HIST2619: Lecture 20 - South Asian Diaspora

HIST2619: Lecture 20 - South Asian Diaspora

Lecture Overview

  • I. Introduction

  • II. Early South Asian migration

  • III. Migration during the Colonial period

  • IV. Post-colonial migration

  • V. Conclusion - Impact of Diaspora on politics, economy and society

I. Introduction

  • Definition of Diaspora:

    • Collective term that encompasses various phenomena, such as migration, exile, asylum seeking, migrant labor, and the presence of ethnic or religious communities that find themselves scattered globally.

    • South Asia has a long history of emigration, characterized by recurrent migrations to numerous regions worldwide.

II. Early South Asian Migration

  • Trade Routes:

    • Key Trading Areas:

    • Arabian Sea to the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.

    • Bay of Bengal to the Indo-Malayan Archipelago.

    • Arabian Sea:

    • Gujarati traders and bankers played a significant role in trade, reaching places such as Mozambique.

    • By mid-nineteenth century, there were approximately 1,500 Gujaratis in Muscat, over 4,000 in Zanzibar, and 8,500 settled in Aden.

    • Bay of Bengal:

    • Prominent South Indian trading groups like the Chettiar and Chulias migrated to Southeast Asia.

    • Impact of European Colonization:

    • The arrival of European trading companies led to a significant decline in traditional Indian trade activities.

III. Migration during the Colonial Period

  • 1. Sailors or Lascars (17th century onwards):

    • Employment via the East India Company (EEIC):

    • Lascars were engaged as seamen, deckhands, cooks, and later in engine rooms as firemen and trimmers to stoke furnaces.

    • Geographical Concentration:

    • Primarily from coastal areas of Gujarat and Malabar, as well as Bengal, Punjab, and the North West Frontier Province.

    • Significant lascar populations formed in London, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Glasgow, marking the emergence of some of the earliest Indian working-class communities in Britain, who found employment as crossing-sweepers, musicians, and restaurant operators.

  • 2. Indentured Labourers (19th century):

    • Context:

    • Following a surge in new large-scale plantations in Asia and Africa (including sugar, cotton, rubber, tea, and palm oil), hundreds of thousands of indentured workers (often referred to as coolies) were recruited as part of a hugely exploitative system.

    • Recruitment Areas:

    • Many were recruited from South India and Eastern India, primarily from regions where land and resource access had diminished.

    • Key Locations for Indentured Workers:

    • Mauritius (1840s), Natal (from the 1860s), Jamaica, Trinidad, and Fiji (from 1879).

    • Implications of Labour Systems:

    • Many indentured servants often renewed their contracts, which led to settling in the new lands they helped cultivate.

  • 3. Traders and Small Businesses in East Africa:

    • Overview of Migration:

    • Approximately 37,000 Indians were imported during the 1890s for the construction of the Uganda Railway, with about 20% (around 7,000) remaining in Kenya and Uganda after the project was completed.

    • Subsequent immigration from British India resulted in the formation of affluent Indian communities viewed as an urban minority.

    • Effects of Anti-Indian Sentiments:

      • Economic discontent in Africa led to anti-Indian legislation, exemplified by measures in Kenya (1967) and the expulsions from Uganda (1972).

IV. Post-Colonial Migration

  • Post-1947 Context:

    • A notable migration pattern observed was that of South Asian migrants from East Africa to Britain, Canada, and the US following India's independence.

    • Demographic Shifts in Immigration:

      • The influx included traders, students, and workers who came primarily in the 1950s and 1960s, with a significant two-fold emigration from the Caribbean and East Africa in the 1970s.

      • Particularly in the 2011 census, the UK was home to over 1.4 million Indians, 1.2 million Pakistanis, and 450,000 Bangladeshis.

    • Canada's Immigration Trends:

    • In 1980, Canada welcomed 5,800 Indian migrants.

    • 1970 saw the removal of discriminatory laws resulting in over 67,000 Indian migrants settling in Canada by 1971.

    • The Sikh community, notable for its distinct identity, sought representation via the Shiromani Akali Dal party in Canada.

    • By 2016, South Asians formed the largest visible minority population, totaling approximately 1.9 million.

  • Migration to the US:

    • In the second half of the 20th century, the relaxation of immigration rules allowed significant influxes of skilled Asian workers, especially in the IT sector, predominantly from India.

    • Trends post-9/11 had specific implications for Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities.

    • The South Asian American populace grew substantially, from 2.2 million in 2000 to 4.9 million in 2015, marking one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States.

V. Conclusion - Impact of Diaspora on Politics, Economy, and Society

  • Economic Contributions:

    • The South Asian diaspora has had notable remittance contributions to their home countries.

    • For instance, Bangladeshi workers' remittances grew from $421 million to $628 million during the 1980s.

    • Pakistani emigrants' remittances reached approximately $2.5 billion in the early 1980s, with Indians reporting similar figures.

    • By 2008, India was the world's highest receiver of remittances, totaling $52 billion.

    • The share of remittances concerning GDP stood at 8% for Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

  • Cultural Integration and Identity:

    • The concepts of 'Indianness' are significantly tied to cultural expressions such as films, music, food, and technology, fostering a persistent connection to their homeland.

    • 1998 to 2004 under the BJP government marked a sharpened diaspora consciousness, with the organization of the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Non-Resident Indian Day) initiated in 2003 and the establishment of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in 2004.

    • The advent of Overseas Citizenship symbolized a step forward in recognizing the diaspora, although the framing of ethnic Hinduness as integral to Indianness posed challenges for Muslim identities.

    • Since 2014, the Indian diaspora has shown particular support for the Modi government, illustrating the interplay of diaspora politics with Indian national identity.