The Peppa Pot Podcast

Coolie

We are the descendants of Indian indentured laborers, brought to the Caribbean after the abolition of slavery. Our roots run deep, interwoven with Indian, African, European, and Caribbean influences, and forged through centuries of migration, colonialism, survival, and resilience. Yet, our story remains largely untold. As Brenda Beck puts it in a 1992 South Asian Diaspora article, media narratives of our people are often based on derogatory stereotypes that fail to capture the richness and complexity of our heritage. 
 
So, what does it truly mean to be Indo-Caribbean? 
 
For us, it means embracing a history of displacement and triumph, speaking English while cherishing our connection to the Indian language and dialects. It means losing ourselves in Bollywood movies, from the beloved "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" to the soul-stirring "Dil To Pagal Hai" and "Kal Ho Naa Ho." It means dancing to Hindi film songs at birthdays, weddings, and basement jams, despite not knowing the meaning behind all the lyrics.
 
It means cultivating a love for cricket, music, and dance, drawing from our Caribbean surroundings while honoring the cultural traditions of our ancestors. Our food, a fusion of Indian and Caribbean flavors, showcases the intricate blend of spices and ingredients, enriched with local delights like plantain, cassava and, of course, Guyana Shrimp.
Join us for Episode 7 of the Pepper Pot Podcast as we explore the challenges we encountered in forming our identities as descendents of Indian Indentured Workers. Together, we reclaim our narrative, honour the generations before us, and inspire those to come.
 
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Credits
Beats and Music by Noyz
Research by Ryan N. Ramdin
Creative Direction by Sara-Sati Ramprashad
Produced by WESTINDIECO 
 
Resources
Bahadur, G. “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture” (The University of Chicago Press: 2014).
Barratt, S. A. & Ranjitsingh, A. N. “Dougla in the Twenty-First Century: Adding to the Mix,” (University Press of Mississippi: 2021).
Breman, J. & Daniel, E.V. (1992) “Conclusion: The Making of a coolie,” Journal of Peasant Studies, 19(3-4).
Hearn, L. (1886) “A Study of Half-Breed Races in the West Indies,” Cosmopolitan; New York. 
Jagessar, R. “Kiss and Breathe: Only the Broken Ones Will Rise” (Rohit Jagessar: 2022). 
Kaup, K. (1995) “West Indian Canadian Writing: Crossing the Border from Exile to Immigration,” Essays on Canadian Writing; Toronto, Issue 57. 
Mahase, R. Roopnarine, L. & Hassankhan, M.S. (eds.) (2016) “Social & Cultural Dimensions of Indian Indentured Labour and its Diaspora: Past and Present,” (Routledge, London).
Sengupta, S. & Toy, V. S. (7 Oct. 1998) “Two Groups of East Indians Are Brought Closer, for Now,” New York Times. 
Siddiqui, H. (1992 Oct. 15) “Children of the Raj,” Toronto Star. 
New York Times, (1998 Sept. 22) “Racial Motive Is Seen in Beating of Indian- American Man in Queens,” New York Times.
 

Caste Away

The period of Indian Indentureship was a time of remarkable change for our ancestors as traditional caste barriers, deeply ingrained in Indian society, began to crumble. In particular, the proximity of high and low caste Indians in Immigration Depots, aboard ships, and across the Caribbean played a pivotal role in this dramatic shift.
 
Imagine the impact when people from different castes found themselves side by side, sharing physical spaces, resources, and experiences. This forced interaction challenged the long-standing prejudices and hierarchies that shaped Indian communities for generations. As they embarked on a new life in a foreign land, our ancestors had to rely on each other, breaking down the walls of caste that once separated them.
 
The consequences of this radical transformation were profound. Some suggest that the breakdown of caste opened doors to unprecedented social and economic mobility. Individuals from lower castes were no longer confined by the limitations imposed by their birth. Others argue that the erosion of traditional caste distinctions meant the loss of cultural practices and values that were deeply intertwined with caste identities. As our ancestors embraced a new reality, some aspects of their heritage and customs were diluted or even lost, leaving a bittersweet legacy.
Join us on the Pepper Pot Podcast as we delve deeper into this chapter of our history in Episode 6: Caste Away. In this episode, we explore the impact of the dismantling of caste barriers, the triumphs, the dilemmas, and the enduring lessons we can learn from this momentous transformation. Together, let's uncover the layers of our shared heritage and celebrate the resilience and strength of our ancestors.
 
