In its most general sense Anglo-Indian refers to any tangible or intangible thing with both English and Indian provenance or heritage. Though this page discusses a specific community, in the West the term Anglo-Indian is sometimes used more broadly to describe people who have mixed Indian and English ancestry. The term was also sometimes (confusingly) used in common parlance in Britain during the colonial age to refer to those (such as Rudyard Kipling and George Orwell) who were of British descent, but were born and raised in India; usually because their parents were serving in the colonial administration or armed forces.
The Anglo-Indian community in its proper sense is a distinct (and statistically very small) minority community (0.02%-0.04% of the total population in India) originating in India, consisting of people of mixed British and Indian ancestry whose native language is English. An Anglo-Indian’s British ancestry was bequeathed paternally. Article 366(2) of the Indian Constitution defines an Anglo-Indian as “a person whose father or any of whose other male progenitors in the male line is or was of European descent but who is domiciled within the territory of India and is or was born within such territory of parents habitually resident therein and not established there for temporary purposes only”. Under this definition, the mestiços (mixed Portuguese and Indian) of Goa are also included.
Anglo-Indians formed a significantly small portion of the minority community in India before independence, but today more live outside India than within. The community has historically been concentrated around towns and cities that were important railway terminals, as a large proportion of them worked in the Indian Railways and the postal and telegraph services. Their numbers in India have dwindled significantly as most emigrated to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and, to a lesser extent, Canada and the United States.
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Pingback by Anglo Indian Blogs » Blog Archive » Anglo Indians - Defined by Wikipedia — December 1, 2007 @ 7:14 pm |
I have a problem with the Constitution’s definition of Anglo-Indians. This definition (“of Europen descent”) is, in fact, a rejection of the word “Anglo” which, I have no doubt, definitely refers to England. The community defined in the Constitution is, in fact, “Eurasian”. I wonder what the Anglo-Indian leadership was doing at the time this very obvious piece of confusion was introduced into the Constitution. Sleeping, most probably. Or bootlicking with our brood of new national leaders. The result is a terrible dilution of the Anglo-Indian community, with crowds of Goans (Portuguese) and even Indian Christians climbing atop the bandwagon. I have nothing against the Goans. Many of them are very beautiful human beings — but they are not “Anglo-Indians”. In fact, most Goans are just another group of genuine Indians — just as Bengalis are Indians from Bengal and Punjabis are Indians from Punjab, so also Goans are Indians from Goa. Do you ever hear of an Anglo from Bengal calling himself a Bengali ? Nope. He calls himself an Anglo. But so-called “Anglos” from Goa readily describe themselves as Goans !!
I believe this to be a major problem that calls loudly for attention. I spoke to the president of a city branch of the All-India Anglo-Indian Asociation about this problem. His version was plain crap. He said if we cut out Goans and ICs, the membership in the Association ( his branch) would be reduced to almost zilch ! See what I mean ?
Comment by Carlton Figg — March 6, 2008 @ 10:54 am |
Of course, and it’s an accepted fact — Goans cannot be Anglo-indians. The Constitution is wrong !!!!
Comment by Eddie Lee — March 7, 2008 @ 11:07 am |
Is the moderator on leave, or something ?
Comment by Eddie Lee — March 9, 2008 @ 4:00 am |
No y?
Comment by Sean Auckland — March 9, 2008 @ 10:23 am |
The original draft to be introduced into the Indian Constitution was,’those whose progenitors in the male line is or was of British ancestry, domiciled within the territories of India’. This was secretly changed to Eurasian and then to European by the bootlickers of Nehru and the Congress Party. As the Anglo Indians were emigrating to England, Canada , Australia and the States the numbers were diminishing. The branch stacking began to have the numbers for representation. It was then these bootlickers started enrolling the tobacco planters and the fisherman from Goa and the South.
The Goans are not of Portuguese descent. They were Hindu fishermen who worked for the Portuguese , netting sardines and herrings whic were shipped to Portugal for processing and canning. They were converted to Catholicism forcibly by their masters. After Independence , the Portuguese got the scent that their time was up. So they started dividing their land to their servants and gave them their nametoo. No Anglo Indian in Calcutta calls a Goan an Anglo Indian. They call them Goans who in return called the Anglos half-caste.
It was often suggested that there should be a ‘cut off’ date. viz those Anglo Indians born before 1955 are the “real” Anglo Indians and those born after, should be screened. This was because there were too many ‘tobacco planters’ from Madras and Andhra and ‘fishermen’ from Kerala and Goa jumping the Anglo Indian band wagon. Thanks to Frank Anthony , Norohona and DeMonte. They made this happen.
Comment by Gilbert Edgar Freitas — March 31, 2008 @ 1:54 pm |
Gilbert, if I had a hat I’d doff it to you. You have once again taken up a favourite topic of mine and done justice to it like very few people could. A Goan is not an Anglo-Indian.
And yes, it was the Anglo-Indian leadership that “invented” this new breed of Anglo. This they did to swell the ranks even as more and more members of the community were leaving these shores. In fact, I believe that membership in the All-India Anglo-Indian Association would be reduced by at least 50 percent in the event of bogus Anglos being weaned out. Just to drive home my point — the president of a district-level branch of the Association in Uttar Pradesh openly confessed that his branch would virtually cease to exist if, as I demanded, all members were called upon to produce their credentials. All over India, people are being enrolled as Anglo-Indians regardless of the fact that the large majority of them cannot document their ethnicity.
