF AUTHOR
David Dabydeen (1955 present) was born in Berbice in Guyana and moved to England with his parents in
1969. He is the author of ve novels, three collections of poems and several works of non-ction and criticism.
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
20 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
workers. He would win favour from
Gladstone for his efforts. Vidia was
glad to exchange a little rum, a little
tobacco and some bundles of cane,
for words which one day would
make him double or triple the money
he spent on Kampta.
So where you will run this time?
Vidia asked.
Run? This time? There was the
slightest trace of contempt in the
way Vidia put the question. I
dont run, Kampta snarled, but the
recollection of cowering in the mud
tempered his anger. The boy had
lost respect for him, in the space of
a few weeks from the time he
arose from the mud, his hair matted,
his penis exposed to the shrieking
laughter of sakiwinki monkeys.
They shook the branches overhead
as he wandered through the bush,
dropping bark, dead leaves, dung;
from the time he resumed work
the next day, borrowing a cutlass,
making excuses for having lost his.
He, Kampta, making excuses! The
gang leader lent him one, puzzled
by his politeness, for before Kampta
would normally have snatched one
out of the hand of the nearest smaller
coolie and claimed it for his own.
All day, and the next, and over the
following weeks he showed up
punctually, working beside them as
an equal, even helping out when they
struggled under the weight of cane,
taking the heaviest bundles to the
punts without demanding favours.
At night he lay in his section of
the hut, not speaking to Miriams
brothers. They kept their silence, not
daring to probe into his behaviour
lest he suddenly reared up at them.
A cornered animal, that is what
Gladstone had turned him into.
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

Ramas Voyage
Ron Ramdin
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Chakra Publishing House, Trinidad and Tobago.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2004
SYNOPSIS
In India, Rama is befriended by two
street children and together they join
a group of migrants on a coolie
ship bounded for the sugarcane
plantations in the Caribbean. During
the voyage, he meets the English
woman, Caitlin Fairweather.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 9. Pp. 171.
SINCE CAITLIN FIRST saw Rama
having breakfast on deck near the
cookhouse, she tried whenever she
could, to be present at this time of
the morning. She had heard Velouti
address him as Rama and, a few
days later, as she mingled with other
children on the deck, she ventured
to call out, Rama! Rama! Please
come! She did not know how much
of the English language he under- a waif. But no ordinary waif. What
stood. She could not tell from the I saw in your face was unlike other
little he had spoken while trying to faced Id seen in London. Thinking
explain Ranis death and gestured she was speaking too fast and too
with her hand that he should come quickly, she stopped for a moment.
forward. She was encouraged London meant nothing to him, and
when he read the sign correctly and her pause made him feel awkward.
walked over to where she stood near But the London experience was dif-
the side of the ship. Once he was ferent, she continued. And anyway,
close enough, she could respond as it was way back in the past.
she saw t. After all, she was dealing
Rama was unsure how to respond.
with a disturbed child, she thought.
He had nothing to say. He looked
Almost immediately, she put a
shyly away, uncomfortable that he
reassuring arm around his shoulder.
was being scrutinised by someone he
Then she sat down and invited him
did not know. He was a little nervous
to sit with her.
of her attention. A white woman,
When I saw you at the immigration fairer than all the white people on
compound, I was deeply moved, she the ship, the whitest person he had
said at last. Your appearance was ever seen.
strangely appealing. You looked like

BIO DATA OF AUTHOR

Ron Ramdin (1942-Present) is a native of Union Park Road in Marabella in Trinidad. In 1962, he migrated to
England where he has lived and worked ever since. He has given guest lectures at Sorbonne in France and at
the University of Seville in Spain.

Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017

22 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

Jahajin
Peggy Mohan
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: HarperCollins, New York City, USA.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2008

SYNOPSIS
The story begins with a glimpse into
the life of a 90 year-old indentured
immigrant, Deeda. She tells two
stories: one about herself and the
other about a female monkey-prin-
cess, Saranga, who leaves her mate
behind to become a human.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER ENTITLED
A CARGO OF WOMEN. Pp. 17-18.
When Kalloo was going on four
years, a drought came. Last years
rice crop was bad, and now no rain
for this years crop to grow, and no
money to buy food to eat. We should
have planted bajra, millet, but again
we hadnt, so we had to depend on
the rice. I was the one cooking every
day, and I could see the rice getting
less and less. I kept thinking, what
will happen to this child if I starve?
Some people had already gone from And that was where I met the ar-
our village, said the village was no katiniya, the lady who was recruiting
kind of place to stay now, best to people to go with her as migrants.
get out of there. Kaa karey ke hoi, She met me on the street, just as
bhaiya? What to do? My mother- I reached, and told me they were
in-law was ready to go too. She had looking for labourers to go to a place
wanted me to come with her and called Chini-dad, a land of chini,
bring the child, but I had said no, I sugar. In Chini-dad there were big
wanted to wait for Kalloos father
estates where they made sugar. They
to come. Then a few days after my wanted labourers to work in the
mother-in-law went to stay with sugarcane elds.
her brother, I started to get worried.
I had to nd work, but what work
was there in the village? So I took
the last few handfuls of parched rice
my mother-in-law had kept aside,
and some sattwa powder, from
roasted channa, and tied them in two
bundles. Then I picked up an extra
sari, and walked with the child to the
town of Faizabad.

BIO DATA OF AUTHOR

A native of Couva in Trinidad, Mohan (1952- present) is of mixed heritage: her white mother is from Canada
and her father, a Trinidad Indian. In 1979 she moved to India. Mohan teaches western music in New Delhi and
continues to write novels.

Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017

24 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
We join the nation
in celebration of this
historic journey...

and its precious cargo

Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

Chalo Chinidad
Jangbahadur Bhagirathee
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Xlibris, Corp., Indiana, USA.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2009
SYNOPSIS
This is a true story of Mohan, an
indentured immigrant to Trinidad,
who wanted to marry his sweetheart,
Sumintra, who was just like his
mother. His son, Suresh, grew up to
become a medical doctor.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER
9. Pp. 116-117.
At 6 a.m. sharp, upon hearing the
sound of the whistle, everyone bent
towards the ground with a crowbar
in hand and I could see cane sapling
spread out across the eld. We began
to transplant the sapling into the hard
ground. It was tough work and we
had to work fast, because the driver
was behind us. We were given a one-
hour lunch break at 12 noon. By this
time I had probably emitted enough
sweat to ll a bucket. Dookhie and I
sat under a tree where he unwrapped
a cloth in which Rajwantie had
placed two rotis with fried Irish po-
tatoes placed inside them. I gobbled The hour had gone very fast after not as sweet as I had previously
the roti and drank a large cup of which we resumed work. The rest envisaged. I felt bitter and cheated.
water. helped to revitalize my body, and I To work everyday like this would be
This was real bullwork. was ready to take on the afternoon a hell of a time, I realized.
shift. The gang continued laborious-
I did not imagine that the work in ly until 4 p.m. when the siren blew,
Chinidad was going to be so tough. signaling the end of the days work.
We were told that the work here We were told we could go home so
was to sift sugar chaale chini. My the four of us walked the mile or so
hands were bruised and my body towards home.
vibrated from the aftershocks of hard
work. Arriving home, I went into my hut
and hit the bed. This was the rst
This is hell, I told myself as I lay time in my life I had worked so hard.
on the ground resting my tired body. I now realize that the work here was

BIO DATA OF AUTHOR

Born in Debe in Trinidad, Bhagirathee (1952- present) became overwhelmed with Indian culture. He became
a high school teacher in Trinidad and later in New York. Bhagirathee is currently pursuing his dream in New
York of directing a lm based on his book.

Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017

26 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
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Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

Weaving Water
Ryhaan Shah
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Cutting Edge Press, London.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2013

