TAMILS OF REUNION

THE TAMILS OF REUNION AND THEIR HYBRID CULTURE

 Colonialism cannot be condemned outright. This may sound outrageous. But colonialism in a way introduced the concept of outsourcing attempted in the bygone centuries and currently being debated in the free market era. In a world where free market dominates, the sweat and toils of the slave labourers may be forgotten, but we must realize that in their sufferings the foundations for global market economy is sown. ReUnion is a typical example of outsourcing by the French East India Company, and its history reveals how an hybrid culture emanated amidst Tamil settlers there, who are Tamils but could not speak Tamil, their mother tongue lost in the interregnum of 5 generations of separation from their homeland namely Pondicherry.

The archipelago, comprised of Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion, was christened the Mascarenes by Portuguese navigator Pedro de Mascarenhas, following its European discovery in 1512. In 1642 the French settled in the island when La Compagnie des Indes Orientales (the French East India Company) sent its ship, the St-Louis, and the King of France named it Île Bourbon. Much water had flown in the five rivers that irrigate this tiny island since then. Today a brief note about this island is given in a separate box.

Full country name: Department of Réunion governed by France Area:2,510sq.km Population:720,934 CapitalCity:St-Denis(population145,000) People:French,African,Malagasy,Chinese,Tamil Language:French, Religion:RomanCatholic,Hindu,Islam,Buddhist Government:OverseasdepartmentofFrance HeadofState:PresidentofFranceJacquesChirac Head of Government: Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin GDP:US$3.4billion GDPpercapita:US$4,800 AnnualGrowth:3.8% Major Industries: Sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil. Major Trading Partners: France, Japan, Comoros, Bahrain, and Italy.

The French Revolution is a turning point in its history. The greatest achievement of the 1848 revolution for the colonies was the abolition of slavery. Slavery, the foundation of economic life in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana and Reunion, had been abolished by the Convention in 1794 but was re-instituted by Napoleon.  National Assembly by way of definitive decree on April 27, 1848 declared that `slavery is an attack on human dignity', it `destroys the principal of natural law and duty . . . it is a flagrant violation of republican dogma," and that great unrest could erupt in the colonies if slavery were not ended, the law abolished slavery in all French colonies and possessions.  Thus a total of 262,564 slaves were thereby freed, most of them in the plantation colonies of the West Indies and Réunion.

But with this abolition of slave labour the need to fill that vacuum arose and plantation owners looked for French India to compensate the loss of slave labour. Thus lot of Tamils found their way to the island of Reunion situated in the Indian Ocean closer to Madagascar. Lot of people from Pondicherry and its surrounds went to the coffee and other plantations in Reunion as labour.

The coffee plantations were destroyed often destroyed by cyclones and the Tamil labour had to struggle hard facing the fury of Nature. Napoleon Bonaparte lost the island to the British for a short break of five years.  Under British rule, sugar cane was introduced to Réunion and quickly supplanted food production as the primary crop. It resulted in the dispossession of many small farmers who were forced to sell out to those with capital to invest in the new monoculture. The supplanted farmers migrated to the interior to find land and carry on with their agricultural activities. During this period, the Desbassyns brothers rose to success as the island's foremost sugar barons. The vanilla industry, introduced in 1819, also grew rapidly. The golden age of trade and development in Réunion lasted until 1870, when competition from Cuba and the European sugar beet industry, combined with the opening of the Suez Canal, resulted in an economic slump. Shipping decreased, the sugar industry declined and land and capital were further concentrated in the hands of a small French elite. Close on the cessation of hostilities in First World War global demand for sugar increased. This helped Reunion's economy out of the doldrums. But during World War II, an economic blockade once again crippled the island's economy. A colony under French law must provide to the French mainland goods of greater value than the amount of money allocated to it. A colony had to be profitable. This obligation was lifted in 1946, when Réunion's status changed from colony to overseas department, a change in status intended to provide the island with the benefits of social and political equality with the mainland. The island still falls under the jurisdiction of the French government.

It cannot be said that Catholic faith dominates the island's religious character. It is visible in the shrines along every highway and byway, in caves, on cliff tops and in the many saint's days and holidays. St-Denis shuts down on Sunday, when half the city goes to the beach. Hindus and Muslims follow their respective religions freely and most large towns have both a mosque and a temple. Popular Hindu rites include teemeedee, which involves fire walking, and cavadee, involving piercing one's cheeks with silver needles, often take place. A great deal of syncretism with Catholicism has evolved over the years, and vice versa. Thus a hybrid religion had come into existence. People celebrating all festivals and worshipping all deities have produced a hybrid religion of tolerance. Lot of Hindu Temples is there for Lord Shiva, Lord Muruga and Godess Kaali.

French is the official language, but Créole is the most widely spoken. Few people speak English. Réunion Créole is even beyond most French people. A word, which means one thing in French, can mean something completely different in Créole. But the island which has around 4 lakh Tamils who own Tamil names and celebrate Hindu festivals, yet unable to speak Tamil. Then Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Navalar Nedunchezian participated in a world Tamil Cultural Movements conference in neighbouring Mauritius and visited Reunion too. During this visit the Reunion Tamil Kazhagam seeking the help of Tamil Nadu Government to teach Tamil to the people of Reunion and to promote cultural exchanges with mainland Tamils put up demands. It remains still and unfulfilled dream. People in a distant place do not haunt our memory as we have other chores to attend in everyday life. But the Government of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry must open Cultural Exchange Centres in all these isolate islands, and like the Alliance Francaise that keeps teaching French throughout world, institutionalized teaching of Tamil and spreading the tenets of Tamil Culture must be undertaken, all who visit islands like Reunion will have these thoughts linger in their minds.

Reunion Tamils must be reassured that in upholding Tamil customs, religious practices, arts, music and language, a day will come that Reunion cultural ambassadors arrive to Tamilnadu often and capture our attention and can win our admiration. Where there is a will, there will be a way, goes the saying. Reunion Tamils have the will. Let them cherish their hybrid culture with Tamil component, we all hope and wish so.

N.Nandhivarman

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