ABSTRACT
The Indian diaspora can be regarded as an international phenomenon, with a presence in more than 100 countries globally. The different histories of this very diverse Indian diaspora "have much to tell about international migration processes, social and cultural change, political development and ethnicity". This chapter reflects on the links between slavery and indenture, followed by an analysis of challenges facing indentured labourers and 'passenger' Indians. Ethnic conflict and violence are discussed, followed by an analysis about whether this was linked to socio-cultural isolation or racism. Finally, the chapter discusses contemporary challenges, and then offers some reflection on connections with India. The key components of servitude included labour exploitation which favoured plantation owners; fear, force and punishment were the main strategies to ensure a docile, compliant labour force; restrictions on labour mobility; for the duration of the contract the time and labour of the worker belonged to the estate owner.