SYNOPSIS
In 1917, the last ship taking in-
dentured labourers from India to
British Guiana sets sail, taking with
it Rampat and Parvati, a childless
couple. During a furious storm at
sea, they adopt Neela who is born to
an unwed mother who dies.
EXCERPT FROM PART ONE:
RAMPAT. Pp. 70-71.
His Neela, his little girl, on the arm
of a stranger - not even all the talk
and talk of weddings and wedding
plans made him easy with that
picture, and Neela, herself, always
moved away whenever Parvati
started to talk about it. He would
often nd her sitting somewhere
singing softly to herself, singing
one of those biraha [impromptu]
songs while she combed her long,
red brown hair. He would never
force her to marry, Rampat said to He sat up, and yawned and stretched. canals for the market. The shing
himself. He would let Parvati make The grass was damp with early boats would also be pulling up soon
all her wedding plans if they pleased morning dew and soon the houses on the foreshore, pulling up with
her but he would protect his Neela would stir with life. Oil lamps would their catch of snapper and trout from
forever. There would be talk if she be lit and the women would be up, the sea.
stayed at home, unmarried, but there cooking meals for their husbands
was talk already, talk that she was to take with them to the elds. The
something strange, a water mama, a rst crop of cane had been cut on the
devi [goddess] even, so they could estate and everyone was turning their
bear it. hands to their farms or to shing
Rampat sighed and watched the to ll in the months before the next
sky lighten even more. The canal crop was ready, so the men would
remained still, unrufed, and he did set out before sunup for their vegeta-
not know what to think, whether to ble gardens or paddy elds, or to the
be frightened that she had not re- pastures to milk the cows. Or they
turned as yet, or to simply be patient. would go out with cast nets to catch
sunsh and houri in the trenches and

BIO DATA OF AUTHOR

Born in Berbice in Guyana, Ryhaan Shah (1951- Present) is active in public life as a newspaper columnist and
President of The Guyana Indian Heritage Association. Her rst novel, A Silent Life, won the 2007 Guyana Prize
for Literature First Book Award.

Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017

28 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
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Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
Weaving Water
Ryhaan Shah
EXCERPT FROM PART THREE:
BILLA. Pp. 132-133.
It was true that he still did not know
why she had crossed the kala pani
[ black waters], why she had come
with them to the new world but he
had long accepted that it was her
karma, that she was sent to help
them survive all that lay ahead. They
had need of her for they were to
arrive as strangers in the new land
and he could see how she would be a
continuity, a link between their two
worlds and a reminder of their past,
of the far stretch of history that had
brought them to that moment and to
that journey that was taking them to
the other end of the earth. It was not
a journey they could have under-
taken alone or without the accom-
paniment of prayers and devotions
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
30 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
to the deities, and Billa had stood
before the devi so that her eyes could
look upon him and he had even felt
the need to prostrate himself there
on the deck of the Ganges and to let
her darshan, to let all of the devis
blessings fall upon him.
But the mad mutterings of the
jahajis [shipmates] who had lis-
tened to the sailors readings of the
swollen seas had done their worst
and all about him his shipmates had
shied away from Parvati and the
baby in her arms, had pulled away
and turned their backs on them and
had chanted mantras to keep away
the evil eye. But even if they felt
she was a bad omen, an evil that had
come into the world he knew that
they were not ever going to offer
up a sacrice to appease what they
believed to be the anger of the gods.
And he could not have ever suggest-
ed it, could not have suggested that
they should sacrice even a small
bird to still that anger, and to calm
the worst of their fears. If he had, he
knew how they would have looked
on him with horror.
It was the way of the Hindus from
the north to believe that their poojas,
that their prayers performed with
owers and fruits, with water spilled
from a cracked coconut, and with
crowds of red-throated hibiscus
placed before the feet of the gods
were true measures of their belief
and the depth of their faith. And if he
had told them all that he knew and
how he understood the world, they
would have turned their backs on
him for he was only a Tamil, a South
Indian
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

Sugars Sweet Allure

Khalil Rahman Ali
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Hansib Publications, UK.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2013
SYNOPSIS
In 1843, Mustafa Ali, an 18 year-old
Muslim Indian labourer, is forced
to run away from home after the
discovery of his forbidden love for
Chandini Sharma, his Hindu child-
hood sweetheart. The novel is about
Mustafas journey and the struggle
he endures in Guiana.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 29:
A NEW START. Pp. 175.
That day in the sugarcane eld,
Mustafa was allowed the luxury of
almost complete rest by the gang
who were very pleased that their
new leader had agreed to oversee
the work. He nevertheless, insisted
on pulling his own weight as he had
always done over the last ve years
on the estate. He was always pre-
pared to lead by example. estate. Their words of advice and where a small group of women and
During the break for lunch, Mustafa encouragement rang in his ears, and children had gathered in front of
sat by himself under a tall coconut brought tears to his weary eyes. The Kanhaiyas and Mumtazs room.
tree, and thought about his decision gang resumed working after their They could hear occasional scream-
to stay on in the colony for at least break, and did not disturb him as he ing followed by words of calm. The
another ve years. He wondered eventually drifted off into a midday sick nurse had arrived to tend to her
whether Chandini had indeed waited snooze. new patient, and was trying to help
for his return. Why was there no After a short while, he awoke Mumtaz who was in great distress.
news about her or her family? Did suddenly at the sound of his name.
they abandon him? Would he ever Mustafa! Mustafa! Mustafa!
be forgiven when he eventually Help! It was Kanhaiya running
returned to his village in India? Will speedily towards him. Mustafa,
Chandini still wait for another ve please come now! Its Mumtaz! She
years? is in labour, and in great danger!
Every time he thought about the Mustafa sprang to his feet, grabbed
uncertainties in India, he was able his bag, and without telling his gang,
to appreciate the strength of feel- he sprinted off with Kanhaiya. They
ings everyone had shown him on the soon reached the logie [barracks]

