Labor, migration, and melancholia
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The stories of Girmitiyas and Ghans reflect the complexities of migration, labor, and identity under colonial rule. Both groups, brought to foreign lands under British colonialism, faced racial marginalization and cultural displacement while contributing to the economies of places like Australia and the Caribbean.
The Girmitiyas were indentured laborers taken from India to British colonies to work on plantations after the abolition of slavery. They signed agreements that bound them to harsh labor conditions with limited rights. They suffered from the loss of their cultural and linguistic roots. In Antiman, Rajiv Mohabir grapples with this legacy, reflecting the melancholia that stems from cultural disconnection. Rajiv's longing to reclaim his Indo-Guyanese heritage by learning Hindi mirrors the broader Girmitiya experience of losing language and tradition in foreign lands. His family’s assimilation into Christianity and Western culture, especially his father’s rejection of their Indian roots, highlights the deep internal conflict between survival through assimilation and the desire to preserve cultural identity. On the other hand, the Ghans, Afghan camel drivers brought to Australia, played a crucial role in transportation across the interior. While they were valued for their labor, they too faced racial exclusion. Unlike the Girmitiyas, the Ghans were more mobile and were able to maintain a stronger connection to their Islamic community. However, they were still subjected to racial discrimination and the restrictive “White Australia” policy. This policy sought to limit the presence of non-white immigrants, but some Ghans resisted by invoking their status as British subjects.
Both the Girmitiyas and the Ghans navigated the loss of language and tradition, but in different ways. The Girmitiyas, largely isolated on plantations, saw their cultural practices eroded, while the Ghans maintained their Islamic traditions, though in a marginalized capacity. In Antiman, Rajiv’s melancholia is deeply tied to this loss of language and the struggle to reclaim it, as he sees learning Hindi as a way to connect with his family’s past. The Ghans, while facing racism, managed to preserve their faith, yet they too experienced a sense of exile, living on the fringes of Australian society.
Despite these differences, both groups faced the overarching challenge of existing as racialized laborers in colonial systems that exploited them while simultaneously alienating them from full participation in society. Their stories reflect the broader experience of migrant communities who navigate cultural loss, identity, and the complexities of maintaining tradition in foreign lands. Both Girmitiyas and Ghans illustrate how colonialism shaped migrant identities through labor, creating deep-rooted melancholia tied to the loss of language, culture, and a sense of belonging.