THE GIRMITIYA SAGA - From Indenture to Identity
- Dr. Pranaame Bhagawati
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
In the grand narratives of Indian history, woven with threads of empires and independence, lies a profound saga - the story of the ‘Girmitiyas’. This is not merely a historical account but a living testament to human resilience, cultural preservation and a complex quest for identity that spans oceans and centuries. Today, their legacy echoes not just in far away lands from their native country India in places like Fiji, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, but crucially also within India itself, particularly in the lush green tea gardens of Assam. This write delves into the past, present and future of the Girmitiya communities, exploring their origins, culture and the initiatives aimed at securing their rights and dignity. Moreover, it stands as a humble tribute to the Girmitiyas, who continued to inspire generations with resilience and strength and with gratitude their stories deserve to be remembered, honoured, and preserved. Because, during their own struggle phase despite of undergoing severe inhuman physical labour, mental and physical harrassments and even sexual molestations, they still could retain their rooted religious beliefs, food culture and most importantly have surpassed their ancestral name and ideologies to their future generations.
The term ‘Girmitiya’ is a derivative of ‘Girmit’, a corrupted version of the English word ‘Agreement’. And this Girmit is minimal of five years which further gets etended to another five years and so on. By the early nineteenth century, Britain had emerged as the world’s foremost imperial power, with colonies spanning the Caribbean, Africa, and the South Pacific. This unprecedented empire, however, concealed a lesser-known and deeply troubling chapter. Over a million people were subjected to a system of covert enslavement and transported to distant colonial territories.
These individuals were compelled to sign agreements they could not comprehend, often unaware of their destinations. Separated from their homelands and families, many perished abroad, and the promise of return remained unfulfilled for most. The vast majority of Girmitiyas were recruited from the present-day regions of eastern Uttar Pradesh (especially Awadh and the Bhojpuri - speaking belt), western Bihar, Jharkhand and some districts of West Bengal. These areas plagued by poverty, famine and feudal exploitation, provided pool of labour for colonial agents.
The Government of India is taking several special initiatives to honour and connect with the global GIRMITIYA COMMUNITY, which includes descendants of Indian indentured labourers in countries like Guyana, Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and others. Why in this global and technically advanced century, connecting the past along with its rooted Bharatiya culture is important? Despite of launching several initiatives successfully in the India’s space and technology sector since 2014 by the Government of India, which are primarily driven by ISRO like the CHANDRAYAAN - 3 lunar landing and launch of the ADITYA - L1 solar observatory, why still connecting the long lost dots of the Bharatiya who were segmented in various parts on the world due to being listed under the indentured labourers during colonisation is essential?
With over thirty five million people of Indian origin residing in more than 200 countries, the Indian diaspora is one of the largest and most influential in the world. And within this reported number, the Girmitiya Community has contributed in shaping global economies and politics to enriching arts, science, healthcare, and technology.The overseas Indians, have emerged as ambassadors of India’s values—pluralism, perseverance, and innovation and especially the Girmitiyas along with maintaining their respective professional sectors, have ligitimately been guarding, emphasiging and propagating the Bharatiya culture, festivals like Phagua and Deepawali and most importantly the Sanskrit language with great effort, responsibility and love. Globally, the descendants of these Girmitiyas now form significant dmographic blocks. For instance, they constitute about 37% of Fiji’s population and nearly 40% of Guyana’s. Their approximate global diaspora is estimated to be sevral million strong. Within India, while many families emigrated permanently, other returned or never left. Their descendants are part of the broader socio-cultural fabric, with a concentrated and highly relevant population in northeast India, as we shall see.
This article is part of the Amrapali Magazine's FEBRUARY 2026 issue. To read the complete version in print, digital & audio formats, Subscribe Us!
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