Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
240,100 (2011) 18.2% of the Trinidad and Tobago Population |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Penal · Debe · Caroni · Couva · Curepe · Tunapuna · Chaguanas · Carapichaima · Princes Town · Siparia · California · San Fernando · Chaguaramas · Cunupia · Rio Claro · Sangre Grande · San Juan · Saint Augustine · Barataria · Arima · Trincity · Cumuto · Point Fortin · Maracas Beach · Piarco · Port of Spain | |
| Languages | |
| Sanskrit · Prakrit · Pali (for religious texts and prayers) · Hindustani · Tamil · Bengali · Telegu · Kutchi · Kashmiri · Kannada · Malayalam · Gujarati · Punjabi · Marathi · Oriya · Tulu · other Indian Languages |
This article focuses solely on Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago, for Hinduism in Guyana, see: Hinduism in Guyana
For Hinduism in West Indies excluding Trinidad and Tobago, see: Hinduism in the West Indies
Hinduism is a minority religion in Trinidad and Tobago, although it is significant minority. Hindu culture arrived in 1845 in Trinidad and Tobago. In the 21st century, pro Hindu parties were elected. According to the 2000 census there were 250,760 Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago contributing 22.49% of the total population and 56.19% of the population of the Indo-Caribbeans. In the 2011 census, There are 240,100 declared Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago (decline of 4.3 per cent). There are also various temples in Trinidad and Tobago to accommodate Hindus.
A decade after slavery was abolished in 1834, the British government gave permission for the colonists to import indentured labor from India to work on the estates. Throughout the remainder of the century, Trinidad's population growth came primarily from Indian laborers. By 1871, there were 27,425 Indians, approximately 22 percent of the population of Trinidad and Tobago; by 1911 that figure had grown to 110,911, or about 33 percent of all residents of the islands.
During the initial decades of Indian indenture, Indian cultural forms were met with either contempt or indifference by the non-Hindu majority. Hindus have made many contributions to Trinidad history and culture even though the state historically regarded Hindus as second class citizens. Hindus in Trinidad struggled over the granting of adult franchise, the Hindu marriage bill, the divorce bill, cremation ordinance, and others. Cremation was allowed in 1953. After Trinidad's independence from colonial rule, Hindus were marginalized by the African-based People's National Movement. The opposing party, the People's Democratic party, was portrayed as a "Hindu group", and other anti-Hindu tactics were used against them. Hindus were castigated as a "recalcitrant and hostile minority". Hindus were alienated by such communal groups. The support of the PNM government to creole art forms in Carnivals, while their public rejection and ridicule of Hindu art forms, was a particular source of contention for the Hindu minority. The displacement of PNM from power in 1985 would improve the situation.
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