Follow and connect with The Peppa Pot Podcast online, we'd love to hear from you!
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Credits
Beats and Music by Noyz
Research by Ryan N. Ramdin
Creative Direction by Sara-Sati Ramprashad
Produced by WESTINDIECO 
 
Resources
Bahadur, G. “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture” (The University of Chicago Press: 2014).
Basu, S. (2016 Sept. 28), “Solah Shringar: The science behind it” Times of India. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/solah-shringar-the-science-behind-it/articleshow/54520592.cms 
Bronkhurst, H.V.P. (1888) “Among the Hindus and Creoles of British Guiana and its Labouring Population,” Woolmer, London.
Christian, R. “‘They Came in Ships...’ Indo-Caribbean Women and their Construction of Safe Spaces in the Caribbean” in Lurdos, M. & Misrahi-Barak, J. (dir.), “Transport(s) in the British Empire and the Commonwealth.”
“I am a Coolie: Identity and Indenture,” Moray House Trust. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUirPfa8Fjg&t=1811s 
Jayawardena, C. (1966) “Religious Belief and Social Change: Aspects of the Development of Hinduism in British Guiana,” Comparative Studies in Society and History, 8(2), pp. 211-240.
Khanan, B.H. & Chickrie. R. (2009) “170th Anniversary of the Arrival of the First Hindustani Muslims from India to British Guiana,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 29(2).
Mahabir, K. (ed.) (2004) ‘The Massacre of Indians in the 1884 Hosay” Indian Arrival Day, 5(1).
Mahase, R. (2005) “Caste, Religion and Gender Differentiations amongst Indentured Labourers from Bihar to Trinidad, 1870 to 1900,” in Samaroo, B., Bissessar, A-M. (eds.) “The Construction of an Indo-Caribbean Diaspora” (UWI School of Continuing Studies, St Augustine, Trinidad).
Moore, B.L. (1979) “Retention of Caste Notions Among the Indian Immigrants in British Guiana in the Nineteenth Century” Comparative Studies in Society and History.
“Tracing Roots to India,” Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. Available at: https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.423197.55992c06ab

Leggo Me Nah Raja

Join us on the latest episode of the Peppa Pot as we explore the history of Indentured Indian Women and the challenges they faced once they arrived in the Caribbean. Throughout the period of Indian Indentureship, the number of men recruited to work throughout the Caribbean greatly outnumbered the number of women, resulting in women being in high demand but receiving no preferential treatment and often falling victim to abuse. Despite this, for some women, arriving in the Colonies represented freedom and an opportunity to overcome generations of oppression that they experienced back home. Learn more about the history and adversity of Indentured Indian Women and how they took care of themselves by tuning in to Episode 5 of the Peppa Pot: Leggo me nah Raja.
Follow and connect with The Peppa Pot Podcast online, we'd love to hear from you!
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Credits
Beats and Music by Noyz
Research by Ryan N. Ramdin
Creative Direction by Sara-Sati Ramprashad
Produced by WESTINDIECO 
 
Resources
Bahadur, G. “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture” (The University of Chicago Press: 2014).
Chatterjee, C. (1997) “Indian women’s lives and labor: the indentureship experience in Trinidad and Guyana, 1845-1917”.
Christian, R. “‘They Came in Ships...’ Indo-Caribbean Women and their Construction of Safe Spaces in the Caribbean” in Lurdos, M. & Misrahi-Barak, J. (dir.), “Transport(s) in the British Empire and the Commonwealth.”
Jagessar, R. “Kiss and Breathe: Only the Broken Ones Will Rise” (Rohit Jagessar: 2022). Khan, A. (2016) “Voyages across Indenture: From Ship Sister to Mannish Women” A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 22 at 249-280.
Martinez, K. (1997), “Chutney in yuh Soca,” available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPCJqqYCXBs&t=383s 
Mehta, B. (2020) “Jahaji-bahin feminism: a de-colonial Indo-Caribbean consciousness” South Asian Diaspora 12(2) at 179-194.
Mehta, B., Diasporic (Dis) locations: Indo-Caribbean Women Writers Negotiate the Kala Pani. (Jamaica: UWI Press, 2004).
Niranjana, T. Mobilizing India: Women, music and migration between India and Trinidad. (USA: Duke University Press, 2006).
Sengupta, S. (1995 June 5), “Relishing the Mix New York's developing a taste for the musical fusion called chutney,” Newsday. 
Sharma, H. (23 December 2020) “Why Indian women became the faces of these Victorian-era postcards,” CNN, retrieved at: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/indo-caribbean-women-colonial-postcards/index.html 
Singh, K. A. “Comparative Caribbean Feminisms: Jahaji-bhain in Carnival” in “Indo-Caribbean Feminist Thought: Genealogies, Theories, Enactments” (New York: Palgrave Maxmillan, 2016).

Rum and Cutters

Did you know that by the late 1700s, the County of Demerara had over 300 distilleries producing unique flavors and styles of rum? The success of the rum industry reflects the wider social and economic changes that were taking place across the Caribbean. However, the story of Caribbean rum goes much deeper as it is intertwined with the Systems of Indentureship and Slavery. While Slavery and Indentureship have ended, millions of gallons of rum remain as a reminder of the legacy of both systems and its impact on the Caribbean’s culture and history. From “Treasure Island” to the daily ration of grog issued to British sailors, the history of rum is both fascinating and complex. Don't miss this episode of the Peppa Pot podcast where we dive into the rich history of rum in the Caribbean and explore its social, cultural, and economic impact. 
 
Follow and connect with The Peppa Pot Podcast online, we'd love to hear from you!
Instagram
YouTube
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Credits
Beats and Music by Noyz
Research by Ryan N. Ramdin
Creative Direction by Sara-Sati Ramprashad
Produced by WESTINDIECO 
 
Resources
Allahar, A. L. (1993) “Unity and Diversity in Caribbean Ethnicity and Culture,” Canadian Ethnic Studies, 25(1).
Bahadur, G. “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture” (The University of Chicago Press: 2014).
Gramaglia, L. “Colonial Psychiatry in British Guiana,” in White K. (ed.), “Configuring Madness: Representation, Context and Meaning,” (Inter-Disciplinary Press, Oxford: 2009).
Gramaglia, L. ‘Migration and Mental Illness in the British West Indies 1838-1900: The Cases of Trinidad and British Guiana’ in Cox, C. & Marland, H. (eds.) “Migration, Health and Ethnicity in the Modern World,” (Palgrave Macmillan: New York, 2013).
“I am a Coolie: Identity and Indenture,” Moray House Trust. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUirPfa8Fjg&t=1811s 
Moss, K., Adams, E. & Toner, D. (2022) “Immigration, Intoxication, Insanity, and Incarceration in British Guiana” Slavery & Abolition: A Journal of Slave and Post-Slave Studies, 43:4.
Ramsarran, P. (2008) “The indentured contract and its Impact on Labour Relationship and Community Reconstruction in British Guiana,” International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory, 1(2).
Persaud, S. (2022) “No Sovereign Remedy: Distress, Madness, and Mental Health Care in Guyana.”
World Health Organization, (2008) WHO-AIMS Report on Mental Health System in Guyana.

Chay Lee Chee Nee

Do you know the meaning behind the phrase "Chay Lee Chee Nee"? It is a phrase that changed the course of history for many Indians who were recruited, coerced, or tricked into signing Indentured Contracts. They were seen as a suitable replacement for Chattel Slavery: a population that could be easily controlled and manipulated to work tirelessly in the Sugar Plantations across the Caribbean. Many were promised easy money and a better life, but the truth was far from it. With little to no education or experience beyond their North Indian villages, many were led to believe that they were headed to the promised land. But in reality, many had unknowingly signed away their freedom. The phrase "Chay Lee Chee Nee" represents the beginning of a harsh journey for our ancestors that we must never forget. So join us as we celebrate the resilience and perseverance of the Indo-Caribbean community in Episode 3 of the Peppa Pot: Chay Lee Chee Nee!
 
