Dear Editor,

Nearly a hundred and ten years (March/May 1917) after the end of recruitment of indentured labourers from India and nearly 106 years after the abolition of indentureship in British colonies, the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to the campaign against that dehumanizing system remains an important chapter in the history of India and the making of the Indian diaspora that is spread across the globe. The abolition of indentureship stands as a significant milestone in the history of the Indian diaspora. 

The struggle of Gandhi and other Indian freedom fighters was critical in ending that exploitative labour system. Gandhi’s opposition to indentureship developed from his experiences in observing that repressive, predatory labour system in South Africa where he spent considerable years opposing it and the ill-treatment of Indians and Blacks. He led a campaign against racism in South Africa and later became involved in the national campaign in India to end indentureship of Indian laborers overseas.

Indentureship was a system under which Indian workers (girmitiyas) entered contracts to labour for fixed periods in British colonies and other imperial territories (of France, Holland, Denmark). The Indian indentureship period began in 1828 first to (French) Reunion Island where indentureship and slavery existed side by side and where Indians, according to reports, also served as slaves alongside Africans. Indentured labourers were sent to Mauritius in 1834, BritishGuiana in 1838, and other territories thereafter. Some 1.5 million Indians were transported to places including South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, British Guiana, Trinidad, Jamaica, French Guiana, Grenada, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Suriname, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Belize, St. Croix, Seychelles, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and other colonies. Workers were promised (low) wages and other benefits (that were not delivered especially in British colonies in the Caribbean), and many faced difficult labouring conditions, restrictions on movements and cultural practices, poor nutrition, diseases that killed many, inadequate pay and at times no payment, fines if they ‘violate’ the contract, and very harsh, oppressive treatment. The system became increasingly controversial and was condemned by Indian nationalists (championing India’s independence) as an affront to human dignity. It was criticised for its coercive character as labourers could not venture more than two miles from the estate and the dead (Hindus) could not be cremated. Workers could face penalties for breaches of labour regulations and faced restrictions on movement and difficult working conditions. Reports of abuse and exploitation gradually attracted attention in India and among reformers in the colonies.

Gandhi’s personal experience in South Africa gave him an intimate understanding of the problems faced by indentured labourers and confronting indentured Indians and their descendants overseas. 

One of the major issues in South Africa was a burdensome £3 tax imposed on former indentured workers who remained in Natal after completing their contracts. Gandhi opposed the tax because it placed an unfair burden on workers who had completed their period of indenture and wanted to engage in free labour. His wider South African campaign eventually contributed to the abolition of the tax and other measures affecting the Indian community. The 1914 settlement between Gandhi and the White South African authorities not only abolished the £3 tax but also recognized Indian marriages. Recognition of Indian marriages in Guyana and other territories came much later.

Gandhi’s South African experience strengthened his conviction that indentureship had to end altogether. After returning to India in January 1915, he turned his attention to the continuing recruitment of Indian labourers for overseas colonies. He joined the growing campaign against indentured emigration. He was not alone as political leaders, reformers, journalists and community organisations had already been raising concerns about the system. His campaign coincided with growing criticism of indentureship throughout the Caribbean and India. Reports about the conditions of workers overseas had created increasing pressure on the colonial authorities.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, in particular, played an important role in pressing for abolition. Gandhi’s contribution was to bring additional public energy and moral force to the campaign.

In 1916, the Indian nationalist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya moved a resolution in the Imperial Legislative Council calling for abolition of indentureship. Although the British Government indicated that the system would eventually end, Gandhi believed that an indefinite promise was insufficient. He argued that India should demand a definite date for abolition.

In early 1917, Gandhi began a determined campaign to build public opinion against indentured emigration. He travelled to major centres and addressed public meetings, urging Indians to reject a system that he considered degrading to the country’s dignity. CF Andrews, a lay preacher and sympathizer of Indians and a supporter of Gandhi, was sent abroad by the Indian leadership to look into conditions of the indentured labourers. CF Andrew’s visited Guyana and other colonies. He reported that the indentured labourers and their descendants were treated very poorly. Gandhi himself acknowledged that public agitation and the work of other campaigners were important factors in securing the result. 

A significant moment came during Gandhi’s visit to Calcutta in March 1917. At a large public meeting at the Town Hall, he supported demands for the immediate abolition of indentured emigration. He insisted that India could not continue to tolerate the system while discussions and official procedures were repeatedly used to postpone action. The campaign helped create strong public pressure on the Government. 

The British Government subsequently moved towards ending recruitment. The suspension of indentured recruitment was announced in March 1917, although reports say it was May 25, and the system was abolished on January 1, 1920.

The abolition of indentureship was also the result of the courage and persistence of some of the workers themselves, as well as the efforts of many activists, politicians, journalists and reformers. 

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram