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The Burmese Indians (Burmese: ကုလားလူမ္ယုိး; MLCTS: ku. la: lu myui:) are a group of overseas Indians from Myanmar (formerly Burma). They form approximately 2% (400,000) of the population, although exact figures do not exist due to intermarriage between Indians and other ethnic groups.
History
The term "Burmese Indian" refers to a broad range of ethnic groups from South Asia, most notably from present-day Bangladesh and India. The widely-accepted term ka-la, however, is considered derogatory. Its root is believed to be ku la meaning either "to cross over (the Bay of Bengal)" or "person" depending on the way it is pronounced. Their association with foreign rule and repression in the form of colonial courts, police and Sepoys under the command of the British has been mainly responsible for a lasting animosity compounded by the more obvious difference in their physical appearance, unlike the Chinese who also happen to be Buddhists and historically regarded by the Bamar as their cousins. White Europeans were also called kala hpyu (white kala) before British rule became established.The Indian was seen to be subservient and loyal to the white man giving rise to the expression, "a chestnut for a horse, a kala for a slave and a village girl for a wife".
The majority of Indians arrived in Burma whilst it was part of British India as indentured labourers, civil servants, engineers, river pilots and traders. It was perhaps the Chettiars (moneylenders) who did the most damage to the Indian’s standing in Burmese eyes. They came in when the rice trade boomed after the opening of the Suez Canal, but when depression hit in 1930 and the price of rice plummeted, they foreclosed on the peasants confiscating land and livestock. This led to a peasant uprising that became known as The Galon Rebellion led by a former monk called Saya San and eventually subdued by bringing in more Indian Sepoys. Widespread riots also broke out in Rangoon when the port authorities tried to break a Burmese dockers strike by bringing in Indian workers. Many Indians in Myanmar live in large cities such as Yangon (Rangoon), and in post-British hill towns such as Pyin U Lwin (formerly Maymyo). Pyin U Lwin was until recently the only town in Myanmar predominantly Burmese-Indian.
Culture
India has been particularly influential in Burmese culture as the cradle of Buddhism, and ancient Hindu traditions can still be seen in brahmins presiding over important ceremonies such as weddings and ear-piercings but most notably in Thingyan, the Burmese New Year festival. Traditions of kingship including coronation ceremonies and formal royal titles as well as those of lawmaking were also Hindu in origin. Many Burmese dishes and breads came as a result of Indian influence, prominently reflected in the Burmese version of Indian biryani (Template:My). In addition, the longyi, the traditional sarong of the Bamar, is thought to have originated in India whereas the double-breasted jacket (Template:My) and ladies’ blouse (Template:My) indicate Chinese influence. Burmese Indians also introduced many words into the Burmese vocabulary such as potato (Template:My), naan (Template:My), fan (pun ka), veranda Template:My), mali and durwan. Pali, an Indo-Aryan language, continues to be very important as the language of the Buddhist Canon today.
British Rangoon was heavily populated by Burmese Indians in British colonial times constituting 53% in Rangoon alone at its peak (c. 1930). The Burmese dubbed the city kala myo (Indian town) and even the Bamar and the Chinese residents of Yangon learnt to speak Hindi. However, the Japanese invasion led to an exodus of half a million Indians mostly by overland route enduring great suffering and loss of life so there was a dramatic drop after Burma gained independence from Great Britain in 1948. Today, there remains an estimated 5% of Indians in the population of Yangon.
Economic Role
Burmese Indians had made their livelihoods as merchants, traders and shopkeepers as well as manual labourers such as coolies, dockers, municipal workers, rickshaw men, pony cart drivers, malis and durwans. They were also heavily represented in certain professions such as civil servants, university lecturers, pharmacists, opticians, lawyers and doctors. They had virtual monopolies in several types of businesses such as auto parts and electrical goods, ironmongery and hardware, printing and bookbinding, books and stationery, paper and printing ink, tailoring and dry-cleaning, English tuition, and money lending. They traded in textiles, gold and jewellery where the market was traditionally dominated by Burmese women. However, Ne Win's rise to power in 1962 and his relentless persecution of "resident aliens" (immigrant groups not recognised as citizens of the Union of Burma) led to an exodus of some 300,000 from racial discrimination and particularly after wholesale nationalisation of private enterprise a few years later in 1964. The educated Burmese Indians primarily emigrated to the United States, while the less-educated remained.
Religion
More Burmese Indians practise Islam than any other religion, perhaps indicating a preponderance of people who had come from East Bengal, although there are large numbers of Hindus. Burmese Muslims, some of them of mixed blood born of Burmese mothers, call themselves Bama Musalin (Template:My) and the majority belongs to the Sunni sect with small numbers of Shi'as. The Burmese call them Zay da ba yi or Pathi kala (Template:My). In Yangon alone, there are over 60 mosques that serve mostly Burmese Indians. Other religions practised by Burmese Indians include Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Bahá'í.
Language
Burmese Indians also speak an array of different languages. There are Madrasis (Tamils), Punjabis, Parsis, Gujaratis and Marawaris as well as Bengalis and Pathans. Most can only communicate in Burmese, due to years of assimilation and lack of education in languages other than English. However, small segments of the population can speak other languages, such as Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, and Arabic.
Notable Burmese Indians
- S. N. Goenka - eminent Vipassana Buddhist meditation teacher (b. 1924)
- Goshal aka Thakin Ba Tin - Communist leader and founding member from the 1940s to the 1960s
- S. Mukerjee aka Pyu Win - Communist trade union leader killed in the 1950s
- Dr Nath - Communist leader and founding member killed in the 1960s
- Saya Rajan aka Aung Naing - Communist trade union leader captured in the 1950s
- M. A. Rashid - Government Minister in the 1950s
- Sayagyi Razak - eminent Headmaster, National High School, Mandalay in the 1920s and 1940s, Government Minister assaninated together with Aung San and others in 1947
- Thakin Tha Khin - Government Minister in the 1950s (Shan Indian)
References
- Priestly, Harry (2006-01). "The Outsiders". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Butkaew, Samart (2005-02). "Burmese Indians: The Forgotten Lives" (PDF). Burma Issues. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Gregory, James. "Myanmar: A Neglected Area of Tamil Lexicography". University of Cologne.
Notes
- ^ Shway Yoe (Sir James George Scott)1882. The Burman - His Life and Notions. New York: The Norton Library 1963. pp. 436, 249–251, 348, 450.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Martin Smith (1991). Burma - Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity. London,New Jersey: Zed Books. pp. 43–44, 98, 56–57, 176.
External links
- The Persecution of Muslims in Burma, by Karen Human Rights Group