Follow and connect with The Peppa Pot Podcast online, we'd love to hear from you!
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Credits
Beats and Music by Noyz
Research by Ryan N. Ramdin
Creative Direction by Sara-Sati Ramprashad
Produced by WESTINDIECO 
 
Resources
Bahadur, G. “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture” (The University of Chicago Press: 2014).
Coolies: How Britain Reinvented Slavery. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cncg3yhWPI&t=310s 
Chatterjee, S. (1997) “Indian women’s lives and labor: the indentureship experience in Trinidad and Guyana, 1845-1917”
Hoefte, R. (1987) “Control and Resistance: Indentured Labor in Suriname”, Nieuwe West-Indische Gids / New West Indian Guide, 61(½). 
Hoefte, R. “Plantation Labour After the Abolition of Slavery: The Case of the Plantation Matienburg (Suriname), 1880-1940” (1987), PhD dissertation, University of Florida.
Kempadoo, K. (2017) ‘“Bound Coolies” and Other Indentured Workers in the Caribbean: Implications for debates about human trafficking and modern slavery,” Anti-Trafficking Review, 9.
Mangru, B. (2013 May 4) “An Overview of Indian Indentureship in Guyana, 1838-1917” https://www.stabroeknews.com/2013/05/04/news/guyana/an-overview-of-indian-indentureship-in-guyana-1838-1917/
Moss K. & Jackson, S. J. (2022) “Coloniality and the Criminal Justice System: Empire and its Legacies in Guyana” Slavery and Abolition: A Journal of Slave and Post-Slave Studies, 43(4).
“New evidence emerges of indentured Indians’ mass graves in Suriname” (January 23, 2013) FirstPost. Available at:
https://www.firstpost.com/world/new-evidence-emerges-of-indentured-indians-mass-graves-in-suriname-599547.html
Ono-George, M. (2020) “Coolies”, Containment, and Resistance: The Indentured System in British Guiana.”
Ramsarran, P. (2008) “The indentured contract and its Impact on Labour Relationship and Community Reconstruction in British Guiana,” International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory, 1(2).
Roopnarine, L. (2010) “The Indian Sea Voyage between India and the Caribbean during the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century,” The Journal of Caribbean History, 44(1).  
Sheridan, R. B. “The conditions of the slaves on the sugar plantations of Sir John Gladstone in the colony of Demerara, 1812-49.”
“Unearthing history: Indian workers killed 110 years ago in Suriname” (2013) India TV News. Available at: https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/unearthing-history-indian-workers-killed-110-years-ago-suriname-18748.html
Vatuk, V. P. (1965) “Craving for a Chile in the Folksongs of East Indians in British Guiana,” Journal of the Folklore Institute, 2(1). 
Vatuk, V. P. (1964) “Protest Songs of East Indians in British Guiana,” The Journal of American Folklore, 77(305).

Camphor on the Dark Waters

Did you know that between 1834 and 1917, more than one million Coolies were taken across the Kala Pani, or Dark Waters, to the plantations of Malaya, Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, British Guiana, Jamaica, and British Honduras?
In “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture,” Gaiutra Bahadur describes how the British and other Colonial Powers transformed generations of skilled Indians into an “indistinguishable mass of plantation laborers.” Part of that transformation took part during the journey from India to the Caribbean which, for many, was unimaginably excruciating. In fact, poor ventilation, outbreaks of disease, and a lack of food was common aboard the ships used to transport Indentured Indians.
When they reached their destination, they were met with a hostile and unfamiliar environment and forced to work long hours for low wages. But despite all odds, they persevered and laid a foundation that future generations would build on.
Learn more about the strength, resilience, and legacy of the Indo-Caribbean community in Episode 2 of The Peppa Pot Podcast: Camphor on the Dark Waters.
 
Follow and connect with The Peppa Pot Podcast online, we'd love to hear from you!
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Credits
Beats and Music by Noyz
Research by Ryan N. Ramdin
Creative Direction by Sara-Sati Ramprashad
Produced by WESTINDIECO 
 
Resources
Bahadur, G. “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture” (The University of Chicago Press: 2014).
 
Balachandran, G. (2011) “Making Coolies, (Un)making Workers: ‘Globalizing’ Labour in the Late-19th and Early-20th Centuries,” Journal of Historical Sociology, 24(3).
 
Beaumont, J. (1871) The New Slavery: An Account of the Indian and Chinese Immigrants in British Guiana, W. (Ridgway, London).
 
Breman, J. & Daniel, E.V. (1992) “Conclusion: The Making of a coolie,” Journal of Peasant Studies, 19 (3-4).
 
