Indo-Surinamese
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 148,443 (2012, census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|
Paramaribo, Nickerie, Wanica, Commewijne and the Netherlands |
|
| Languages | |
| Dutch, Sranan Tongo, Caribbean Hindustani, Indian languages | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism, Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Indian diaspora |
Indo-Surinamese are nationals of Suriname of Indian ancestry. Per the 2012 Census of Suriname, 148,443 citizens of Suriname are of Indian origin. Indo-Surinamese are the largest ethnic group in the country forming 27.4% of the total population.
Indo-Surinamese are also known locally by the Dutch term Hindoestanen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɦɪnduˈstaːnə(n)]), derived from the word Hindustani, lit., "someone from Hindustan". Hence, when Indians migrated to Suriname they were referred to as Hindustanis, people of Indian origin. Today, they are more popularly known as Girmiyas.
During the British Raj, many Indians were sent to other British colonies for work. After the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colony of Suriname, the Dutch government signed a treaty with the United Kingdom on the recruitment of contract workers. Indians began migrating to Suriname in 1873 from what was then British India as indentured labourers, mostly from the modern-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and the surrounding regions.
The first ship transporting Indian indentured labourers, the Lalla Rookh, arrived in the Paramaribo. Newly freed slaves in Suriname who witnessed Indian workers disembarking at the harbour, reportedly stated, "Jobo tanbasi", meaning "The white man is still the boss", suggesting that they viewed the development as a continuation of the slave trade. Initially, the transport and living conditions of Indian labourers in Suriname was worse than it had been prior to the abolition of the Dutch slave trade. The British Viceroy of India described it as "a new system of slavery". In 1870s, conditions were improved greatly following the passage of new legislation to protect the Indian workers. The Government of the United Kingdom and the colonial British Government in India feared comparisons to slavery would hurt their reputation, and enacted several legislations to make transportation of Indian workers safer and improve working conditions in plantations. The Dutch government, which had signed the agreement to recruit workers with the British after long and difficult negotiations, also feared jeopardizing the arrangement and meticulously followed the regulations imposed by the British. The Dutch were also concerned that they would be accused of reviving the slave trade.
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