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Indo-Surinamese

November 24, 2023

Indo-Surinamese, Indian-Surinamese or Hindustani Surinamese are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Suriname with ancestry from India and the wider subcontinent. Their ancestors were Indian indentured workers brought by the Dutch and the British to the (then) Dutch colony of Suriname during the mid-19th to the early 20th century.[3] Per the 2012 Census of Suriname, 148,443 citizens of Suriname are of Indo-Surinamese origin, constituting 27.4% of the total population, making them the largest ethnic group in Suriname on an individual level.

Etymology edit

Indo-Surinamese are also known locally by the Dutch term Hindoestanen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɦɪnduˈstaːnə(n)]), derived from the word Hindustani, lit., "someone from Hindustan".[4] Hence, when Indians migrated to Suriname they were referred to as Hindustanis, people of Indian origin. Since 1947 the official name for the ethnic group in Suriname has been Hindostanen (“Hindostanis”). As the term Hindoestanen was mostly associated with followers of Hinduism, Hindostanen also includes the Muslim and Christian followers among the Indian immigrants in Suriname.[5][6] Nowadays the term Hindoestanen and Hindostanen are interchangeably used in common Dutch language, and with that the meaning of Hindoestanen came to be more inclusive. They were also known as kantraki or girmityas, terms referring to the agreements that the labourers had to sign regarding the work and the period of stay, and meaning "Someone with an Agreement."[7][8]

History edit

 
Indian indentured labourers
 
Raswantia, an Indian women posing for a postcard portrait in the early 20th century in Suriname

During the British Raj, many Indians were sent to other British colonies for work. After the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colony of Suriname, the Dutch government signed a treaty with the United Kingdom on the recruitment of contract workers. Indians began migrating to Suriname in 1873 from what was then British India as indentured labourers, mostly 75% from the modern-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, and in smaller numbers Bihar, Haryana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. However, among the immigrants there were also labourers from other parts of South Asia, such as present-day Afghanistan and Nepal.

The first ship transporting Indian indentured labourers, the Lalla Rookh,[9] arrived in Paramaribo. Newly freed slaves in Suriname who witnessed Indian workers disembarking at the harbour, reportedly stated, "Jobo tanbasi", meaning "The white man is still the boss", suggesting that they viewed the development as a continuation of the slave trade. Initially, the transport and living conditions of Indian labourers in Suriname was worse than it had been prior to the abolition of the Dutch slave trade. The British Viceroy of India described it as "a new system of slavery". In 1870s, conditions were improved greatly following the passage of new legislation to protect the Indian workers. The Government of the United Kingdom and the colonial British Government in India feared comparisons to slavery would hurt their reputation, and enacted several legislations to make transportation of Indian workers safer and improve working conditions in plantations. The Dutch government, which had signed the agreement to recruit workers with the British after long and difficult negotiations, also feared jeopardizing the arrangement and meticulously followed the regulations imposed by the British. The Dutch were also concerned that they would be accused of reviving the slave trade.[10]

In order to reduce the mortality rate among workers being transported from India, the colonial British government required the presence of at least one doctor on every ship. As regulations required the doctor to be of European-origin, the regulations also required that one Indian indentured labourer be appointed as a translator and that he would be paid for his services at the end of the journey. Other regulations mandated that every ship have distilling apparatus with a capacity to produce at least 500 litres of drinking water from seawater daily, and also required ships to have a sickbay, male and female nursing staff, adequate food and medicine, and artificial ventilation in the passengers' quarters. Another regulation prohibited any ship transporting Indian indentured labourers from setting sail between the end of March and the beginning of August. Any shipping company that violated the regulations would be prohibited from transporting contact workers in the future. While the mortality rate among slaves working on plantations between 1680 and 1807 averaged 50.9 per thousand people, following the passage of the regulations post-1873, it dropped to 7.1 per thousand among Indian workers.[10]

Indo-Surinamese made up 37.6% of the population in the 1972 Census.[11] Following the independence of Suriname on 25 November 1975, a significant portion of the Indo-Surinamese population migrated to the Netherlands, thereby retaining their Dutch passport.

Religion edit

The majority religion among the Indo-Surinamese is Hinduism, practiced by 78% of the people, followed by Islam (13%), Christianity (7%), and Jainism. Among the Hindus about 63% follow orthodox, traditional Hinduism that they call Sanātanī to differentiate themselves from the 15% who belong to the reform movement Arya Samaj, started by Dayananda Saraswati.[12] Among the Indo-Surinamese Muslims, 75% follow Sunni Islam while 25% identify as Ahmadiyya, of either the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community community.

