PARAMARIBO, SURINAM, June 5, 2003: The first batch of indentured laborers from India was brought here 130 years ago aboard the ship Lala Rukh and had the mistaken belief they were going to the land of Shri Ram and not Surinam. Upon arrival some were dejected, but others, who brought with them their faith in Ramcharitra Manas and couplets of Kabir, rose to the occasion and converted Surinam into practically a Hindi heartland, preserving their language and cultural ethos. As new immigrants they were often condemned in the local society and referred to as Coolie, Kalkatia and even Kuta (dog). But over the decades they have been able to carve a niche for themselves. The Hindi used in Surinam today is closest to the Sadhukkari language of Kabir with an admixture of Awadhi, Bhojpuri, English, Dutch as well as local languages. Surinam Hindus today say their ancestors boarded the ship with Ramcharitra Manas and went through the trying times singing bhajanas of Tulsi and Kabir. This built a bridge that still survives.
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