Hey Djanjo, you still play and dance to coolie songs 😊

The forgotten who died and struggled for the East Indian Rights.

The Non Pareil Riot

Indentured workers complained regularly that the ordinance imposed harsh penalties on them, and that it was imposed for the benefit of the plantation owners. These conditions resulted in a riot at Non Pareil (on East Coast Demerara) on 13 October 1896 after Indian indentured workers staged astrike. One of the strike leaders was Gooljar who originally was indentured in 1871, and after he completed his contract, he became a cloth seller, and worked with the police force. He returned to India in 1890, but came back to Guyana in 1894 as a re-indenture to the Non Pareil sugar
plantation where his experience and leadership qualities won the respect of the other Indian indentured workers.The strike itself stemmed from actions taken by a planter who attempted to transfer to other plantations several Indian indentured workers whom he considered troublemakers. This arose afterthe workers protested against low wages and increased tasks at the plantation, and also the repeated sexual assaults on Indian women and girls by the White overseers. After they halted
work, they went to the Immigration Agent-General's office to complain. On their return, they were confronted by a party of police, commanded by Captain G. C. De Rinzy, widely regarded as one who generally applied violent methods in curbing workers' protests. They attempted to arrest four of the men, but the crowd quickly prevented this action. The police, without reading the riot act,then opened fire on the crowd, killing five persons, including Jungali, who had earlier complained that his wife was abducted and raped by one of the overseers. Others who died wereKandhai,
Chinahoo, Rogy and Mahabir. In addition, 59 indentured workers were injured in the hail of police fire.

Bechu's criticisms of the indenture system

It was this massacre that spurred the indentured Indian, Bhoshunath Chattopadhyay (known as Bechu) to write letters for the next four and half years to the editors of the Chronicle and several newspapers in which he brilliantly championed the cause of the immigrant laborers. His letters sharply upset the planter class and on two occasions (1898 and 1899) he was prosecuted for libel,but divided juries could not find him guilty.Bechu expressed opinions most forcefully against the severe working conditions and the penalties imposed on the indentured Indians. He himself was a relatively highly educated Bengali immigrant who was well versed in the English language. As an orphan, he was raised by Presbyterian missionary lady in Calcutta and had lived and worked with other missionaries as a copyist and domestic help. Though he was never educated in a school, he had been taught by his missionary
guardian as a child and as he matured he developed a keen interest in English literature.
As an adult, he indentured himself to Guyana and he was contracted on Plantation Enmore in 1894 where he worked in the house of the deputy manager until his indenture ended in 1897. In his first letter published in the Chronicle in November 1896, he condemned the White overseers'   of Indian females; refusal of estate hospitals to provide medical treatment to un-indentured Indians; and the planters' frequent breaches of labor laws in order to impose their total control of the Indian indentured workers and their families.So powerful was his condemnation of the indenture system that the West India Royal Commission,appointed by the British government to examine working and living conditions of the people in the
British Caribbean, invited him to present evidence and a written submission to the four-member commission when it visited Guyana in early 1897.
In his submission to the Royal Commission, Bechu cited his own personal experience as an indentured worker Bechu, pointing out that the concept of equality embodied in the contract was never applied in practice nor were the specific provisions of the contract applied by the planters or enforced by the colonial government. Workers also were afraid to complain against the drivers andoverseers because they feared being prosecuted on trumped up charges.Bechu noted the rampant practice of concubinage and sexual exploitation of Indian women by overseers and managers which he explained was a serious source of management-worker conflict and which resulted directly in the frequency of wife murders among Indians.He opposed further immigration on the grounds that it was contrary to the interests of the indentured and free Indians in Guyana. As an alternative, he suggested Indian immigrants on the
completion of their indenture, should be provided an incentive to settle in the country by providingthem land instead of return passage to India.Bechu writings in the local newspapers drew sharp responses from the sugar planters some of who responded by writing rebuttal letters to the same newspapers. But these only acted to encourage
Bechu to respond with other letters to dissect their arguments.Bechu eventually departed from Guyana and returned to India in 1901.Unfortunately, all the exposure of the ills of the indenture system by Bechu and subsequently by other Indians failed to move the authorities to apply remedies. For over 26 years their demands for
the immigration ordinance to be amended fell on deaf ears, and it was not until 1917 that theCourt of Policy finally decided to amend this law. The Court of Policy no doubt was sensitive to there presentations of the Indian government which expressed concerns over the treatment of indentured Indians in Guyana. In addition, the influential role of the anti-emigration movement in India, which was supported by Mohandas Gandhi, was instrumental in pressuring the colonial authorities to amend the ordinance.The amended ordinance stipulated that criminal actions against indentured workers were abolished. Civil measures including repatriation to India, in extreme cases, were now to be applied.Penalties were drastically reduced and fines could not exceed one-third of the weekly wage.