Notable Indo-Surinamese people edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b (PDF). Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek in Suriname (General Statistics Bureau of Suriname). p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  2. ^ a b "Suriname Indians in the Netherlands – the Indian in Them Lives on".
  3. ^ "Hindostanen in Suriname (in Dutch)". Outlook. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  4. ^ van der Zeijden, Albert (1990). De cultuurgeschiedenis van de dood. Rodopi. p. 154. ISBN 9789051832167.
  5. ^ "Waarom Hindostaan en niet Hindoestaan? (in Dutch)". Outlook. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  6. ^ Choenni, Chan E.S. (2003). Adhin, Kanta Sh. (ed.). Hindostanen, van Brits-Indische emigranten via Suriname tot burgers van Nederland. Communicatiebureau Sampreshan. ISBN 90-805092-4-8.
  7. ^ "Suriname Seeks Stronger Relations with India". Outlook. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Suriname forstronger ties with India". The Hindu Business Line. Press Trust of India. 20 March 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  9. ^ Murphy, Janet (30 April 2016). "Lalla Rookh- Marking the Indian Arrival in Suriname". NewsGram. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. ^ a b Emmer, P. C. (30 January 2006). The Dutch Slave Trade, 1500-1850. Berghahn Books. pp. 138–140. ISBN 9781845450311. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  11. ^ "National Census Report: Suriname" (PDF). Caricom. 2009. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  12. ^ (PDF). Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek in Suriname (General Statistics Bureau of Suriname). p. 50. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2017-01-07.

Further reading edit

  • Sandew Hira The legacy of 135 years of Indian Immigration in Suriname
  • Indian Diaspora in Suriname 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine

