Gandhi and Indenture

This paper looks into Mahatma Gandhi’s involvement in the abolition of the indenture system. It portrays the elitist and caste bias of Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian nationalists towards downtrodden Indians and argues that Gandhi’s campaign in South Africa was not for indentured Indians primarily. Gandhi used indentured discontents in South Africa to gain rights for non-indentured Indians in South Africa, and when this failed, he used the issues of indentured to bargain the Empire. This paper also looks into the nationalist mobilization to abolish the indenture system in the early 20th century where the exploitation of Indian indentured women in Fiji became the central issue rather than the South African problems which Gandhi and his protagonists raised earlier. This talk is part of the GLC Brown Bag Lunch Series. Bring your lunch and we’ll provide the drinks & dessert.