Celebration of Indian-ness In Jamaica
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| Tassa Drum |
In the
Caribbean, India and Indian-ness are an integral part of the region's social
and cultural fabric, hints of which are potent and fragrant as the spices of
the land are perhaps not visible on the surface but deeply embedded in the way
of life.
Turning the
clocks back to a sunny afternoon of May 10, 1845 S.S. Blundell Hunter anchored
in Old Harbour Bay aboard were 200 men, 28 women and 33 children making journey
from India it is recorded that first Indian to set foot on Jamaican soil was a
man named Parmeshwar (meaning Supreme Being or God).
These were
the first Indian immigrants to Jamaica. The Indian presence in Jamaica would
grow with recruitment for another 70 years, as some 36,400 immigrants made the
four-month long journey to this island.
Differing in
language, religion and culture, they were brought into an entirely new
environment at once strongly Christian and African, where many of their
traditions were seen as strange and even unholy.
Yet, they
have managed to maintain much of their culture, while leaving their mark on
Jamaican foods, music, religion and festivals, making a significant
contribution to Jamaica's historical development and cultural heritage.
East Indians
in Jamaica
After
Emancipation, plantation owners began to import European, African, and Asian
indentured workers in an effort to stave off the collapse of the sugar
industry. By 1860 only Asians were being recruited to the West Indies. Most of
the 528,570 Indian immigrants arriving into the Caribbean went to the colonies
of Guyana and Trinidad.
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| Sarangi |
Most
emigrants came from the north-eastern and central regions of India Agra, Bihar
and Oudh as well as Bengal and from Nepal, nestled in the Himalayas.
After 1900
an increasing number came from the Residency of Madras (south of India) and Punjab,
in the north.
These new
labourers went to work mainly on the large sugar estates, on the plains of
Clarendon and Westmoreland, and later on the prime banana cultivations of Saint
Mary.
Their
contracts of indentureship were initially for a period of one year, but were
increased to three and then five years after 1860.
Arranged
mainly in port cities of Calcutta (Kolkata) and Madras (Chennai), these
contracts were to terminate on payment and included return passage.
However, only about 38 per cent or 12,100, were returned. Most of the contracts were breached by the employers, especially in regard to their return passage. The Indian indentured workers were paid off and given land in lieu of passage. Unable to afford their return, many were forced to remain, while others chose to settle and make a life here. They turned to cultivating vegetables and rice, fishing and moved into trades as silver and goldsmiths and merchants.
However, only about 38 per cent or 12,100, were returned. Most of the contracts were breached by the employers, especially in regard to their return passage. The Indian indentured workers were paid off and given land in lieu of passage. Unable to afford their return, many were forced to remain, while others chose to settle and make a life here. They turned to cultivating vegetables and rice, fishing and moved into trades as silver and goldsmiths and merchants.
Their
relatively low number and wide distribution prevented the development of
significant concentrations.
The labour
scheme came to an end in 1917 as a result of the prohibitive costs during World
War I. The last recruits came on the S.S. Dewa in June 1916. They completed
their indenture in 1921 and in 1929, at the end of their contract, were free to
settle.
Hosei and
the Indian Exchange
Hosei is the
celebration that today epitomises Indo-Jamaican heritage. Although initially an
all-Indian affair, African-Creole members of the community were soon included
and the Hosei festival provided a space for creative exchange. Today, the
inclusion of Africans has become an integral part of the Jamaican performance
of Hosei. This festival characterises a relationship of mutual learning and
acceptance where Indo-Jamaican communities converge and share with their
Afro-Jamaican compatriots.
At the
beginning of Moharram, the first month of the Islamic year, Shia Muslims
commemorate the massacre of "Husayn" (also spelt "Hussein",
the grandson of Muhammad) who was assassinated by Yazid in Karbala.
This
martyrdom is commemorated in the festival. (Hosei was derived from
"Hasan!, Hosei!", shouted by celebrants). They were grandsons and
according to Shia Muslims, the chosen heirs of the Prophet Mohammed. When Islam
was introduced into northern India in the 15th Century, Moharram was also
commemorated by Hindus. By the time of Indian indentureship the celebration had
taken on a typically Indian form with a tazia (float) procession and other
forms of pageantry.