In Lucknow, a known Goan whose mother-tongue happens to be Konkonese (correct spelling, I hope ?) is an office-bearer in the working committee of the Anglo Association. When asked, an Association spokesman admitted that the Goan was not called upon to establish his ethnicity.
But don’t get me wrong — I have nothing against Goans. They are, in general, nice people. Good dancers, great musicians. But they are not Anglo-Indians. In fact, a lot of Goans are proud of their background and strictly refrain from describing themselves as Anglo-Indians. It’s the “wannabe Anglo-Indian” that we need to watch out for — the guy who has nowhere else to go. But we can watch him only if our leadership becomes alert (or honest). And here I take the opportunity to repeat that this community needs to be looking at a new line of leaders. It’s now or never” (with apologies to Elvis !)
Comment by carlton figg — April 2, 2008 @ 1:34 pm |
You are absolutely…. Goans are not Anglo Indians… They are Indians from Goa.. but never have I heard them wanting to be Anglo Indians… They have their identify, their beautiful Goa… and yes you are right, good dancers, great musicians, not to mention they have have doctors, engineers, lawyers like any other Indians. I have seen other “wannabe Anglo-Indians”, who say they are Anglo Indians, perhaps those who do not know their identities, but the true Goans, Mangaloreans stick to what they are and don’t want to be Anglo Indian…
Comment by Melanie — December 26, 2008 @ 4:59 am |
You are absolutely right…. Goans are not Anglo Indians… They are Indians from Goa.. but never have I heard them wanting to be Anglo Indians… They have their identify, their beautiful Goa… and yes you are right, good dancers, great musicians, not to mention they have have doctors, engineers, lawyers like any other Indians. I have seen other “wannabe Anglo-Indians”, who say they are Anglo Indians, perhaps those who do not know their identities, but the true Goans, Mangaloreans stick to what they are and don’t want to be Anglo Indian…
Comment by Melanie — December 26, 2008 @ 5:00 am |
The style of writing is quite familiar to me. Have you written guest posts for other bloggers?
Comment by Pirsey — April 22, 2009 @ 6:52 am |
Anglo means British. So an anglo-indian has to be a person with partly British blood. Indians with Portuguese and Spanish blood cannot be defined as Anglo indians as then they should be defined as Euro Indians.
But what do you call a set of people who have got their blood mixed up with all these foreigners, plus a mix with all kinds of Indians as well?
So, in the end it is like the “Rainbow” blooded people of USA, where everybody got mixed up in each other’s blood to such an extent that none of them really know if they are of pure Italian, Spanish, British, Red Indian by breed.
The origin of these anglo and euro mixed Indians is just a Western mentality of “having a wife in every port of stay”. So they get the Catholic church to make a mokery of the Christian marriage and have families wherever they live and work. Plus the worse kind goes on to just have an immoral relationship like the live-in relationships prevalent in Western and European countries whereby there is no hassles of divorce.
Literally speaking, these offsprings are BASTARDS and the so are their generations down the ages. That is why it is so easy even not to have an immoral relationship with a lady of anglo indian blood.
The curse of this community is that they are never Biblically blessed due to this and as a consequence, they are neither European nor Indian and they end up in the middle of nowhere – just like a bird which is a cross breed of a Peacock and a Crow – which is like a FREAK of nature.
This is the main reason why they were all dumped behind and their European parents left after Independance.
In my humble opinion, they should stop this IMMORAL definition of the word Anglo Indians and get back to being proud to be Indian and merge into the Indian culture and heritage.
India still has a very good family life structure where we still value and respect our parents and elders and where we still hold on to our values and virtues.
Europeans have deviated so much from the TRUE beliefs of the Bible and they are Christians only by name now. This is why they have lost out of their family values and virtues in the rush for a materialistic life.
I am from Mangalore and though of anglo indian decent, we have denounced it completely and for generations we are very rooted to our Indian culture and values – which gives me an IDENTITY.
My grandparents taught us grandkids that its better and more dignified and honourable to be defined as Indians!! than as half-breeds!!
I have married from Kerala state and an so hounored to be part of such a community with excellent family values and virtues.
I will never let my children get married to half-breeds!!
Comment by Mary Jacob — May 30, 2009 @ 5:09 pm |
This forum leaves me with a distinct taste of RACISM. I now live in UK. and know for a fact that if any of the so called anglos came to live here would be classed as wogs.
My mother is an ofspring of a Gujerati judge and a missionary from Glasgow, so according to what I read, she is not an A/I as she bears an Indian name in spite of being mistaken for an european. The title Anglo Indian does not bear any meaning in the UK. Either you are an Indian or British and that the anglos are not. Living in Britain has really brought this fact home to many A/Is.
The Indian Constitution of 1970 declared any person to be classed as an A/I regardless of his name as long as he or she can prove that any one of their G’parents was British.
So, who are the people with English names who for three generations have no British born G’parent in their pedigree.
I know many who although bear British names have no British born G’parent or G’G'parent in their tree.
Thanks for reading this and I would love to hear sensible opinions on this topic.
Henry Gonsalves. Born Bombay 1937.
Comment by GONSALVES — June 28, 2009 @ 8:47 pm |