Deolall, I. (2018 July 19) An unquiet wait, Stabroek News, available from: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/07/19/features/first-person-singular/an-unquiet-wait/ 
 
Dookhan, I. (1975) ‘The Gladstone Experiment: The Experience of the First East Indians in British Guiana’, Symposium on East Indians in the Caribbean, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad.
 
Isba, A. (2003) Trouble with Helen: The Gladstone Family Crisis, 1846-1848. History, 88(2). 
 
Johnson, A. (8 Jan. 1977) “Guyanese man beaten, kicked at subway station in week’s 3rd race attack,” The Globe and Mail. 
 
Johnson, A. (1977  March 24) “Unhappy with Canada, subway beating victim hangs himself,” The Globe and Mail. 
 
Joshua Bryant (1824) “Account of insurrection of the negro slaves in the colony of Demerara.”
 
Kamath, M. V. (1977  April 10) “Paki-bashing on the rise in Canada,” The Times of India. 
 
Kumar, M. (2013) “Malaria and Mortality Among Indentured Indians: A Study of Housing, Sanitation and Health in British Guiana (1900-1939)” in Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 74, pp. 746-757.
 
Mehta, B., Diasporic (Dis)locations: Indo-Caribbean Women Writers Negotiate the Kala Pani. (Jamaica: UWI Press, 2004).
 
Mishra, S. (2022) “Violence, Resilience and the ‘Coolie’ Identity: Life and Survival on Ships to the Caribbean, 1834–1917,” The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 50(2), 241–263.
 
Misrahi-Barak, J. (2017) “Indentureship, Caste and the Crossing of the Kala Pani” Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, 14(2). 
 
Roopnarine, L. (2012) “A Comparative Analysis of Two Failed Indenture Experiences in Post-Emancipation Caribbean: British Guiana (1838-1843) and Danish St. Croix (1863-1868),” Iberoamericana. Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. 62(1-2).
 
Roopnarine, L. (2010) “The Indian Sea Voyage between India and the Caribbean during the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century” The Journal of Caribbean History, 44(1).  
 
Roopnarine, L. (2009) “The Repatriation, Readjustment, and Second-term Migration of Ex-Indentured Indian Labourers from British Guiana and Trinidad to India, 1838-1955,” New West Indian Guide/Nieuwe West-Indische Gids, 83 (1-2).
 
Sheridan, R. B. “The conditions of the slaves on the sugar plantations of Sir John Gladstone in the colony of Demerara, 1812-49.”
 
The Globe and Mail, (1977  Feb. 18) “Man pleads guilty to assault on immigrant in subway station,” The Globe and Mail.

The Survival Game

May 5th is Indian Arrival Day in Guyana
Our ancestors made incredible sacrifices and endured unimaginable hardships during indentureship. From the cruelty of plantation life to the suppression of our culture, religion, and language, they overcame it all.
Join us for this auditory experience and learn about the resilience and perseverance of the Indo-Caribbean community in Episode 1: The Survival Game
 
Follow and connect with The Peppa Pot Podcast online, we'd love to hear from you
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Credits
Beats and Music by Noyz
Research by Ryan N. Ramdin
Creative Direction by Sara-Sati Ramprashad
 
Produced by WESTINDIECO 
 
Resources 
Adamson, A. “Sugar Without Slaves: the Political Economy of British Guiana, 1838-1904,” (Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut: 1972).
Bahadur, G. “Coolie Woman: the Odyssey of Indenture” (The University of Chicago Press: 2014).
Coté, J. (2004) “Slaves, Coolies, and Garrison Whores: A Colonial Discourse of ‘Unfreedom in the Dutch East Indies” in Campbell, G. & Elbourne, E. (eds.) Sex, Power, and Slavery (Ohio University Press, Athens, pp. 561-582).
Patel, D. (2016 June 11) Viewpoint: How British let one million Indians die in famine, BBC, retrieved at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36339524
Mahase, R., Roopnarine, L. & Hassankhan, M.S. “Social & Cultural Dimensions of Indian Indentured Labour and its Diaspora: Past and Present” (Routledge, London: 2016).
Roberts, G. W. & Byrne, T. (1966) “Summary Statistics on Indenture and Associated Migration Affecting the West Indies. 1834-1918. Population Studies 20(1). 
 
“I am a Coolie": Identity and Indenture. Moray House Trust. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUirPfa8Fjg&t=1811s