A Powerful Indian Voice Alice Bhagwandai Singh: Reflections on Her Work in Guyana

Baytoram Ramharack

Description

Baytoram Ramharack was born in Berbice, Guyana. He teaches history and political science at Nassau Community College. His previous publications include Against the Grain: Balram Singh Rai and the Politics of Guyana (2005); and Jung Bahadur Singh of Guyana (1886-1956): Politician, ship doctor, labor leader and protector of Indians (2019). He remains a strong advocate and supporter of stable democracy in Guyana. Dr. Ramharack is working on a forthcoming book examining Cheddi Jagan’s relationship with Indians in Guyana.

Sujets

• Voice
• Biography
• Human voice
• Autobiography
• Indian

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 02 mars 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669858751
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Also by Baytoram Ramharack
Centenary Celebration of the Arrival of Indians to British Guiana, 1838-1938 (2001)
Against the Grain: Balram Singh Rai and the Politics of Guyana (2005)
Jung Bahadur Singh of Guyana (1886-1956): Politician, ship doctor, labor leader and protector of Indians (2019)







A Powerful Indian Voice Alice Bhagwandai Singh: Reflections on her work in Guyana







Baytoram Ramharack



Copyright © 2023 by Baytoram Ramharack.

ISBN:
Softcover
978-1-6698-5876-8
eBook
978-1-6698-5875-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.





Rev. date: 02/28/2023





Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
842143










Front cover pho tograph:
Alice Bhagwandai Singh [in a sari, sitting in front] with other founders, members, and trustees at the inauguration of the Balak Sahaita Mandalee (women’s association for assisting poor w omen and children) in the garden of Ajmere House, home of Mr. and Mrs. HB Gajraj, in Kingston, Georgetown, 1936. Sitting (left to right) are Mrs. Eva Kawall, Mrs. Thomas I. Janki, Mrs. RK Singh, Mrs. Alice Singh, Miss Subhadri Behari-Lall, Mrs. Gertie Mohamed, Mrs. Rose Heilbron, Mrs. Debidin Snr. Standing (left to right) Miss Gauri Behari-Lall, Miss Claris Kailan, Miss Rani Behari-Lall, Mrs. Agnes Seeram or Mrs. Edna Kawall (the original list has both names), Miss Belle Gajraj, Miss Olive Teekah, Mrs. Tommy Cameron, Miss Mabel Debidin, Miss Ada Debidin, Miss Salamalay, Miss Esther Morgan, Miss Nasmoon Gajraj, unknown person, Miss May Kawall, Miss Clothilda Teekah, Miss Edna Janki, another Miss Debidin. Standing in the back row (left to right) are the trustees of the Mandalee, Charles Singh, James I. Ramphal, Mr. Salamalay, and Dr. Jairam Bissesar.



Contents
List of Abbreviations
Table
Pictures
Illustrations
Appendices
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Indian historiography in the Caribbean
Part 1: The broader landscape: Pioneering Indian women
Chapter 1: Reclaiming Indian history
Chapter 2: The subaltern woman in Indian Guyanese narratives
Part 2: Cross-boundary linkages: Unmasking archival evidence
Chapter 3: Alice Singh: From Suriname to Guyana
Chapter 4: Alice Singh: Reflections from her autobiography
Part 3: Creating a cultural space for Indians: Alice Singh and the BGDS
Chapter 5: Alice Singh: Preserving Indian culture through drama (I)
Chapter 6: Alice Singh: Preserving Indian culture through drama (II)
Chapter 7: The disappearing Indian cultural space

Conclusion: Alice Singh: An assessment of her work
Appendices
Glossary
Bibliography













Dedicated
to
Ryhaan Shah
Novelist and Indian rights activist
&
Kassri Narine (“Kaytie”)
Cultural pioneer and folklorist
(1934-2008)



