FROM COOLIES TO COMMUNITIES: THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF TAMIL MIGRANT LABOUR AND DIASPORA IDENTITY IN COLONIAL AND POSTCOLONIAL CONTEXTS

Abstract

This research paper explores the historical trajectory of Tamil migrant labourers, tracing their evolution from indentured ‘coolies’ under British colonial rule to established, culturally distinct diaspora communities across the globe. Focusing primarily on plantation economies in Southeast Asia (Malaya/Malaysia) and South Asia (Ceylon/Sri Lanka), with a contrasting overview of the Mauritian experience, the study employs a historical and sociological lens to analyze the shift in identity. The paper argues that the traumatic experience of colonial labour systems, coupled with subsequent postcolonial citizenship crises, served as a crucial catalyst for the consolidation of a distinct Tamil diasporic consciousness, moving beyond the transient identity of migrant labour to a permanent, politically engaged communal identity. The analysis is supported by evidence drawn from historical documents, academic journals, and cultural studies.