>Monkbot at 11:34, 17 January 2021

2021-01-17T11:34:27Z

New page

{{More footnotes|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Indo-Guadeloupeans
| population = 36,011<ref>{{cite web |title=Guadeloupe Population 2020 |url=http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/guadeloupe-population/ |website=World Population Review |publisher=World Population Review |access-date=16 May 2020}}</ref>
| popplace = [[Basse-Terre]]{{·}}[[Capesterre-Belle-Eau]]{{·}}[[Saint-François, Guadeloupe|Saint-François]]
| flag = {{flagicon|India}} {{flagicon|Guadeloupe}}
| langs = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]{{·}}[[Telugu language|Telugu]]{{·}}[[Hindi]]{{·}}[[French language|French]]{{·}}[[English language|English]]{{·}}[[Antillean Creole]]{{·}}[[Languages of India]]
| rels = [[Hinduism]]{{·}}[[Jainism]]{{·}}[[Christianity]]
| related-c = [[Tamil Diaspora]]{{·}}[[Indo-Caribbeans]]{{·}}[[Indo-Martiniquais]]{{·}} [[Dravidian people]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| related_groups =
}}

[[File:Temple hindou.jpg|thumb|Hindu Temple in [[Le Moule]], [[Grande-Terre]].]]
'''Indo-Guadeloupeans''' are mostly descended from indentured workers who came mostly from [[South India]] in the late 19th century. There are currently about 36,011 people of Indian origin living in [[Guadeloupe]], making it home to one of the largest South Indian populations in the Caribbean.

==History==
Tamils in Guadeloupe trace their roots to over 40,000 indentured workers who were brought from [[India]] to [[Guadeloupe]] in 1861 to work on plantations through an agreement reached between [[France]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. The importation of Indian labor was gradually discontinued after 1883 as a result of adoption of a policy by the [[Politics of the United Kingdom|British Government]] against recruitment of labor in its territories and also because of the high mobility of Indian labor.

Over 10,000 of them perished as a result of difficult living and working conditions and the rest continued to be treated harshly until they secured some political rights in 1904 due to [[Henry Sidambarom]]'s efforts. It was in 1923 that Guadeloupeans of Indian descent were granted citizenship and the right to vote. A few Indians were indentured to [[Saint Martin (island)|Saint Martin]] (prior to 2007 Saint Martin was a part of Guadeloupe).

After migration stopped, the Indian community gradually acculturated to the rest of the population, so much so that few of the Indians on the island speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]] or other Indian languages any more. However, third or fourth generation [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|persons of Indian origin]] still maintain links with India in many different ways, such as adopting Indian names. Many Indians in Guadeloupe adopted French and Christian names.

==Current status==
The city of [[Basse-Terre]] in Guadeloupe and [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]] in India have been designated as twin cities to promote cultural links and exchanges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter19.pdf|title=People of other Central and South America countries|website=Indiandiaspora.nic.in|access-date=2017-08-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175035/http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter19.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Indian community in Guadeloupe is estimated to be approximately over 36,000 in a population of over 400,000. However, ethnicity statistics are not done by the French government. There are several associations to promote [[Indian culture]] in Guadeloupe, usually run by people of Indian origin. They are fairly active in organising cultural activities in all the principal towns, namely, [[Pointe-à-Pitre|Pointe-a-Pitre]], [[Le Moule]], [[Port-Louis, Guadeloupe|Port-Louis]], [[Capesterre-Belle-Eau]] and [[Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe|Saint-Claude]].

One important Indian association is ''L‘Association Culturelle Guadeloupéenne des Amis de L’Inde'', which has over 300 members and 2000 associates.

