Anglo Indians (those with mixed Indian and British ancestry)
are a distinct and unique community.They have British blood as well as Indian
blood in them. The British were the rulers in India. Indians wanted to push the
British out of India. The Anglo Indians had to decide on which side they were
going to be.
Though the British never put Anglo Indians on par with themselves, they did put them a notch above the native Indians. And the British, always aware that the Indians resented them, trusted the Anglos more than the native Indians. All high posts in sensitive services were given to the Anglos. They dominated posts in the railways and police. The Anglos, as a community, naturally chose to align themselves with those in power. In most homes of Anglo Indians one saw framed pictures of the King, and later the Queen. No pictures of Gandhi or Nehru. And their attire, cuisine and life style were more British than Indian. Shirts and pants and suits, complete with ties and even bowties for men. Dainty dresses and frocks for the ladies. They read English novels, saw English movies, danced English dances to English music.
Though the British never put Anglo Indians on par with themselves, they did put them a notch above the native Indians. And the British, always aware that the Indians resented them, trusted the Anglos more than the native Indians. All high posts in sensitive services were given to the Anglos. They dominated posts in the railways and police. The Anglos, as a community, naturally chose to align themselves with those in power. In most homes of Anglo Indians one saw framed pictures of the King, and later the Queen. No pictures of Gandhi or Nehru. And their attire, cuisine and life style were more British than Indian. Shirts and pants and suits, complete with ties and even bowties for men. Dainty dresses and frocks for the ladies. They read English novels, saw English movies, danced English dances to English music.
There were around 800,000 Anglo-Indians by 1947. They were
certainly in a precarious situation. During the independence movement, many of
them identified (or were assumed to identify) with British rule, and, therefore,
incurred the distrust and hostility of Indian nationalists. They felt a loyalty
to a British "home" that most had never seen and where they would
gain little social acceptance. They felt insecure in an India that put a
premium on participation in the independence movement as a prerequisite for
important government positions. Many Anglo-Indians left the country in 1947,
hoping to make a new life in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the
Commonwealth of Nations, such as Australia or Canada.
This series is intended to throw light on the lives of Anglo
Indians, their thoughts, their struggles, in India prior to and after
independence, as also in the countries to which they migrated from India after
independence.
In this first instalment an Anglo Indian speaks of her life
in India prior India’s independence, her life in England after she migrated
there and her life in India when she returned there after India’s independence
We are all from the forties and fifties. We were the lucky
ones. After independence we were moving fast. We had all the latest films and
records from America. Remember how we used to go into the cubicles in the
record shops in Byculla. All got married young and planned to go abroad. The
Indians were glad to get rid of us so they could put all the Indians In the
jobs. It was not hard to get passports if you were an Angelo Indian. England
had their doors open. They had lost a lot of their men in the war.
We all worked very hard and took advantage of the free
education at that time and all our kids are doing fine. We were lucky. These
days everyone has to pay for university. Anyway, India is now for the Indians.
When i went back to stay in Goa I felt like a stranger in a country I was born
in. What had happened was that Indians had children and they grew up not
knowing people like us that had grown up in India. Luckily I spoke Hindi
fluently so was accepted. I grew up in the jungles so mixed with the Indians. A
white Anglo with an Indian brain.
You know what the Anglos were like. They never mixed too
much with the locals not because of color but they were brought up with
different views. Not now though. Things have changed again. The western ways
have taken over. I guess that's how it goes.
Not all Anglo's were in the railways but we were all the
same. We all went to the same clubs and gymkhana. We had the best bands and we
ate the same food and all we did was talk about food. Socializing is what we
enjoyed. Everyone knew everyone. Anglo Indian's still have reunions all over
the world. We are very proud to have our British roots. It’s a shame the
British don't know much about us
I was so hurt when we came to England in the sixties. We
were called ‘coloreds’. I won't get into that. it's much better now. We've all
integrated. Most of our kids went to university and are doing well. Lots of the
Anglos have gone to Australia, America and Canada. Some couldn't hack the weather
in England. Ah well, that's all I can say.Just my version.
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