Was Indian indentureship a 'new system of slavery'?

I should be unwilling to adopt any measure to favour the transfer of labourers from British India to Guiana…. I am not prepared to encounter the responsibility of a measure which may lead to a dreadful loss of life on the one hand, or, on the other, to a new system of slavery. (Russell 1840)

They discovered a contractual system of indentured labour from India, which proved satisfactory as it had a huge population and many Indians wanted to emigrate in hope of a better future.

Some argue that the importation of labour was not only seen as a means of remedying the actual, but also a means of producing in the long term. It was perceived as a benefit for all, including a profitable life for the Indians. De Verteuil states that:

…the prospect of high wages, freedom from starvation and war; from possible reprisals by the British or money lender, the recruiters’ promise of easy money and social upliftment in a foreign land where money was no problem enticed many an immigrant (De Verteuil)

The conditions under the indentureship system and on the sugar plantations – long working hours, low wages, and the discouraging and even hostile attitude on the part of the plantation owners – did not afford much opportunity for community development. Even though there was provision made on a number of key issues, for example: labour and wages, leave and desertion, free-wage labour and indentured labour, grievance procedure, and relations between employers and labourers. In actuality, the living conditions were similar to that of the slaves and harsh treatment was common throughout the territories.

Nevertheless, it cannot be categorised as equal to slavery. Due to the outline of the contract stating that the indentured worker would be assigned to a planter for five years, before the period of contracted residence was completed. Although the Indian labourers were abused and exploited, and for the period that their indenture lasted, they were not free. Once the indenture had expired, they became free. The key concept of indentureship was that it was voluntary.

However, this was not true to African slavery. The African slaves were retained for life, and not given a choice in the first place. The Indians were even granted a free return passage back to India, if they extended their contracts for another five years, a total of ten working years. And if they continued to live on the island, their legal status was no different from that of the rest of the population. This is the vital difference between the indenture and slavery, as slavery was incessant.

In addition, the indentured workers were paid to work on the plantations. Although the wages were extremely low, the Indians were still earning for the work they did, and many saved up to pay for their return passage home. For the African slaves, as far as they were concerned, they were seen as no more than property, with no income and no support.

Therefore, the status of an indentured labourer differs from slavery predominantly in that, the duties of slaves were enforced with violence and the law was insufficient protection, whereas, indentured labourers were enforced by the law, and were encouraged to defend oneself of his proper civil rights.

On the other hand, the majority of Indians came to the Caribbean to make a better life for themselves. The economic motive was fundamental – they came to Trinidad to escape the economic depression in India, and sought to save as much as they could from their inadequate wages, in order to return to India. Perhaps this is where their entrepreneurial attitudes came about, as Comins observed:

…they (Indians) are the principal shopkeepers in the Colony; in fact it looks very much as if they are going in the course of years to take entire possession of this beautiful island, through the principal forest of which they are boring in every direction and turning what was dense jungle into a highly cultivated garden… (Comins)

There were many opportunities and incentives that presented themselves to Indians within the operations of the sugar plantations. For example: the establishment of the cocoa industry and ‘Coolie shops’, these were small shops that sold foods consumed by mainly Indians, such as rice, dhal and curry. But the most significantly noted feature in helping the Indians to gain self-employment, differing the indenture from slavery, was the opportunity to gain control of land, rented or owned. Which subsequently lead many of the Indian labourers to settle on the islands, making a new home for themselves.

In conclusion I can say that, in my opinion, Indian indentureship was not a ‘new system of slavery’. Although there were similarities between both indentureship and slavery, Indians had many more opportunities. They were not considered as low down in society and were not as mal-treated as the Africans were. Additionally, they had more resources for independence and were not as tightly held back from civilisation. Despite the fact that the Indians were also bound to their employers, it was through a contract, and not against their will.