Indentured Memorial inaugurated at Kolkata

Dear Editor,

The long-awaited inauguration of the Kolkata Memorial dedicated to Indian indentured servants occurred on Tuesday afternoon. The Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vyalar Ravi, revealed the monument, dedicated to over a million Indians who served in the indentured labour system from 1834 to 1920 in plantations of former colonies of colonial empires England, France and Holland to rescue their sugarcane plantations.

Some 300 foreign guests and hundreds of locals graced the solemn ceremony. 

The monument is an emotional and physical connection for the descendants of the indentured workers, serving as a pilgrimage point for those persons of Indian origin (PIO) around the world who cannot trace their ancestral homes in India. 

The idea of this memorial was conceived by Guyanese Ashok Ramsaran and Vishnu Bisram but it was the former who lobbied the government and did most of the leg work. A large number of PIO who are descendants of those migrants have long complained to Indian officials of the absence of any link in India that connects them to their ancestors through a monument. 

Ramsaran lobbied the government for several years for a memorial to the indentured workers. Finally, a spot was found at Kolkata and Ramsaran approved of the venue after a visit last April. Mauritian Leila Sarup also played an important role in getting the project going. 

Kolkata has a particular significance as the overwhelming majority of indentured workers sailed from its port till recruitment began in the region around Chennai (Madras).  

Each recruiting colony at Kolkata set up its own depot, and Demerara, Fiji and Surinam depots are still there. The commemorative plaque is placed on the Clock Tower at the Demerara Depot, making Guyanese feel proud. Nearby is the Alipore and Bhawanipore barracks where the indentured recruits stayed waiting for a full shipload of labourers for the treacherous journey abroad. 

Minister Ravi said the government is moving with speed to build a museum for indentured labourers in addition to the memorial.  He showered tributes on the late indentured labourers who pioneered the globe. He noted that the indentureship system started the Indian diaspora, which is now spread to more than half the countries around the globe. 

Commenting on the memorial, Professor Martin Budhoos, said: “This is a forgotten part of Indian history. It was the indentured migration that spread the Indian diaspora to different regions of the world – from the Caribbean to South Africa to the Pacific region”. 

The inscription on the commemorative plaque states in part: “In honoured tribute to Indian Indentured labourers — By hundreds of thousands, they journeyed from other parts of India to this city, bound for long, arduous journeys by ships on treacherous seas of “kala pani” to places unknown to them, and despite many false promises, travail they did with unwavering spirit and hopes; With due recognition and lasting remembrance of Indian indentured labourers who left these shores during 19th and 20th centuries seeking better livelihoods in faraway lands; for their pioneering spirit, determination, resilience, endurance, perseverance and sacrifices amidst extremely harsh conditions; for their preservation of sense of origin, traditions, culture and religion, and promotion of Indian culture; for their achievements despite insurmountable odds; for their invaluable contributions to lands they adopted; and for triumph of the spirit of Indianness they maintained and passed on to their descendants”. 

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram