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ZENDYEN SENT LISI : NOU TOUJOU LA !

ARE THERE INDIANS IN ST. LUCIA ?
ZENDYEN SENT LISI : NOU TOUJOU LA !

{ {{Cet article de James Rambally sur les Jahaji («gens du bateau» en Hindi) est un signe annonciateur de la nécessaire Commémoration des 150 ans de présence indienne à Sainte-Lucie en 2009.

Commémoration qui commence à s’organiser, et qui aura besoin de notre soutien logistique…}} }

I once overheard a conversation which served as the catalytic impetus to start this piece :

_ Co-Worker1: “So, Where are you from, man?"
_ Co-Worker2: “Umm...St. Lucia.”
_ Co-Worker1: “But you're an Indian!”
_ Co-Worker2: “Yes, I am a St. Lucian Indian.”
_ Co-Worker1: “But your parents certainly must be from Trinidad or _ Guyana?!”
_ Co-Worker2: “No. My ancestors are from India. Let me explain..."

Such is the reaction that people have when you tell them that you are an Indian from St. Lucia; and of course I am referring to St. Lucians whose ancestors originally came from India during the Indentureship period in the Caribbean which lasted from 1838 to 1917. Even Indians in the Caribbean whose ancestors came during the same Indian diaspora period are oblivious to our presence in St. Lucia.

Many Guyanese, Trinidadians, Surinamese, Jamaicans, and even recently arrived East Indians are astonished to find that St. Lucia has had longstanding Indian communities for over 140 years..

They become even more flabbergasted when they learn that the Indian and {Dougla} citizens constitute nearly 10% of the St. Lucian population.

A {Dougla} is a reference to one being of mixed Indian and African ancestry. This term is considered pejorative/ and offensive in some parts...

The first 318 Indians arrived in Castries Harbor on May 6th, 1859 on the Palmyra. There were 240 adult males, 58 adult females, 2 minor males, 11 minor females, and 5 children. They were indentured for three years. Twelve more ships would follow and successively discharge Jahajis.

{Jahaji} means “ship traveler, one who came on a ship” and refers to the brotherhood formed during the long sea-journey among the Indians.
It was a self-appointed name that Indentured servants used to describe themselves.

The last groups of Jahajis were indentured for five years.

The last ship to arrive was the Volga which sank on Dec 10, 1893 off Vigie Point near Castries. In all 4,354 Indians immigrated to St. Lucia and slightly more than 2,560 returned to India.

"{Not enough credit is given to the Jahaji settlers}” writes Independent Researcher and Indo-St. Lucian genealogist Richard Cheddie, "{they saved St. Lucia's sugar industry from economic downturn by toiling the fields that ex-slaves after Emancipation/ Apprenticeship were unwilling to work, or demanded high wages to work. They gave life to a failing industry in a troubled colony.}

{They also introduced rice cultivation and methods of agriculture that were unknown to St. Lucia at the time. And a much needed population of eligible females was also made available.”}

The descendants of the 2,000 plus {Jahajis} that remained in St. Lucia, who were also augmented by some that were indentured in St. Kitts, St. Vincent, and other islands, have been integrated into every sector of St. Lucian society.

They have become politicians, entrepreneurs, mechanics, preachers, agriculturists, authors, teachers, athletes, doctors, lawyers, engineers, drivers, butchers, fishermen…


They have also mixed with the other groups of St. Lucians to produce Douglas who continue to add richness to the racial and social fabric of St. Lucia.

{ {{James Rambally is an Indo-St Lucian activist of Indian origin.
_ He lives in the USA.}} }

{{NOTA :}}

Heraldine Rock (nee Gajadhar) was the first elected female St Lucian MP and government minister.

She is a iving legend. She is every inch a Lucian. A giant of a woman not adequately recognised by Caribbean
Society…

Wesley Gibbings
_ Journalist.

{{IMAGES}}

• Carte de Sainte-Lucie

• Indo-Ste-Luciens.

• Ms. Menissa Rambally, ex-ministre.

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