List of Abbreviations
AFC
Alliance for Change
BGDS
British Guiana Dramatic Society
BGEIA
British Guiana East Indian Association
BGEII
British Guiana East Indian Institute
BGUCC
British Guiana Union of Cultural Clubs
BGWA
British Guiana Writers’ Association
BSM
Balak Sahaita Mandalee
CARICOM
Caribbean Community
CARIFESTA
Caribbean Festival of Arts
CASWIG
Council for the Affairs and Status of Women in Guyana
EILG
East Indian Ladies’ Guild
EIYMS
East Indian Young Men’s Society
GHDS
Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha
GNS
Guyana National Service
GYO
Gandhi Youth Organization
IAC
Indian Action Committee
IAG
Immigration Agent General
IAH
Liberty and Justice ( Ikhtiyar aur Hak )
ICA
Institute of Creative Arts
LCP
League of Coloured People
NCC
National Cultural Center
NSTAD
National School of Theatre Arts and Drama
PNC/R
People’s National Congress/Reform
PPP/C
People’s Progressive Party/Civic
SDMS
Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha
SIV
Surinamese Immigrants Association ( Surinaamsche Immigranten Vereeniging )
SSU
Special Service Unit
SVN
Saraswati Vidya Niketan
WPA
Working People’s Alliance
WPEO
Women Political and Economic Organization
YMCA
Young Men’s Christian Association



Table
Table 1 : Indenture Indian statistics for selected destination colonies
Table 2 : Population, by number and percentage in Suriname
Table 3: Population, by number and percentage in Guyana
Table 4 : The BGEIA (British Guiana) and SIV (Dutch Guiana) in comparison
Table 5 : Selected list of performances organized by the BGDS



Pictures
Picture 1 : Photograph of Alice Singh
Picture 2 : Barnet Lyon, owner of Plantation Jagtlust
Picture 3 : “Baba and Mai” in Paramaribo
Picture 4 : “Baba and Mai plein” (immigrant ships arriving in Suriname)
Picture 5 : Wedding announcement of Alice Singh and JB Singh
Picture 6 : Photograph of Alice Singh and family
Picture 7 : Photograph of Alice Singh with her brother
Picture 8 : Advertisement for the performance of “Chitra”
Picture 9 : BGDS program celebrating “The Little Clay Cart”
Picture 10 : BGDS invitation, celebrating the successful performance of “Savitri”
Picture 11 : Advertisement for the BGDS performance of “Chitra”
Picture 12 : Photograph of performers of “Footlights of Hindustan”
Picture 13 : Photograph of Rajkumari Singh and family members
Picture 14 : Photograph of Alice Singh and her birthday celebration
Picture 15 : Photograph of Alice Singh with her sister
Picture 16 : Photograph of Alice Singh and Countess Edwina Mountbatten



Illustrations
Map of Guyana and Suriname
Figure 1 : Schematic representation of Indian identity formation and coolitude
Figure 2 : Immigration record of Sitalpersad (Alice Singh’s father)
Figure 3 : Immigration record of Sitalpersad’s mother - Phooljharia (Phuljaree)



Appendices
Appendix 1 : Indian (Girmitiya) indenture labor contract
Appendix 2 : Rajkumari Singh’s “Per Ajie” (A tribute to the first immigrant woman)
Appendix 3 : Mahadai Das and “They Came in Ships”
Appendix 4 : BGDS text in honor of JB Singh
Appendix 5 : “In Defense of Our Elders” [and Social Service] by Mrs. JB Singh
Appendix 6 : “The British Guiana Dramatic Society” by Alice Singh
Appendix 7 : “Twelve Reasons Why I Am Proud of the B.G.D.S” by “Member”
Appendix 8 : “Rules of the B. G. Dramatic Society”
Appendix 9 : “The British Guiana Dramatic Society” by Rajkumari Singh
Appendix 10 : Tribute to Alice Singh
Appendix 11 : Autobiography of Alice Singh
Appendix 12 : Kassri Narine: Girmitiya descendant, cultural pioneer, and folklorist



Map of Guyana and Suriname




Acknowledgments
This research project on Alice Bhagwandai Singh started decades ago when I first embarked upon a journey to complete a study on Jung Bahadur Singh (2019). Jung Bahadur, of course, was married to Alice Singh of Dutch Guiana in 1910. I had no intention of undertaking comprehensive research on Alice Singh, but I was intrigued by her legacy. I was intrigued by the fact that over time I had discovered, on my own, a tremendous amount of information not previously known to me about Alice Singh. As with Jung Bahadur, I knew very little of Alice Singh, although she had migrated from Suriname and lived in Guyana until she died in 1970. Alice was a writer and an iconic social and cu