Sunday, January 6, 2008

COOLIES: HOW BRITAIN REINVENTED SLAVERY


Another exceptional documentary from the BBC. The documentary follow the recruitment of Collies (Indians) from Calcutta India to the Caribbean (Guyana and Fiji) and then to South Africa. Slavery was officially abolished, yet the Empire where the sun never sets found a way to work around the horrors of Slavery with another shameful practice, Indentured Servants.

Over a million Indians were taken from their homes and spread across the British Empire to work on the sugar plantations.

There are highlights of Gandhi and the work he began in South Africa as a young lawyer. The documentary also include and interview with Gandhi's great grand daughter, Dhupelia Mesthrie and David Dabydeen whose grandfather was recruited to work on the plantations.

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