A documentary on the life and history of the existing Anglo Indian women residents of Bow Barracks
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- The documentary is underpinned with two definite aspects:
• Firstly, to bring the voices of the common women of Bow Barracks, Kolkata to the forefront. The documentary involves seven women who belong to different age groups and are associated/were associated with different professions. Some of them are nostalgic about their long forgotten past, some of them still fight hard to keep their cultures and traditions alive through food, dance and fashion, some of them are least bothered about their glorious past and are more concerned with the struggles of the present, and some of them are suffering from severe ‘historical dementia’ for whom the present is all about agonies.
• Secondly, through these voices the documentary also looks forward to interrogate and dismantle the ways through which the newspaper articles, movies and the existing documentaries have stereotyped and misrepresented the Anglo-Indians of Bow Barracks. They have either been socio-culturally exoticized as a charming community full of happiness, prosperity and glory or have been anti-socially portrayed as a community inflicted with sexual violence, drug abuse and alcoholism. Even there are some Anglo-Indians (preferably the elite ones) in Kolkata who openly denies to accept the residents of the Bow Barracks as Anglo-Indians at all and calls it a ‘Christian slum’ (personal interactions during my field work) and their reasons bear a strong racial undertone.
Keeping these two aspects at the backdrop, the documentary initiates with a brief history about the origin and the position of Anglo-Indian women in Bow Barracks. Then it gradually moves towards the experiential narratives of the earlier and the current women residents of Barracks. The documentary concludes in the South Park Street Cemetery that metaphorically represents the ‘almost dead’ socio-cultural history of the Anglo-Indian community of Kolkata in general and Bow Barracks in particular.
Thank for this video. I am Bengali from Kolkata but I also love their culture. We know that it's very sad the anglo indian culture going lost. But their life culture is very beautiful.
Thank you so much for the documentary I am from an Anglo Indian heritage and seen the last generation of Anglo Indians india🙏
I am inhabitants of Chandannagar currently posted in Bangalore but I love cultural diversity being a Bengali and Anglo Indians enables me to think of the British, French, culture .
The identity of Anglo Indians has never been understood by the Indian population. How could a people who were unable to speak the local language, had Christian religious upbringing and European habits of life and dress...be Indian? They were lost despite giving so much to their native land who spurned them. I am glad my parents chose to immigrate. On a recent visit, I saw what had happened to the remnants of this sad people.
White Anglo Indians had the opportunity to migrate to the countries where people speak their language,dress like them,religiously same,lifestyle was same--they felt more comfortable there....in those days indian society was very different....the anglo indans didn't like their identity that's why they left their non white children in orphanages,I knew one such left bahind man. Whatever it's,many schools have anglo indian teachers who are well respected and loved by their students.....we had anglo indian neighbours.... none to be blamed...we love our anglo indians.
..they were nd are a part of us.
The music on the background is not at all Anglo Indian and it is ruining the documentary. Not suitable music.
When the British left India, they gave the Anglo Indian's an opportunity to migrate to Britain and many did. But many others didn't for personal reasons.
After 1970 it became too difficult to leave, but most of the "real" Anglos had already departed by then!
@@ninaclemente5944As they should. They hate their Indian origin but still want to stay for monetary gain
Thank you all for your reflections and comments
Great feeling Babli to see that our documentary together from our respective youtube channels has got more than 3000 views
Please change the music .
All the Anglo Indians who left Kolkata should come back and have a BIG PARTY. Such a Beautiful place and people.
Why they left and where they go
Are you being serious???? Stop having a laugh!!!
Thanks Babli for sharing it through your channel as well.
Indeed heart renting. Ex DBPC , Kolkata, my full gratitude, for the price of a few wraps on the knuckles, 😂 did master Spellings an Dictation , the ever boggling " Tomorrow " and " Shinning ". On a lighter vain, the MNCs of the yesteryears of Kolkata, boasted the most charming secretaries. Do miss the teachers of my school and for the secretaries, cannot write much; for when I started working they were corporally historic, my due respect for their
effeciency
Anglo Indian's now in India should first shed their Anglo Identity and find an actual Indian Identity for their community which they actually never ever had. What Identity they had was the Identity of Britisher's which was never theirs do when British left they were neither British neither Indian and those who went abroad many could find no other identity other than Indian Identity living as Indian descent American's or Australian's or in other countries all still are known as Anglo Indian's. What's the use of trying to find a European Identity when European's never thought them as complete European's. This is the right time in world where almost every non islamic country had become a multi ethnic culture with mixing of race's. Anglo Indian's must first get an identity here in this country so that they can assure they're present or they exists. Once they find their Identity they could then grow practically and prosper in modern India in right sense and actually have their own political presence in simple word's they could survive then.