Dave posted:

Hey Djanjo, you still play and dance to coolie songs 😊

Wha r@ss yuh deh pun,do you think you are purer than Django.

The word "coolie", a corruption of the Tamil word "kuli", referred to a porter or labourer).

Take note of the above.

Django posted:

Dave posted:

Hey Djanjo, you still play and dance to coolie songs 😊

Wha r@ss yuh deh pun,do you think you are purer than Django.

The word "coolie", a corruption of the Tamil word "kuli", referred to a porter or labourer).

Take note of the above.

Good man.

I thank my liberal minded Bramhana foreparents who came from what is now Haryana, India. Like them, we are also charting a new course for future generations in North America.

yuji22 posted:

I thank my liberal minded Bramhana foreparents who came from what is now Haryana, India. Like them, we are also charting a new course for future generations in North America.

Most likely your parents came from UP or Bihar, loke most Indians.

VishMahabir posted:

yuji22 posted:

I thank my liberal minded Bramhana foreparents who came from what is now Haryana, India. Like them, we are also charting a new course for future generations in North America.

Most likely your parents came from UP or Bihar, loke most Indians.

Vish you are dead wrong. There is this misinformation that ALL Indos came from UP/Bihar. I followed records and went all the way back to India, DNA test and all.

Yes, my foreparents are from Haryana, India.

Reminds me of the misinformed D2 who labels ALL Indos as dalits.

yuji22 posted:

VishMahabir posted:

yuji22 posted:

I thank my liberal minded Bramhana foreparents who came from what is now Haryana, India. Like them, we are also charting a new course for future generations in North America.

Most likely your parents came from UP or Bihar, loke most Indians.

Vish you are dead wrong. There is this misinformation that ALL Indos came from UP/Bihar. I followed records and went all the way back to India, DNA test and all.

Yes, my foreparents are from Haryana, India.

Reminds me of the misinformed D2 who labels ALL Indos as dalits.

Full proof records are Emigration Certificates,they are there in the Guyana archives.

Recently a joined family from back home got my Great Great Grandfather and his family Emigration records,something i had wanted to find out.Planning to take a trip to village in the near future.They are from Ghazipur UP.

Dave posted:

Today is a very important day in the history of Guyana.  I see the faces of four of my cousins from the Bihar side of my family on this list.  My great grandparents must be proud.

Suppose, just suppose , I man old have been in Pakistan and Yugi would have been in a village on top of a Mountain in India.

Nehru would have been living  his life in an Indian horehouse and doing errands for the higher caste, the Brahmins.

Chief posted:

Suppose, just suppose , I man would have been in Pakistan and Yugi would have been in a village on top of a Mountain in India.

Nehru would have been living  his life in an Indian horehouse and doing errands for the higher caste, the Brahmins.

I would not want to be in Terrorists Pakistan. The Wild West would have been much better. The Country is a SHIT HOLE because of its Leaders!! OBL lived there for years after killing 3000Americans.

Chief posted:

Chief posted:

Suppose, just suppose , I man would have been in Pakistan and Yugi would have been in a village on top of a Mountain in India.

Nehru would have been living  his life in an Indian horehouse and doing errands for the higher caste, the Brahmins.

 

And in the Horehouse would also be many of your close Families and I mean CLOSE!!!

Nehru posted:

Chief posted:

Chief posted:

Suppose, just suppose , I man would have been in Pakistan and Yugi would have been in a village on top of a Mountain in India.

Nehru would have been living  his life in an Indian horehouse and doing errands for the higher caste, the Brahmins.

 

And in the Horehouse would also be many of your close Families and I mean CLOSE!!!

Nehru, like you get stuck at home today, bhai. 

Iman ah think Nehru stuck between two palin staves. Da banna seems like he would knock anything.

cain posted:

Iman ah think Nehru stuck between two palin staves. Da banna seems like he would knock anything.

Nehru has a beautiful family and he is cool as crush ice on a summer day. His home never out of food, drinks and erbs.

Even if he outta food an drinks..tings fine.

Great when we have a diversity of our culture. 

But seriously what’s going on here, is Guyana short of Indian women  . As they say, a picture tells  a thousand words.

I didn’t recall seeing majority of Indian women dress in African dress at emancipation day.