BIO DATA OF AUTHOR

Khalil Ali (1950-Present) was born in Guyana and migrated to the UK in 1970 where he lived for more than
30 years. He worked as an accountant until 2010. Ali is an accomplished Indian singer and composer and has
produced two music CDs.

Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017

32 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
Visit Us Today. Its a Family Tradition. Serving The Nation and Dharma
Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean

A Dip at the Sangam

Reuben Lachmansingh
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: WestBow Press, Indiana, USA.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2014
SYNOPSIS
In 1869, thugs snatch Raja from
his pretty wife and herd him to join
the indentured migrants in Guiana/
Guyana. In his old age, he returns to
India to nd his lost beloved.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER
18. Pp. 192-193.
De Droom, 1879
Once again, Raja found himself in
Georgetown. After hed withdrawn
his savings from Barclays Bank, he
took a long walk along the Atlantic
Seashore. If he accepted the free
land Crosby offered, it would mean
that he was choosing to settle down
in the colony.
He wrung his hands as he tried to
come up with a decision that he
could live with. Setting out from the
dock was a sloop that bobbed with
the waves. He watched the shermen read from a document and pointed to application, he said, You have a
raising the mainsail. If only that ship a blank space. choice between ten acres of acidic
could take me back to my homeland! Under different circumstances, Raja wetlands or three acres of aban-
would have fumed or even laughed. doned farm land in the village of
In the end, realism dictated he De Droom, two miles up the Aciah
change course. His decision would All he could do was sneer. How can
I give up what never existed in the River. He waited for Raja to make a
be a life-changing one. With that in decision.
mind, he walked over to Crosbys rst place? He shook his head as
ofce. I will accept the free land. two clerks signed as witnesses to his
mark.
Instead of inching, a grin spread
across Crosbys creviced face. In the Crosby handed Raja some papers.
presence of another employee, he Ask someone to help you with
opened a vault and retrieved a box, these.
acting as though he were not at all Fed up with the entire situation, Raja
surprised. This is your deposit of took the forms and marched out of
ten crowns, he said, counting the the ofce. Later, the manager at the
coins as he handed them over. Now hotel lled in the blanks for him.
put your mark that you agree to sac- After Crosby had processed the
rice your return passage. Crosby

BIO DATA OF AUTHOR

Reuben Lachmansingh is a graduate in Biology at the University of Toronto. He worked as a civil servant, science
teacher, motelier and entrepreneur. In his free time, he travels the world, practices taekwondo and plays cricket.

Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017

34 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
 SHIN
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Historical Novels on Indentureship in the Caribbean
Sangam: The Jhansi Legacy
Balkrishna Naipaul
PUBLISHER & PLACE OF PUBLICATION: AuthorHouse, USA.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2014
SYNOPSIS
Indentured immigrants, Mataji and
her son, Raju, are both scions of the
legendary rebellious Queen, the Rani
of Jhansi. As a gure in the New
World, Raju quotes from the Bible
and Ramayana with ease.
EXCERPT FROM PART FIVE: HOME
ON THE CARONI PLAINS. Pp. 238.
In a manner of speaking, it was
the rst time in all his travels since
leaving India that Raju really felt at
home. Perhaps the Northern Range,
though excessively beautiful with
its varying colours of green and
elegantly sloping hills, had held him
BIO DATA OF AUTHOR
Balkrishna Naipaul (1940- Present) is the rst cousin of 2001 Nobel Prize winner, V.S. Naipaul. Originally from
Montrose in Trinidad, he was educated at the University of London and later migrated to Canada. He worked
at the United Nations until 1998.
Indian Arrival Day Magazine 2017
36 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
a little too close in its many folding
arms-like the well-intentioned, mul-
ti-armed deity offering benediction
but who, at times, could leave the
devotee frightened. And even though
the Diego Martin River was always
there, it was never close enough -
like the many cascading creeks that
had wayward lives of their own
and which seemed to be constantly
moving away from him for which he
could only take a quick glimpse of
them before they were gone. No, he
missed the roar of the mighty rivers
of the Guianas that, even though
unfriendly at times, they held on to
him, as he did them, with awe.
Strangely enough, the Caroni River
and the Caparo River, though murky
at times, did something for him that
he just could not put his nger on.
Perhaps it was the fertile smell of
enlivened soil mixed with silt, the
soil overowing from the youthful
sugarcane plantations during the
rainy season creating massive ood
plains, and the silt being washed
down from the surrounding moun-
tains to replenish and again revitalise
the lost soil when the rivers and their
tributaries overowed their banks.
Then, in retreat, everything pulled
into its steady course. Other than
this, there was life: there were larger
than life crocodiles, cohabiting with
the less threatening caiman and al-
ligators, especially in the dry season
when they bask on the edge of the
slow-moving waters, or on river
spits that formed small islets.
There was something here about
the rhythm of life that, in a strange
sort of way, did not exist in Diego
Martin: The mountains stood as
sentries, watching over every-
thing without the slightest offer of
reportage.
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Multiple Identities: Essays on Caribbean Literature
by Kumar Mahabir
Dr Kumar Mahabir is an Assistant Professor at the
This collection of ten essays focuses
University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).
mainly on a variety of literary works by
Caribbean writers.
Part One comprises critical perspectives
of individual poems by A.L. Hendriks,
Mervyn Morris, Eric Roach and Antho-
ny McNeill. Part Two critiques individ-
ual novels by John Hearne, Wilson
Harris, George Lamming and Earl
Lovelace, as well as works by V.S.
Naipaul on his childhood and education.
Part Three studies the Trinidad obser-
vance of Hosay/Muharram as a form of
folk drama/street theatre.
The collection concludes with an
Appendix which contains an exclusive
xi + 181 pages. 9 x 6 inches Paperback ISBN 978-1- 36-630431-5
record of a talk by Samuel Selvon to a
Published by CHAKRA
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Caribbean Heritage The Lives and Work of TWO INDO-TRINIDADIANS
edited by Basil A. Reid by H. Joy Norman
www.uwipress.com www.hansibpublications.com
www.thereedfoundation.org info@hansibpublications.com

Far from the Mountain (Articles) KANPUR to KOLKATA: Labour Recruitment

by Jai Parasram by Basdeo Mangru
www.pariapublishing.com www.hansibpublications.com
www.jyoticommunication.blogspot.com info@hansibpublications.com

Colonial Emigration from the Bengal Presidency The Shaping of a Culture

by Basdeo Mangru by Satnarine Balkaransingh
www.hansibpublications.com www.hansibpublications.com
info@ hansibpublications.com info@hansibpublications.com

I am a Dream to my Village: From India to Trinidad Turning Pages (Biography)

by Kenneth R. Lalla by Ron Ramdin
National Book Trust India Compass Publishers, London.
www.nbtindia.gov.in www.ronramdin.com

A History of Williamsville Unleashing the Bodily Energies

by Sam Saroop by Martin Deane
CarVeys Printery Ltd., San Fernando. martindeane2003@yahoo.com
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Basic Hinduism (Lecture Series) Love in a time of Technology (Poems)

by Rampersad Parasram By Sasenarine Persaud
H.E.M. Enterprises Ltd., Trinidad TSAR Publications
rampersadparasram@gmail.com www.tsarbooks.com

The Hindu Marriage Act of Trinidad and Tobago (Part 1)

Bengal to Barbados
by Sabir Nakhuda by The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha
Printed in Barbados (SDMS)
bengaltobarbados@hotmail.com http://www.mahasabhatt.org/
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Bibliography of Guyana and Guyanese Writers The Nowherians (Poems)

by Krishna A. Samaroo
by Lal Balkaran
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