November 24, 2023
indo, surinamese, indian, surinamese, hindustani, surinamese, people, indian, origin, nationals, suriname, with, ancestry, from, india, wider, subcontinent, their, ancestors, were, indian, indentured, workers, brought, dutch, british, then, dutch, colony, suri. Indo Surinamese Indian Surinamese or Hindustani Surinamese are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Suriname with ancestry from India and the wider subcontinent Their ancestors were Indian indentured workers brought by the Dutch and the British to the then Dutch colony of Suriname during the mid 19th to the early 20th century 3 Per the 2012 Census of Suriname 148 443 citizens of Suriname are of Indo Surinamese origin constituting 27 4 of the total population making them the largest ethnic group in Suriname on an individual level Indo SurinameseTotal population348 443 1 2 Regions with significant populations Suriname 148 443 1 Netherlands200 000 2 LanguagesDutch Sarnami Hindustani English Sranan TongoReligionMajority HinduismMinority Islam Christianity Jainism OthersRelated ethnic groupsIndian people Indian diaspora Indo Caribbeans Indians in the Netherlands Surinamese people in the Netherlands Indo Caribbean Americans British Indo Caribbean people Indo Guyanese Indo Trinidadian and Tobagonian Indo Jamaicans Indo Fijians Indo Mauritians Indo South Africans Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Religion 4 Notable Indo Surinamese people 5 See also 6 References 7 Further readingEtymology editIndo Surinamese are also known locally by the Dutch term Hindoestanen Dutch pronunciation ˌɦɪnduˈstaːne n derived from the word Hindustani lit someone from Hindustan 4 Hence when Indians migrated to Suriname they were referred to as Hindustanis people of Indian origin Since 1947 the official name for the ethnic group in Suriname has been Hindostanen Hindostanis As the term Hindoestanen was mostly associated with followers of Hinduism Hindostanen also includes the Muslim and Christian followers among the Indian immigrants in Suriname 5 6 Nowadays the term Hindoestanen and Hindostanen are interchangeably used in common Dutch language and with that the meaning of Hindoestanen came to be more inclusive They were also known as kantraki or girmityas terms referring to the agreements that the labourers had to sign regarding the work and the period of stay and meaning Someone with an Agreement 7 8 History edit nbsp Indian indentured labourers nbsp Raswantia an Indian women posing for a postcard portrait in the early 20th century in SurinameDuring the British Raj many Indians were sent to other British colonies for work After the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colony of Suriname the Dutch government signed a treaty with the United Kingdom on the recruitment of contract workers Indians began migrating to Suriname in 1873 from what was then British India as indentured labourers mostly 75 from the modern day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and in smaller numbers Bihar Haryana Punjab and Tamil Nadu However among the immigrants there were also labourers from other parts of South Asia such as present day Afghanistan and Nepal The first ship transporting Indian indentured labourers the Lalla Rookh 9 arrived in Paramaribo Newly freed slaves in Suriname who witnessed Indian workers disembarking at the harbour reportedly stated Jobo tanbasi meaning The white man is still the boss suggesting that they viewed the development as a continuation of the slave trade Initially the transport and living conditions of Indian labourers in Suriname was worse than it had been prior to the abolition of the Dutch slave trade The British Viceroy of India described it as a new system of slavery In 1870s conditions were improved greatly following the passage of new legislation to protect the Indian workers The Government of the United Kingdom and the colonial British Government in India feared comparisons to slavery would hurt their reputation and enacted several legislations to make transportation of Indian workers safer and improve working conditions in plantations The Dutch government which had signed the agreement to recruit workers with the British after long and difficult negotiations also feared jeopardizing the arrangement and meticulously followed the regulations imposed by the British The Dutch were also concerned that they would be accused of reviving the slave trade 10 In order to reduce the mortality rate among workers being transported from India the colonial British government required the presence of at least one doctor on every ship As regulations required the doctor to be of European origin the regulations also required that one Indian indentured labourer be appointed as a translator and that he would be paid for his services at the end of the journey Other regulations mandated that every ship have distilling apparatus with a capacity to produce at least 500 litres of drinking water from seawater daily and also required ships to have a sickbay male and female nursing staff adequate food and medicine and artificial ventilation in the passengers quarters Another regulation prohibited any ship transporting Indian indentured labourers from setting sail between the end of March and the beginning of August Any shipping company that violated the regulations would be prohibited from transporting contact workers in the future While the mortality rate among slaves working on plantations between 1680 and 1807 averaged 50 9 per thousand people following the passage of the regulations post 1873 it dropped to 7 1 per thousand among Indian workers 10 Indo Surinamese made up 37 6 of the population in the 1972 Census 11 Following the independence of Suriname on 25 November 1975 a significant portion of the Indo Surinamese population migrated to the Netherlands thereby retaining their Dutch passport Religion editThe majority religion among the Indo Surinamese is Hinduism practiced by 78 of the people followed by Islam 13 Christianity 7 and Jainism Among the Hindus about 63 follow orthodox traditional Hinduism that they call Sanatani to differentiate themselves from the 15 who belong to the reform movement Arya Samaj started by Dayananda Saraswati 12 Among the Indo Surinamese Muslims 75 follow Sunni Islam while 25 identify as Ahmadiyya of either the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community community Notable Indo Surinamese people editAshwin Adhin Surinamese Vice President Errol Alibux politician former prime minister of Suriname suspect in the December murders trial Robert Ameerali politician Kiran Badloe windsurfer Soerdj Badrising politician Kiran Bechan football player Paul Bhagwandas Military officer Football Coach Suspect of December Murder 1982 George Hindori Surinamese politician Tanja Jadnanansing Labour Party politician Ricardo Kishna football player Ismene Krishnadath writer Jagernath Lachmon politician ex Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname Vinoodh Matadin fashion photographer Fred Ramdat Misier politician Sandeep Oemraw Surinamese tv anchor Luciano Narsingh Dutch footballer Prem Radhakishun lawyer columnist actor and radio and television producer Pretaap Radhakishun former Prime Minister of Suriname Anil Ramdas columnist correspondent essayist journalist and TV and radio host Chan Santokhi President of Suriname ex chief of police Progressive Reform Party politician Ram Sardjoe politician ex Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname Ramsewak Shankar politician Aron Winter football player Anjali Paragsingh badminton playerSee also edit nbsp India portal nbsp Suriname portalPrawas Din Indian Arrival Day Hinduism in Suriname Arya Samaj in Suriname Islam in Suriname Baithak Gana Surinamese Immigrants Association Indians in the Netherlands Indo Caribbean Lalla Rookh Museum a museum about the Indo Surinamese history and culture India Suriname relations Indo GuyaneseReferences edit a b Census PDF Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek in Suriname General Statistics Bureau of Suriname p 76 Archived from the original PDF on 2016 03 05 Retrieved 2017 01 07 a b Suriname Indians in the Netherlands the Indian in Them Lives on Hindostanen in Suriname in Dutch Outlook Retrieved 21 April 2020 van der Zeijden Albert 1990 De cultuurgeschiedenis van de dood Rodopi p 154 ISBN 9789051832167 Waarom Hindostaan en niet Hindoestaan in Dutch Outlook 31 May 2019 Retrieved 21 April 2020 Choenni Chan E S 2003 Adhin Kanta Sh ed Hindostanen van Brits Indische emigranten via Suriname tot burgers van Nederland Communicatiebureau Sampreshan ISBN 90 805092 4 8 Suriname Seeks Stronger Relations with India Outlook Retrieved 7 January 2017 Suriname forstronger ties with India The Hindu Business Line Press Trust of India 20 March 2011 Retrieved 7 January 2017 Murphy Janet 30 April 2016 Lalla Rookh Marking the Indian Arrival in Suriname NewsGram Retrieved 23 January 2021 a b Emmer P C 30 January 2006 The Dutch Slave Trade 1500 1850 Berghahn Books pp 138 140 ISBN 9781845450311 Retrieved 7 January 2017 National Census Report Suriname PDF Caricom 2009 p 32 Archived from the original PDF on 2017 06 27 Retrieved 2017 01 07 Censusstatistieken 2012 PDF Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek in Suriname General Statistics Bureau of Suriname p 50 Archived from the original PDF on 2016 03 05 Retrieved 2017 01 07 Further reading editSandew Hira The legacy of 135 years of Indian Immigration in Suriname Indian Diaspora in Suriname Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine Indian Diaspora in Netherlands Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Indo Surinamese amp oldid 1186509421, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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