Dave posted:

Great when we have a diversity of our culture. 

But seriously what’s going on here, is Guyana short of Indian women  . As they say, a picture tells  a thousand words.

I didn’t recall seeing majority of Indian women dress in African dress at emancipation day.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If the Indians don't want to participate, and the other races dress like Indians, then they like our culture and are showing it, so why fret?

Prince posted:

cain posted:

Iman ah think Nehru stuck between two palin staves. Da banna seems like he would knock anything.

Nehru has a beautiful family and he is cool as crush ice on a summer day. His home never out of food, drinks and erbs.

Never met Nehru,heard through the grape vine he is cool as a cucumber.

A member of  PNC did a number on him,hence his resentment.

Django posted:

Prince posted:

cain posted:

Iman ah think Nehru stuck between two palin staves. Da banna seems like he would knock anything.

Nehru has a beautiful family and he is cool as crush ice on a summer day. His home never out of food, drinks and erbs.

Never met Nehru,heard through the grape vine he is cool as a cucumber.

A member of  PNC did a number on him,hence his resentment.

isn't it time we stop giving Indian posters here a "PNC" pass for adoption and support of anti-black racism?

The real story about Nehru is he used to be at Hope Estate every weekend serving Burnham water. 

Burnham riding his horse and Nehru running beside with a water bag.

Buddy Nehru can never forget this humiliation hence his hate for blacks and the PNC.

ronan posted:

Django posted:

Prince posted:

cain posted:

Iman ah think Nehru stuck between two palin staves. Da banna seems like he would knock anything.

Nehru has a beautiful family and he is cool as crush ice on a summer day. His home never out of food, drinks and erbs.

Never met Nehru,heard through the grape vine he is cool as a cucumber.

A member of  PNC did a number on him,hence his resentment.

isn't it time we stop giving Indian posters here a "PNC" pass for adoption and support of anti-black racism?

Ronan,

it's not a pass per se,some of the East Indians while working in the Public Service were exposed to the hard line racist in the PNC.

All of us are not the same who took such experience to confront Racism,by the way the PPP should not be given a pass there exist some who are same within the  PNC.

Django posted:

ronan posted:

Django posted:

Prince posted:

cain posted:

Iman ah think Nehru stuck between two palin staves. Da banna seems like he would knock anything.

Nehru has a beautiful family and he is cool as crush ice on a summer day. His home never out of food, drinks and erbs.

Never met Nehru,heard through the grape vine he is cool as a cucumber.

A member of  PNC did a number on him,hence his resentment.

isn't it time we stop giving Indian posters here a "PNC" pass for adoption and support of anti-black racism?

Ronan,

it's not a pass per se,some of the East Indians while working in the Public Service were exposed to the hard line racist in the PNC.

All of us are not the same who took such experience to confront Racism,by the way the PPP should not be given a pass there exist some who are same within the  PNC.

Django, nuff respect

you are one of a minority of Indian posters on GNI with that rarest of qualities . . . empathy

however, I need to underline that my reference is to ideological racism of the kind here https://guyana.crowdstack.io/topic/wh...ople-are-not-wealthy co-signed by one of the execrable creatures i am talking about. This is about Black Trinidadians who never heard of PNC

further, what does hate for thuggish PNC behavior towards Indians during Burnham time have to do with the kind of vile postings we see here regularly about American Black people who, by and large, have been more than welcoming to Indo-Guyanese refugeeing from poverty and worse?

hiding behind an on-line 'character' and supporting nasty stuff with a smiley face attached is a marker for malign intent not hurt

One would think that blacks don't have racial prejudices toward Indians.

Charity begins at home.

Dave posted:

Great when we have a diversity of our culture. 

But seriously what’s going on here, is Guyana short of Indian women  . As they say, a picture tells  a thousand words.

I didn’t recall seeing majority of Indian women dress in African dress at emancipation day.

This is more common than you think.  Last year the the launch of GGR group there was a sari model part, mostly black ladies, one sari was even in the Guyana flag colors.  My cousin owns a sari store in Guyana and she said lots of Black ladies purchase, especially for attending weddings.  At my niece’s wedding in Florida (which Bibi and I attended) the Black ladies wore sari and their men wore Kurta.   Some of them looked better than us Indians. 

ksazma posted:

One would think that blacks don't have racial prejudices toward Indians.

who said or implied that?

ksazma posted:

One would think that blacks don't have racial prejudices toward Indians.

Charity begins at home.