There are a sizeable number of Hindu [[Tamil people|Tamil]] temples that are located in Basse-Terre, and other regions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lesilesdeguadeloupe.com/2/5-touristic-offer-detail/1249000248-1249000106-gb-basse-terre/-1-1-1-1-basse-terre.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-08-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201025303/http://www.lesilesdeguadeloupe.com/2/5-touristic-offer-detail/1249000248-1249000106-gb-basse-terre/-1-1-1-1-basse-terre.htm |archive-date=2007-12-01 }}</ref> [[Tamils]] in Guadeloupe started studying their own language in an effort to preserve their culture and traditions. Guadeloupe Tamils initiated links with [[Tamil Canadians]] in developing their language and culture.

The French principle of ''laicité'', meaning “secularism”, is practiced in Guadeloupe. The French Republic forces Indian cultural associations to produce messages about Hinduism in Guadeloupe that display Indian culture independently from Hinduism. However, it has proven to be controversial due to the French practice of ''laique,'' found in the second article of the French constitution which expresses the principle of separation between government affairs and religious institutions. Indo-Guadeloupeans and Guadaloupean Hindus practice ''laicité'' freely in the public arena. There is ongoing controversy since France is a ''laique'' state, thus religion is to be practiced privately. However, as French citizens, the only thorough enforcement has been to present religious tradition independent of their culture in their associative work.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Martin-i-Pardo|first1=Meritxell|title=The Articulation of a French Civil Hinduism|url=http://web.b.ebscohost.com.authenticate.library.duq.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=878bcf96-1d8d-4a65-ba4c-0854c530efe8%40sessionmgr113&vid=33&hid=113|website=ATLA|publisher=Journal of the American Academy of Religion|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref>

Recently, the 152nd anniversary of the arrival of the Hindus Tamil in Guadeloupe was observed. The Indian Associations in the territory are in the process of forming a committee, which will start working to realize the event.

==Examples==
Some Indo-Guadeloupians have acceded to important posts in the public and private sectors. Dr. [[Henri Bangou]] held the post of Senator from Guadeloupe in the [[French Senate]]. [[Ernest Moutoussamy]] has been the Député of Guadeloupe in the [[French National Assembly|National Assembly of France]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indocaribbeanheritage.com/content/view/43/64/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-08-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709190845/http://www.indocaribbeanheritage.com/content/view/43/64/ |archive-date=2009-07-09 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Asian Latin American]]
* [[Indo-Caribbean]]
* [[Indians in French Guiana]]
* [[Indo-Martiniquais]]
* [[Tamil Diaspora]]
* [[Hinduism in Guadeloupe]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175035/http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter19.pdf Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean]
*[http://www.atout-guadeloupe.com/152eme-anniversaire-de-l-arrivee-des-hindous-tamoul-en-Guadeloupe_a286.html 152nd birthday of the arrival of the Hindu Tamil in Guadeloupe]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090301053357/http://hinduismtoday.com/archives/1998/2/1998-2-12.shtml Francophone Indians in a remote corner of the Caribbean reclaim their Hindu identity]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070114011952/http://www.lesilesdeguadeloupe.com/2/Home-guadeloupe.htm Guadeloupe Tourism]

==Further reading==
*[https://www.jstor.org/stable/3773407 Brahmanism Abroad: On Caribbean Hinduism as an Ethnic Religion]
*[http://www.kitlv-journals.nl/index.php/nwig/article/viewFile/3498/4259 East Indians in the Caribbean]
*{{cite journal|title=Some Reflections on the Hindu Diaspora}}
* {{lang|fr|Inde-Guadeloupe : Hommage à la mémoire}}, (''India-Guadeloupe: Tribute to memory''), [[Ernest Moutoussamy]], Éditions Jasor, 2016, {{ISBN|979-1090675537}}, {{OCLC|1015317793}}

{{Tamil diaspora}}
{{NRI-PIO}}

[[Category:Ethnic groups in Guadeloupe|Indians]]
[[Category:Indian diaspora in France|Guadaloupe]]
[[Category:Indo-Caribbean]]
[[Category:Tamil Caribbean|Guadaloupe]]

Indo-Guadeloupeans - Revision history

>Monkbot at 11:34, 17 January 2021