DIFFICULT HISTORY

In search of roots, man can traverse continents. The people of Indian origin in Guadeloupe want to establish deep links with India, their ancestral land. These links were cut-off for several decades as they had no way to find their ancestors since almost all shipping records (between India and Guadeloupe) were destroyed by the ruling Governments of the 19th century. The Indians speak French and find it difficult to convey their aspirations in English. They are grateful that Minister Vayalar Ravi visited them in 2011 and are anxious for more such visits from Indian dignitaries. The Indian population numbers about 55,000 in Guadeloupe, not much of a rise from the 39,800 that arrived alive from Indian shores between 1854 and 1889. In this section find an article on the memorial dedicated to 35 Indians who were left to die at a prison at the Ilet A Cabrits, an island off the coast of Les Saintes. This is a secret that came out of the archives in 2012 thanks to GOPIO uadeloupe president Michel Narayninsamy and researcher Michel Rogers