I don’t think all do, but there is a high degree is political mistrust.  And it goes both ways.  Last night at the Jahagee Sisters event (mainly Indo-Guyanese), one skit theme was One People, One Nation, One Destiny.   And in another, the lead lady sang a portion of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.   You know these are Guyanese.  

ronan posted:

ksazma posted:

One would think that blacks don't have racial prejudices toward Indians.

who said or implied that?

You don't speak of that. Either you condone it or are bias. Charity begins at home. Explain why while ordinary Indians would cross the isle and vote PNC, ordinary blacks tribally vote PNC against their own welfare?

ksazma posted:

ronan posted:

ksazma posted:

One would think that blacks don't have racial prejudices toward Indians.

who said or implied that?

You don't speak of that. Either you condone it or are bias. Charity begins at home. Explain why while ordinary Indians would cross the isle and vote PNC, ordinary blacks tribally vote PNC against their own welfare?

uninformed, tendentious NONSENSE!!

ronan posted:

ksazma posted:

ronan posted:

ksazma posted:

One would think that blacks don't have racial prejudices toward Indians.

who said or implied that?

You don't speak of that. Either you condone it or are bias. Charity begins at home. Explain why while ordinary Indians would cross the isle and vote PNC, ordinary blacks tribally vote PNC against their own welfare?

uninformed, tendentious NONSENSE!!

In other words, you don't care to be balanced in your admonitions.

Now do yourself a favor and work on the ills in your own community before admonishing others from another community.

Charity begins at home.

ksazma posted:

ronan posted:

ksazma posted:

ronan posted:

ksazma posted:

One would think that blacks don't have racial prejudices toward Indians.

who said or implied that?

You don't speak of that. Either you condone it or are bias. Charity begins at home. Explain why while ordinary Indians would cross the isle and vote PNC, ordinary blacks tribally vote PNC against their own welfare?

uninformed, tendentious NONSENSE!!

In other words, you don't care to be balanced in your admonitions.

Now do yourself a favor and work on the ills in your own community before admonishing others from another community.

Charity begins at home.

sir, your premise is this:

". . . ordinary Indians would cross the isle and vote PNC, ordinary blacks tribally vote PNC against their own welfare?"

that is NONSENSE! . . . ask around

there is nothing to dignify with further comment

further, the only "community" I "admonish" is GNI !!!

and, even further, stop your foolishness about my "own community" . . . you don't know me

ronan posted:

 

sir, your premise is this:

". . . ordinary Indians would cross the isle and vote PNC, ordinary blacks tribally vote PNC against their own welfare?"

that is NONSENSE!

there is nothing to "admonish" or dignify with further comment

Why do you say it is nonsense? Show evidence to support your refutation. When Trotman was the Presidential candidate for the AFC in 2006, many blacks voted for the AFC. When Ramjattan became the Presidential candidate in 2011, many of those same blacks did not vote for the AFC. I gave the AFC example because it clearly demonstrates the tribalism in black voting tendencies. Now extrapolate that tendency to the whole country and you see how blacks vote tribally for the PNC even though doing so does not improve their welfare.

The original argument was about racism and as much as there is racial tendencies in both Indian and black Guyanese communities, you are an apparent defender of blacks is showing gross bias by leaving your own base and criticizing the other camp.

My hubby visited the port in Calcutta where the ships had set sail from.  Notably trains were in operation in India back then and some of our ancestors traveled by train, some by foot  to get to Calcutta.  I watched a Telugu film recently and I was amazed at how much their culture overlapped with ours.  They use the cutlass a lot and lots of the women names end in 'wattie and mattie' lol. 

ronan posted:

 

and, even further, stop your foolishness about my "own community" . . . you don't know me

I certainly don't know you but I can make a assessment from your preferred participation on GNI where you pitch your tent.

ksazma posted:

ronan posted:

 

and, even further, stop your foolishness about my "own community" . . . you don't know me

I certainly don't know you but I can make a assessment from your preferred participation on GNI where you pitch your tent.

assessment of what . . . that i support the coalition, am against the PPP and DESPISE racism in any form?

thanks Captain Obvious

fyi, there are NO posters on GNI from "my community" posting the vile racist stuff we see from the usual (Indo) suspects here

what you want me to do . . . invent what is not there?

Most Guyanese are out of UP/Bihar.  This is where most of Indian sugar is based and Indians went to work on the sugar estates.  

In addition, I ask the people there about the word Phagwah vs Holi and they said Phagwah originates out of UP but is less and less used as Holi is used in Bollywood.

i knew my great Ajaa who came to Guyana at age 13 and he said he came from UP.