Only one in
ten Indians that came to Jamaica was Muslim. Nonetheless, by the 1860s, the Tazia
and the Hosei carnival began to be seen around the island. As these floats made
their way throughout their communities, Indians threw rice and jewellery, and
fanned and burnt incense to usher them on the annual pilgrimage to the nearest
seashore or river. At dusk the Tazia, a symbol of faith and hope was set adrift
and disappeared beneath the waters.
Spiritual
Beliefs And Practices
The
spiritual beliefs of Indian indentured labourers were grounded in ancient
religious customs and traditions. These beliefs were nurtured through myths,
songs as well as shared languages.
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| Tazia |
Their
Jamaican experience, however, was to result in creolised traditions. Few
Pundits (Hindu priests) and Malvis (or Maulwi, Muslim priests) were chosen to
come, which affected the availability of religious instruction as well as the
performance of rituals.
This would
have a negative impact on the transfer of these traditions in their original
form to younger generations. Still, today many of these are practised among the
indentured Indian community. Later arrivals of Indians to Jamaica would also
ensure the survival of their beliefs.
But this
creolisation process was not one way, and Indians would also affect a wider Jamaican
world view. The common belief of both Indo- and Afro-Jamaicans that Humans
dwelled among a community of divine and ancestral spirits provided a suitable
environment for sharing. Additionally, working, and often living, in proximity
and under similarly difficult conditions would also facilitate crossover.
While some
Indians came as Christians, those who were not, were continually forced by
Missionaries to conform to Christianity and the European way of life. As it
became obvious that accepting this way of life was a means for them to improve
their condition, many traditional customs became submerged, surfacing only on
special occasions and within their communities
Lifestyles
It was sugar
that initially led the Indians to the West Indies. However, coming from one of
the longest enduring civilisations, they brought with them centuries old
cultural practices, technologies, like rice cultivation, as well as new
products such as curry powder, all unfamiliar to Jamaica.
They came
with their own farming methods and made use of land provided for them to grow
their own foods and cultivate surpluses that they sold or bartered at the local
markets. Some of them were skilled jewellers who practised their trade in their
free time. Brass, silver and gold ornaments were indispensable to their
lifestyle. They made ornaments such as guard- rings to protect against evil and
other pieces of jewellery, especially elaborate wedding jewellery for brides.
Their
weddings-colourful and glittering ceremonies, the flavours of their cuisine
with spices like curry (a mix of spices) or masala (which means spice in Hindi)
made with utensils such as the carahee (similar to a wok, with round metal
handles) as well as their music, dance and traditional dress were all part of a
lifestyle that was new to Jamaica. Also new to wider Jamaica were their social
practices among them, arranged marriages. Most of these cultural practices were
kept alive in their homes and immediate communities.
Today
East Indians
are the largest ethnic minority in Jamaica.
It has been
noted that the religious sentiments of the Indians were not considered by the
recruiting authorities, because, the majority of these immigrants were Hindus
and Muslims, yet priests were never recruited to satisfy the religious needs of
the Indians. The priests who arrived came as indentured labourers and practised
their priesthood as a part-time profession.
At the end
of the indentureship contract, many Indians reverted to their ancestral
occupations; some became farmers or fishermen, while others returned to the
trades barber, goldsmith and ironsmith. Some became money lenders.
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| Orange Rinder |
Almost every Indian regardless of his or her religion has anglicised first and second names; the surnames too have been changed except for names such as Maragh (Maharaj or Emperor) and Singh (from the root word Lion).
The Indians
introduced several plants and trees in Jamaica, the most common being betel
leaves, betel nut, coolie plum, mango, jackfruit, and tamarind. The food habits
of Indians have a distinctly Indian flavour and taste.
A typical
East Indian dinner consists of curried goat, roti, pulses usually cooked with
mangoes, curried potato, eggplant, bitter gourd and okra.
- Information
courtesy of National Museum Jamaica, Institute of Jamaica -
Photos by Richard Belto
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