studies indentureship and its legacies.
Pillai shares this frustration. So much is tied with indenture but it s largely invisible which is so aggravating, she said in a phone interview.
It s been a century since indenture contracts were abolished in the Caribbean, yet the experiences of the women and men who were exploited through the practice are still seldom told. Credit: University of Pennsylvania
As Indians faced tumultuous political upheaval and famines in the 19th century, the country was ripe for Britain to exploit, according to Pillai. Indentureship was falsely advertised as a way for Indians to see a better life. Contracts were written in English, yet the people signing them had high levels of illiteracy. Women who had been disowned by their families and widows were particularly vulnerable. If your husband had died your life was basically over, even if you were young, said Pillai.