Archive · 11 Dec 2025
India's Forgotten Indentured Labourers and Migration Legacy
A long time ago, over a million Indians were sent to work in faraway places like Mauritius and Fiji under a system called indenture.
These workers, called Girmitiyas, had no choice and faced many hardships.
Today, many people from the same regions are still migrating for work, facing similar problems.
The author, who is a descendant of these labourers, wants India to remember and honor this history.
He suggests creating a memorial and teaching this history in schools so that people understand the struggles of these early migrants and the importance of protecting workers today.
Over a million Indians were taken across the seas under the indenture system, facing coercive contracts and restricted mobility.
The regions that fed indenture (eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Tamil Nadu) remain migration hotspots today.
Current migration systems in the Gulf still carry risks that echo structural features of indenture, such as deceptive recruitment and wage delays.
The author calls for a national Girmit memorial, a public space for reflection and remembrance, and the integration of indenture history into school curricula.
Honoring the Girmitiyas is about recognizing India's global journey and ensuring the dignity of both past and present migrants.
- Who
- The Girmitiyas, indentured labourers from India, and the author, Naren Prasad.
- What
- The article discusses the forgotten history of Indian indentured labourers and its relevance to current migration issues.
- When
- The indenture system operated long before visas and airports, and the article was written in 2025.
- Where
- The indentured labourers were taken to Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, South Africa, and Réunion.
- Why
- To honor the Girmitiyas and raise awareness about the structural features of indenture that still echo in today's migration systems.
- Indentured Labourers
- Over a million Indians were taken across the seas under the indenture system.
- Girmitiyas
- The word comes from “agreement,” a contract that labourers could not pronounce or read.
- Regions Affected
- Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Tamil Nadu.
- Current Migration Issues
- Deceptive recruitment, contract substitution, wage delays, confiscated passports, and limited avenues for justice.
- Author's Role
- Head of Education & Training, Research Department, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Geneva.
- Call to Action
- India needs a national Girmit memorial, a public space where families, students, scholars, and diaspora descendants can gather, reflect, and remember.
- Historical Significance
- The Girmitiyas proved that Indian culture was global long before globalization.
- Current Migration Patterns
- The regions that fed indenture remain migration hotspots today.