182nd anniversary of the arrival of indentured labourers : the duty of history and memory

The contribution of indentured labourers from India to the shaping of modern Mauritius cannot be denied. Deprived of their basic rights, their difficult working and living conditions need to be highlighted. However, a man showed them the way of emancipation. His name : Manilal maganlal Doctor.

« Ex-slaves cost 50 pounds yearly, the indentured cost 3 pounds yearly »

The indentured labourers were mostly from India (Bihar). They came after the abolition of slavery in the British colonies such as Mauritius, Guyana, Surinam, and Trinidad and so on to replace the African slaves in 1834.

In Mauritius 68,413 slaves were freed in a total population of 101,469 people, whilst on the other hand, slaves’ owners reaped the sum of 2,112,632 pounds and 10 shillings as compensation.

Ex-slaves cost 50 pounds yearly, the indentured labourers deprived from their own rights were treated as slaves and cost 3 pounds yearly and were given a salary of Rs 5 per month.

The Coming of Indentured Labourers

Indentured labourers came from India to replace the slaves as a source of cheap labour to work in the sugar cane plantation. They changed the face of Mauritius as a prosperous sugar producer in the British colonies. The 1st batch of 137 Indian artisans came from Pondicherry in 1740 during the governorship of Mahe de Labourdonnais. The 2nd batch of about 700, came as soldiers during the battle between the British and the French in December 1810, most of them were from Madras, Bengal and Bihar.

There were also some prisoners who revolted against the British rule in India. The 3rd batch of 68,613 from 1834 to 1838 as indentured labourers, the 4th batch from 1843 to 1861, four times more; 200,000 in a total population of about 300,000. The 5th and last batch of 1,500 came in 1923, a total of 451,776 Indians migrated to Mauritius. 157,639 of these Indians left after their 5-10 year contract ended, whilst the remaining 294,137 stayed behind.

Working Conditions

• A 5 years contract
• 3 pounds per year or Rs 5 per month
• A percentage from the Rs 5 per month was deducted for the cost of their voyage from India to Mauritius
• At the end of their contract they supposedly had the option to return to India but owners often succeeded in eliminating their choice
• Many plantation owners punished the workers by beating them, hunting those who ran away and imprisoned them.
• They had to work everyday except Sunday from sunrise to sunset
• The double cut implied if a labourer was absent for 1 day, the employers would cut two days of salary

Two great personalities fought for the emancipation of Indian indentured labourers.

Adolphe Von de Plevitz

Adolphe Von de Plevitz was a Prussian (now Germany) planter in the District of Moka, he treated his Indian labourers well, while most of the other planters treated them as slaves. He signed a petition by 9,401 Indian labourers and sent the petition to the Secretary of State of Great Britain asking for a Royal Commission to look upon the grievances of the Indian labourers.for this move, he was threatened and beaten by the sugar planters (colons) like Louis Lavoquer and Victor Merven.

Finally a Royal Commission took place in 1872 under two Commissioners, William Edward Frere and Victor Alexander Williamson. The colons under « Chambre d’agriculture» was represented by Sir William Newton and Sir Georges Guibert. The Royal Commission of 1872 gave some good privileges in the interest of the Indian labourers.

Arrival of Manilal doctor

In 1901 Gandhi visited Mauritius and in 1907 he sent one of his lieutenants, Manilal, to defend the interest of the Indian labourers in Mauritius.

The person who really fought for the interest of the Indian labourers was Manilal Maganlal Doctor. He held an MA and LLB degree and came to Mauritius on the 11th of October 1907. When Manilal came, the Indian community had no leader of its own, so he was the first Indian to appear at the Mauritian Bar and is remembered as a courageous fighter who defended the cause of Indian labourers and small planters.

Manilal addressed public meeting gatherings all over Mauritius to ventilate the grievances of the Indentured labourers and the small planters. At one of the meetings, the audience voted resolutions on the abolition of the double cut, more powers to the Protector of Immigrants, ban on Indian immigration, no taxation on poor men’s food, small planters’ complaints, facility of loans, control of the weighbridge and better price for sugar. Above all he advocated the abolition of Indentured labourers.

Manilal Doctor and Parti Action Libéral

Manilal name is generally associated with Action Liberal party and the Royal Commission of 1909. Manilal transcended the communal barrier to make common cause with non Indian and in return support to his cause.

Action Liberal was the first democratic political party that was close to the population. Founded by Mauritians like Dr Eugene Laurent, Edouard Nairac, Anatole de Boucherville and Goolam Mohamed Issac in 1906 to combat against Capitalism of Parti de l’Ordre under the leadership of Sir Henry Leclézio.

The role of Action Liberal party in the beginning was simply to defend the colored population; by 1907 with the participation of Manilal the Party started to defend the interests of the indentured labourers.

He was sworn in as a Barrister before the Supreme Court on the 16th of October 1907, while taking the oath, he refused to remove his turban, and said removing it would be a sign of disrespect according to the Indian customs.

Demands before the 3rd Royal Commission of 1909

• To nominate English magistrates
• Human treatment towards Hindu labourers
• Strict control in regards to the sugar cane tonnage for small planters
• To establish an Agricultural Bank
• To legalize Hindu marriage for the children to become their legal heirs
• Introduction of the Hindu culture
• Introduction of the Hindi language in schools
• To establish a co-operative bank
• To reform the legislation of the indentured labourers
• To reduce the salary of the Governor of Mauritius from Rs 75,000 to Rs 50,000 per year (at that time indentured labourers were getting Rs 5 per month or Rs 60 per year.

Conclusion

After 182 years (1834-2016), our forefathers came to Mauritius as indentured labourers; today we are the Master of our destiny and what we are today is by the grace of our forefathers. We cannot forget the effort made by Manilal Maganlal Doctor and Parti Action Libéral.