A plaque marking the inscription of the Indenture Immigration Records of the Republic of Mauritius on UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register was unveiled last week by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Santaram Baboo, at the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Site in Port-Louis.
The inscription of the Indenture Immigration Records of the Republic of Mauritius in the Register places Mauritius on the World Documentary Heritage Map, and will among others, lead to improved conservation of the documentary heritage; encourage its preservation and digitisation; and promote its dissemination by making the documents accessible to users.
The Indenture Immigration Records of the Republic of Mauritius, covering the period 1834 to 1930‟s, provide a unique and comprehensive documentation of the “Great Experiment” undertaken in Mauritius by the British, during the 19th Century.
Further, underlined that the Indenture Immigration Records should be preserved as they have an invaluable role to play in our history and are also considered as priceless assets adding that over the past 30 years or more, these records have played a key role for tens of thousands of Mauritians who have retraced their ancestry and origins.
World significance
The Records of Indentured Immigration of the Republic of Mauritius document the success and extent
of the “Great Experiment” undertaken during the mid-19th century to assess the viability of a new
system of labour following the abolition of slavery and the end of the Apprenticeship period to which
the liberated slaves were subjected to. This led to the movement of some 456,000 individuals
originating from India, China, Madagascar, South-East Asia and areas of the African continent.
Having proved successful, the system was emulated by other British and European colonies and
countries around the world. The resulting migration of a section of the world’s population under the
Indentured Labour System, involving 3,000,000 men, women and children, led to significant socioeconomic,political, spiritual and cultural transformations of several countries around the world.
Place
Most of these records have been created in Mauritius. A few originate from England, India and the
other British Colonies. They serve as points of reference between the Indenture Diaspora i.e. the
receiving country (Mauritius) and the countries of origin (India, China and regions of the African
continent). They also contain significant information on the first Immigration Depot set-up outside
India, for the “processing” of immigrants.
Today, this Depot is of high emotional value for the members of the Indenture Diaspora, especially
those of Indian origin. Mauritius is also the first post-colonial country from which has emerged a first
Head of State among the descendants of indentured labourers in the sub-Saharan African region.
Every year on 2nd November which has been declared a Public Holiday, Mauritius commemorates the
arrival of the indentured labourers. On this day, hundreds of Mauritian citizens assemble at the
Aapravasi Ghat to perform prayers and pay homage to their indentured ancestors. A National
Ceremony is held at the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Site by the Government of Mauritius and
socio-cultural organisations. The contents of the 2nd November commemoration are inspired using the
information contained in the Records of the Indentured Immigration.
People
The indenture period is a milestone with regard to human settlement in Mauritius. Records of
Indentured Immigration concern the ancestors of more than 70% of the Mauritian population who
passed through the Immigration Depot and were “processed” there. They provide the links with
people in other countries where the Indentured Diaspora originated and settled. The records which
contain detailed biographical information on each indentured immigrant has allowed thousands of
Mauritians to trace their ancestry. Over the past decade, Mauritians of Indian origin are referring to
these documents to apply for their People of Indian Origin (PIO) cards which is granted by the
Republic of India and which extends certain facilities to holders of these cards.
Subject and Theme
These archival records contain important historic information on the establishment of the modern
contractual labour system in early 19th Century Mauritius with the objective of the British imperial
government to show the superiority of “free” over slave labour. They document the emergence of a
Diaspora of indentured Labourers. These records provide a unique insight into a major period in
modern world history which had a long-lasting impact on other European colonies and countries
located in the other parts of the world since the mid-19th century.
The Records of Indentured Immigration document the “Great Experiment” which had worldwide
repercussions on the transformation of many societies including that of Mauritius. They provide the
necessary information for nation-building, whereby present day citizens of Mauritius are able to trace
their origins and understand each other and live peacefully together.