ABSTRACT
Prolonged political instability, especially the military coup in Suriname in 1980, and worsening economic conditions between 1979 and 1992 generated a second migration wave of Hindostanis to The Netherlands. It is noteworthy that there are now substantially more Hindostanis residing in The Netherlands than in Suriname according to the last census in Suriname. In Suriname, the Hindostanis obtained land and in The Netherlands there are equal opportunities, although discrimination also exists and some group factors have different outcomes. Government policy in Suriname and, until the end of last century, in The Netherlands, facilitated the Hindostanis in preserving and developing their own culture, while in the former British colonies such as Trinidad and Guyana the Indian community was pressured to assimilate. The ethos of the Indian group, the preservation of values and norms, religious practices based on Indian cultural heritage, but also social problems such as the relatively high number of suicides and suicide attempts are more or less common patterns.
