 |
 An unofficial estimate of the total number of people of Indian origin living outside India is about 22 million people. Whether they come from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia, the Caribbean or Europe, they are Indians in body and spirit. Almost all of them maintain their Indian cultural traditions and values. They seem to have meaningfully integrated in their countries without losing their ethnic identity. To have a better understanding of our communities in different parts of the world, it is essential to know and share the history of the migration as well as their experiences in various countries.India was the source for the greatest number of indentured workers to the New World, and approximately 1.3 million individuals crossed the oceans under contracts of indenture. Various factors pushed Indian migrants into seeking employment under indenture. One factor was a rich Indian history of migration and exploration. From the early middle ages, individuals had been migrating beyond India`s boundaries, extensively exploring and trading in the area of the Indian Ocean, but not settling the areas they visited. By the end of the eighteenth century, Indian traders, labourers, and some Indian slaves were to be found in Southeast Asia, Ceylon, and North and East Africa.With over 22 million people of Indian origin living outside India, a new global community of Indian origin has been developed. Most of the people of Indian origin have become highly successful in business and the profession. If their professional expertise and financial resources are to be pooled together, it will benefit not only people of Indian origin but also their countries and India.
| |
