AGTF Souvenir Magazine 2014

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AGTF Souvenir Magazine 2014 Table of Contents Editorial and Messages Editorial 4 Message from the President of the Republic of Mauritius ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 Message from the Prime Minister ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8 Message from the Minister of Arts and Culture ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9 Message from the Lord Mayor of Port Louis ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10 Article by the Director of the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 Message from Professor Armoogum Parsuramen ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14 1 AAPRAVASI GHAT WORLD HERITAGE SITE 15 The World Heritage Status �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 16 The Outstanding Universal Value of the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Property������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 18 The Chronology on the evolution of the Aapravasi Ghat: from Immigration Depot to World Heritage Site �������������������������������������������������� 19 International Indentured Labour Route Project �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 21 AGTF Projects: 2003 to 2014......... �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23 Research Programme....................... �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25 The Achievements of AGTF from November 2004 to October 2013����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28 The Aapravasi Ghat Conservation Project ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 32 Archaeological Research at the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Site and other Indenture Sites ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 37 The “Archaeology of Indenture”: Mauritius as a Case-Study for a Global Investigation ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 39 Beekrumsing Ramlallah Interpretation Centre Project�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 42 Aapravasi Ghat: Personal Recollections and the Historical Perspective �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 44 Aapravasi Ghat Exhibits at 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 47 Beekrumsing Ramlallah: the man behind Aapravasi Ghat ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 49 2 INDENTURE SITES 54 The Vagrant Depot Entrance Gateway ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 55 The Trianon Conservation Project ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 57 British Policy, Quarantine, and Colonial Mauritius ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 61 Overview of the History of Flat Island ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 64 Crimes against Humanity at Ilot Gabriel (1856) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 66 3 INDENTURE IN THE WORLD 68 Discovering our History, Untold stories: The Emergence of an Endogenous Workforce & the Experience of the Mauritian Indentured Workers (1870-1910) ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 69 Les Engagés indiens de l’île de la Réunion ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 73 An overview of the History of Indentured Labour in Natal, South Africa (1860-1911) ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 75 Slavery and Indentured Labour ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 77 Overview of Indian Indentureship System in Trinidad, 1845 to 1920 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 79 Fiji: the Girmit Experience............... �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 82 Indian Immigration and their Role in Surinamese Society 1873-1913 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 85 History and Commemoration: a Heartfelt Tribute to the Martyrdom of the Indian Immigrants of Ilet Cabri, the Trials and Tribulations of the Indentured Labourers of Guadeloupe and a Special Reflection on Two Outstanding Historical Figures of Guadeloupe ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 89 An Overview of the Experience of the Indian Indentured Labourers in Guyana (1838-1917) ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 92 Commemorating the Making of our History: the Impact of the Indian Indentured Labour System on Colonial Mauritius (1829-1920) ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 94 The Dahaji Bhai.................................. �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 96 Honoring a Maker of our History: Remembering the Work and Struggle of Pandit Basdeo Bissoondoyal, 1906-1991 ��������������������������������� 97 2 Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund Souvenir Magazine - 180th Anniversary of the Arrival of Indentured Labourers in Mauritius Table of Contents 2e édition du colloque de l’ODI-Réunion 29-30 avril 2014 �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������101 The Tamil Catholic Community Mauritius: Origin and Contemporary State ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������104 Exploring the History of Indentured Labour: An Overview of the Living and Working Conditions of Indian Indentured labourers on the Mauritian Sugar Estates (1834-1888) ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������107 The Futtay Salem of Bombay ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������110 Basdeo Bissoondoyal: Service with a Missionary Zeal ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������112 4 BUFFER ZONE 116 Formulating a Development Vision for the Historic Urban Landscape Surrounding the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Property (Buffer Zone) �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������117
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