Are u Anglo Indian? Same thing happened with Eurasians in Malaysia. They were never accepted as Europeans and even subjected to racism. The local Malay and non european populace never discriminated with them and they became full Malaysians in a few generations
How could they be Indian? They never had the language, religion or culture? India is divided by more than what the British left. Try getting many people in India to agree to a common identity! Additionally, most Anglo Indians had very little money and the future for their children looked bleak. They did the right thing and immigrated.....so did many Indians!
Get a fact check... You will find most of the last 2-3 generations of Anglo Indians are not SURVIVING... We are THRIVING but prefer to stay low key.
Like any other community in India, we too are a mixed bag of success but have made progress and doing decently well.
We have definitely embraced the land of our birth by blending harmoniously into the mainstream.
@jhonsaxon876
Why should any Anglo Indian shed their Identity? No way! I prefer to use the word Eurasian instead of Anglo Indian as our dna ancestry is not just from England and Ireland but also from all over Europe, Asia, South Asia and Middle East etc. I have taken my test and was amazed at the results! We have this unique ancestry heritage. Why should we shed it? Yes we are Indian too very much! But we have our own culture customs etc that we prefer to maintain!!!
Basically they are mixed race so why use phrases like Anglo Indian to confuse people
Nuclear families and many left after the partition to western countries... My grandparents chose to stay here but the siblings left...almost no contact with them...
Where r u now?.
Thank you for your efforts beautiful message
Brown saheb amd memsaheb... I've been to kolkata and have known few of em. They still think they're English while looking as brown as the next guy. If anything they make me cringe.
you know nothing...get an education, then go get yourself a life!
It's a great sharing love it thanks for sharing with us God bless l.
Sub mummy he bane hai koi India papa nhi bna Hypocrisy thank god my Great Grandmother don’t open the dore for Britishers
Ekdum sahi kaha tumhe he Britishers ka strategy tha dus ro ki bibi ko apna patni banao apna Empire koh grow karvao aur phir kabsa karo
British ne sabko chodh diya...tujhe bhi!
Teray Nani ko kisi Angrez nahi chahta tha?
Those were Bengali women so I am not shocked.
@@funnyclouds17really look at your own family first as who knows about your blood race.
I totally disagree with John Saxon. My identity is one of an Anglo Indian and nothing less. I am proud of my roots and I have found my place under the Indian sun.
For the haters of Anglo Indians here, well, its nothing new for the community. Its something we've gone used to.
The greatest HYPOCRISY is that those who cringe at and speak ill of the community are the ones who are knocking or have knocked on the doors of Britain or any other foreign shore that will welcome them and their generations. I wonder how they don't cringe while living a dream on foreign shores.
Take a look at Indian students... Leaving the land of great scholars and thinkers in hoards to rush to foreign universities to earn degrees and then stay on. The problem here is DOUBLE STANDARDS.
Spot on! 👍
At least they know their forefather's name .
Music teacher in my school in calcutta was anglo indian . She was very sweet . And taught us some lovely english songs
May God bless you Babli
The Anglo Indians are long gone.....now over 4,000 Indians exit India daily!!!!
Yes but count has become now 296 Anglo Indians residing in India
No real Anglo Indian woman would ever wear Indian dress! In fact, most native clothing, food and habits were spurned by Anglo Indians in India. They spoke English, were Christians and adopted European habits of life. The last remnants of this forgotten people now inhabit poor housing and conditions. United in poverty they are unable to immigrate like most of the others. What a sad state of affairs. India is a sad country for many people.
India has it's own pace people need to keep up with it
Not everyone lives in poverty. There are many who have made a proper life for themselves but since the numbers have dwindled badly and very few who fit the term Anglo Indian are left here, we prefer to lead a quiet life and have harmoniously blended into mainstream society.
For some sad reason Anglo Indians are still stigmatized. The ones who chose to stay behind have moved forward in quiet resilience and have a better quality of life than what you've seen in this video.
@anitacohen8753
Very True.
Yes ! My music teacher was anglo indian . She used to dress up in maxis and never wore sarees or salwar suits . She used speak only in English and follow Christianity.
You Iook Indian to me
U don't need to look about the looks see they talking speech u will know men
Educate yourself on who is an Anglo Indian. Complexion is not a characteristic of being classified as an AI.
@@tyronedbrass2416but they dont look mixed race from anywhere
Desi desi hi hota hai
Honestly they are like wanna be
In a generation they will extinct and oNLy memories will remain, alas their pomp and gaeity will be gone, their disdain for locals and behave still like they are masters they don't want to do railway jobs or car mechanic jobs alas
The Documentary is a, totally unfair n Ridiculous portrayal of AI's, in India Today- Please come out of of Bow barracks Sir -come n See Educated n Smart AI 's in B'lore Chennai or Kerala with Cars n Swanky Apartment s - people like this want to see the negative side of a community that everyone has -the reality is Raajya Saba member Derek O'Brien , Roger Binny n Many Many More -we don't need you're Sympathy any more
Derek o brain is a donkey of mamata banerjee. Why he is representing Bengal god knows
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON