Girmityas
International
Context
- External Affairs Minister Jaishankar visited Trinidad and Tobago to strengthen India’s engagement with the Caribbean nation and preserve the legacy of the Girmitya community.
Girmityas
- The Girmityas were indentured laborers from British India who were transported to work on plantations in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- The term “Girmitya” is derived from the word “agreement,” which referred to the indenture contracts signed by Indian labourers during the colonial period.
- Girmityas were sent to countries like Fiji, Mauritius, Seychelles, Réunion, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, British Guiana (now Guyana), Suriname, Malaysia, and Kenya.
Migration to Trinidad and Tobago
- Approximately 143,000 indentured labourers migrated from India to Trinidad between 1845 and 1917 and most migrants came from northern India and Bihar.
- Their descendants today constitute nearly 40–45% of Trinidad and Tobago’s population and play a major role in its political, economic, and social life.
Additional Information – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
- It is a crucial 15-member regional bloc (formed 1973) aimed at economic integration and foreign policy coordination.
- Members (15): Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
- Location: Southeastern Gulf of Mexico, east of Central America, and north of South America.
India-CARICOM Relations:
- 2nd Summit (2024): Held in Georgetown, Guyana, enhancing ties, as discussed in.
- Areas of Cooperation: Climate change, disaster management, renewable energy, and financial technology (UPI).
- Flagship Initiative: Trinidad and Tobago became the first Caribbean nation to adopt India’s UPI.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
International Relation
In News
- The 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) was held in New Delhi under the theme “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World.”
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
- It is an intergovernmental organisation for regional cooperation among 23 member states bordering the Indian Ocean.
- Established: March 7, 1997 (formerly IOR-ARC).
- Secretariat: Ebène, Mauritius.
- Membership: 23 Member States and 12 Dialogue Partners (e.g., China, USA, Japan).
- Chairship: India is the current Chair for the 2025–2027 term, having taken over from Sri Lanka.
- Origin: Inspired by Nelson Mandela’s 1995 visit to India, advocating for socio-economic cooperation.
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