May 10, 1845

— the first group Indians arrived in Jamaica as indentured workers.
By 1917, some 36,000 were on the island.
On the plantation, the labourers worked five to six days a week for one shilling a day and lived in squalid conditions. Two shillings and six pence were deducted weekly for their rice, flour, dried fish or goat, peas and seasoning rations.
They could only leave the plantation if in possession of a permit. If caught without one or if they failed to work because of ill health or any other reason, they faced fines or imprisonment.
The terms of indenture could be one to five, with two weeks annual leave. Labourers could be released from their indenture due to illness, physical disability or in the rare case, manumission or commutation, when they paid the unexpired portion of the contract to their employer.
When their indentureships were up, they became known as time-expired Indians and were issued certificates of freedom that enabled them free access to any part of the island.
Two years later and no earlier, they could apply for repatriation. If they did not do so they became ineligible even though they could only be repatriated after having lived in Jamaica for 10 years.
There was always the option ­ to renew their contracts and become "second-term coolies". Few made that choice.
Today there is an estimated 80,000 people of Indian origin living in Jamaica. Indian Arrival Day is annually observed on May 10th.
(Source: Dominic Kalipersad, May 10, 2022)