Derived from the Greek composite verb dia and speirein
meaning to spread, to scatter, or to disperse. Acc. to Judith M. Brown the word diaspora can be used to denote groups of people with a common ethnicity; who have left their original homeland for a prolonged periods of time and often permanently; who retain a particular sense of cultural identity and often close kinship links with other scattered members of their group, thus acknowledging their shared physical and cultural origins; and who maintain links with that homeland and sense of its role in their present identity. Two Types of Diaspora Old Diaspora: Comprised of indentured labourers and assisted labourers who were taken to different parts of the world like Mauritius, Fiji, Africa, Caribbean and Latin America during the colonial period. New Diaspora: includes semi-literate, literate and professionally trained people who have migrated to Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, and other developed countries of the world. Culture: Meaning and Definition Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, art, moral, belief, laws, customs and other capabilities acquired by a man as a member of the society. Culture is all about what we wear, how we talk, how we walk, what we eat, how we celebrate etc. It is man made part of the environment. Universe of this presentation Mauritius, Caribbean, Fiji, Africa Focus on the cultural aspects such as sings and symbols of Hinduism, Islam, Language, Music and literature.
Indian Diaspora in Different Places Mauritius was the first country where the Indians migrated as indentured labourers. Here, indentured immigration began in 1834 when 75 tribals were imported from Calcutta by Arbuthnot because of the abolition of slavery and requirement of cheap labour. 453,000 Indian Labourers were imported up to 1917, when the indentured system was abolished. In Fiji, during the tenure of 1879 to 1916, 60,945 individuals were imported.
Continued Indian indentured migration to Caribbean started in 1845 and ceased in 1917. During this period approximately 400,000 Indians were migrated in the different countries of the Caribbean Islands. Could not find the exact number of Indian Immigrants in Africa but the number is not small but huge like the Caribbean Island. Out of these indentured labourers some could return at the end of their indenture but many could not go for various reasons and settled in their respective host country. Cultural Aspects of Old Indian Diaspora Culture in the form of Religious Signs and Symbols of Hinduism Ramcharitmanas or Ramayana (written in Awadhi language) Valmiki Ramayana, Sukh Sagar, Satyanarayan Ki Katha (some hand written copies also), Surya Puran, Indra Sabha etc. Simple instructional texts on astrology and witch craft, manuals on how to conduct marriage ceremonies, enchanting tales of ghosts and goblin, poems and stories of romance , heroism and adventures. Hindu Festivals like Ram Navami, Krishna Janamashtami, Holi , Deepawali, Shivratri etc. In Mauritius Tamil ceremonies like fire walking and cavadee and general Hindu festivals like Durga Puja also flourished during this time.
Hindu Ceremonies Birth Ceremony: As soon as a child is born, a priest is called for the name giving ceremony. Some people also give feast. When a child is born in a Kabir Panth family, the baba and his disciples gathered and sing bhajans, after which the baba ties a small bell around the neck of the child and gives his blessings and leaves. Thread wearing ceremony: This practice has largely been disappeared only some people observe it. They, too, after some time throw it in the river or hang it on a peg. Marriage Ceremony: The marriage ceremonies in Fiji are same as they are in India i.e. parents try to find a worthy partner for their children and invite a priest to officiate marriage. But the majority of the marriages were registered at the magistrate's office for a fee of five shillings. Funeral Rites: it is performed by digging a hole and dumping the body in it. Some people invite priests for a feast. In some places, people read religious texts and sing bhajans during the mourning period. Culture in the form of Religious Signs and Symbols of Islam Approximately, 15% of the Indian indententured labourers were Muslims. They subscribe to Indian cultural practices such as Niyaz (prayer over food), Fatiha, Moulood (singing of qsaidas or Urdu songs) and Tazeem (prayer sending salutations to the Prophet). Festivals like Milad-un-Nabi (celebrating the Prophets birthday), Miraj (Observing the Prophets ascension to Heaven), Eid-ul-Fither. Constant efforts to promote Urdu however there are some which doesnt consider Urdu as an integral part of Islam due to its Indian origin. For them Arabic is the only medium of religious instructions.
Continued Husayn (Grandson of Prophet) and Fatima (Granddaughter of Prophet) are the most important religious symbols. Hosay Festival, was introduced in Caribbean by the early immigrants. Though it lost its religious significance (1884 Hosay Riots in Trinidad and Tobago). People of various religious and cultural persuasion participate in the festival and has modified its form. Taziya and Muharram are also celebrated in Fiji and Mauritius, where Hindus also participate in it , they make offerings and join in the procession, beating drums and flagellating themselves Culture in the form of Religious Signs and Symbols of Sikhism First Gurudwara came into existence in Kilindini (Kenya) in 1898. Festivals like Baisakhi, Gurupurbs. Sikh community divided into misls. Majority of Sikhs belonged to Ramgarhia and Ahluwalia misls Construction of New Cultural Practices Bride Price Art and Architecture Hindu temples and Mosques : Temples of Hindu god and goddesses and Mosques were built in almost every part like Fiji, Mauritius, and Caribbean and most probably in Africa also. As it gives them moral strength regarding their religion. Literature Emergence of Indian Newspapers like Koh-i-Noor (1898), the East Indian Weekly (1928), the East Indian Herald (1919) and the East Indian Patriot (1921) which went long way in advocating for and encouraging cultural activities in Trinidad. Short stories, non-fiction and letters to newspapers by Indians came in the early 1940s when Seepersad Naipaul, father of V.S. and Shiva Naipaul, published a volume of stories, The Adventures of Gurudeva and Other Stories. Music and Folk Songs In the new and largely inhospitable homeland, music came to play a particularly important role in sustaining Indian culture and ties to India itself. Different forms of music womens informal singing, Hindu Bhajans, antiphonal male Chowtals associated with Phagwa (Holi) festivals.(Caribbean) Some Folk songs manifests many social issues and problems of the labourers: (Mauritius Song)Having heard the name of the island of the Mauritius, We arrived here to find gold, to find gold. Instead we got beatings of bamboos, Which peeled the skin off the back of the labourers, We became Kohlus bullock to extract cane sugar, Alas! We left our country to become coolies.
Continued (Surinam) What sins we have committed, Oh Lord, That thou has given us these miseries? Repenting in their hearts they called for mother and father, Blaming their fate, their Karma or even the Lord Himself. (Fiji) The six foot by eight foot CSR room, Is the source of all comforts for us, In it we keep our tools and hoe, And also the grinding stone and the hearth, In it is also kept the firewood, It is our single and doubly storey palace, In which is mad our golden parapet. Language Bhojpuri in Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius (Bihar and Chhota Nagpur Pleatue) Avadhi, Maghi, Maithali, Bengali Nepali and Telugu (Trinidad) Tamil (Madras Presidency) Hindi was introduced by the Presbyterians Missionaries. Observers called it plantation Hindi. The speakers of Trinidad Bhojpuri themselves referred to it as broken Hindi or bad Hindi; some referred to it as chamar Hindi (low caste Hindi) or gaoo bolee (village speech) Hindus in Kenya and Uganda mostly being derived from Bombay and thus spoke Gujarati