Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWII..Immediately they arrive they and their clothing are disinfected (fumigated) and they are vaccinated ..The coolies are sent from the quarantine station to the depot, where they are taken by the Kangani for the estate for which they have been recruited. Each coolies has a tin ticket with number corresponding to the number of the estate, so that it can be seen at a glance for what estate a is intended

Source: Stenson- Class Race and Colonialism in West Malaya (Report of a Meeting of General Labour Committee May 1920 ) Arrival and Quarantine of Indian Immigrants

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIArrival and Quarantine of Indian Immigrants

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIIndians in Plantation

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIWhitemans Perspective On Indian Workers Easy Labour Force - Demand for labourer fluctuated with rubber price between 1930 to 1933, 200 000 workers have been shipped back

Cheap Labour Force - 1947 average wage for men 70cents, women and children 40cents. (Cost of living in 1947 - $1.1o)

Child Labour 1947 - 25,000 children aged 8 and above (allowed in labour code) employed in estates

Kept like Slaves - labourers kept in closed environment no contact with outsiders

Ultimate Authority - European Manager (Periya Durai) and wife addressed as Appa and Amma decide on family disputes, choice of clothing and leisure activities. For European bachelors, the cooks wife was a customary consolation

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIPlantation Workers Kangani and Coolie Women workers at coffee plantation

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIIndians Perspective On White Master Viewed them as master, king and some cases as God (statues of European estate owners in temple towers (ex: Sri Maha Muthu Mariamman Temple in Harvard Estate, Bedong, Kedah)

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIPopulation of Indians Labourers in Malaya

"The important characteristics to note about Indian migration to Malaya are that, firstly, the great bulk of this movement has been of an ephemeral character, with approximately 4 million entering and 2.8 million leaving the country between 1860 and 1957. Secondly, much of the 1.2 million net immigration appears to have been wiped out by disease, snake-bites, exhaustion and malnutrition, for the Indian population of Malaya in 1957 numbered only 858,615 of which 62.1 percent was local born."

(Source : 1957 Federation of Malaya Census Report)

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIINotable Indian Strikes - Earlier Revolts (1936 to 1941)

FMS Railway Strike (May 1934) Traction Company Strike ( Sept 1936) Singapore Municipality Strike ( Dec 1936)Klang Strike (March to May 1941)

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIThe Klang Strike (March to May 1941)

First wave started March 17th, 1941 at Damansara Estate 4000 strike second waves April 1941 led by RH Nathan, Y.S Menon and R.K Thangaiah Demands (second wave):Pay parity between Indian and Chinese Removal of brutal Ceylonese and Malayalees and replacement of Tamil staffsProper education Put an end to the molestation of labourers' women folks by European and Black EuropeanProper Medical facilitiesClosing of Toddy shopFreedom of speech and assembly Free access to estate for family and friendsLabourers to remain mounted on bicycle in front of European and Asian staffsAbolition of 10-12 hours working dayNo victimization Permission to form association represent labourers interest Involved 20,000 workers over 100 estates state of emergency announced in SgorIndian Nationalist and Self-Respect movement more effective than MCP in rousing Indian working class militancy

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIOutcome of Klang Strike

Strike ended with 6 workers dead, 116 deported, 386 arrested and imprisoned. Klang District Indian Union was deregistered. R.H Nathan was deported to India on 19th May 1941

One of the largest, best organised and most militant strike by Indian workers which Malaya had ever seen (Tan Yuen Labour Unrest in Malaya 1934 1942) The strike, though quickly crushed by vigorous police action, lasted long enough to establish clear political consciousness among labourers. Vernacular educated radicals, working with Kanganies and Tamil teachers in estate schools, successfully encouraged the tappers the question the basis cause of their depressed economic and social position (A. Rajeswary The Indian Minority and Political Change in Malaya 1945-1957)

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Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIJapanese in Malaya Under One Greater Asia

Injected sense of Anti Colonialism liberation from oppressive masters

Plantation workers were abandoned by the British in the hands of oppressive new master Japanese Army and Asiatic estate staffs

Large recruitment for Indian labourers to be sent to Thailand and Burma Death Railway resulted to 150,000 Indian death

Food shortage further aggravated Indians temper towards colonial masters

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIArrival of Subhas Chandra Bose to Malaya

Bose represented the non-violence struggle of Indias independence

July 1943 took over the leadership INA

INA cut across all classes, status, castes bringing together Indians under one umbrella

Bose set up army training camps all over Malaya for men and young adults (Balasena)

Bose empowered Indian women under Rani of Jhansi Regiment - Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan - the world most organised regiment of women army

Bose visited many places in Malaya to propagate INA course

Bose set up The Provisional Indian Government in exile (Azad Hind Government) independent government with the support of the Japanese Imperial Army

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIRani of Jhansi Regiment I want a unit of brave Indian women to form a death-defying Regiment who will wield the sword which Rani of Jhansi wielded in Indias First War of Independence in 1857.Subhas Chandra Bose 9th July 1943 Singapore

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIThe Boses Effects on Malayans

Bose became the mentor for oppressed Indians labourers photographs of Bose in many Indians homes

INA (1941-1945) gave platform for Indians to organized and empowering - from subservience to standing up against the oppressive white masters

Nationalism among Malays Abdullah Sani Raja Kechi @ Ahmad Boestamam formed Angkatan Pemuda Insaf, Burhanuddin Helmy, Muhammad Ismail Haji Ishak (Pak Sako), Shamsiah Fakeh (Angkatan Wanita Insaf)

Give Me Your Blood and I will give Freedom for India BoseMerdeka dengan Darah Ahmad Boestaman

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIIThe Japanese Surrender

August 1945 Japanese surrender to British in Malaya

Indians were made to return to estates with lesser wages

British did not realized the psychologically transformation among Indians. Indians in plantations found the means of struggle and needs to fight back their oppressor. They knew who to organise more effectively in Trade Unions

Offspring of INA The Thondar Padai (Volunteer Corp) started to organized in Estate important movement in Kedah Riot 1946

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WIITransformation of Plantation Indians Post WWIIThe destitution and impoverishment suffered by the Indians during the war was ignored as they were rounded up like cattle to be put to work again on the estates. When their demands were not met, Indian labourers joined forces with the heavily Communist influenced Chinese migrant community to go on strikes, the strongest weapon they had at their disposal. The creation of the All Malayan Rubber Workers' Council, a predominantly Indian trade union, is essential in showing how Indian labour became a threat to the British that they eventually had to retaliate with draconian military suppression through the imposition of the Emergency in 1948.

Source: Patricia Spencer , Malaya's Indian Tamil Labour Diaspora: Colonial Subversion ofTheir Quest for Agency and Modernity (1945-1948)

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WW2The Kedah Riot

Thondar Padai (Volunteer Corp) - a social reform movement with militant Tamil youths inspired by moral uplifting Pan Malayan Dravidian Federation. Trained and participated by Ex INA members in Johor, Melaka, Selangor and Kedah. Strongly influenced by PMFTU.

Thondar Padai in Kedah led by A.M Samy (President of PMFTU of Kedah) main objectives suppression of toddy shops, eradicate poverty, ignorance and backwardness.

Highlight 1 Bedong Toddy Shop incident 1000 strike in front of toddy shop clash with police, over 20 injured, one death and 12 ring leaders arrested.

Highlight 2 May Day gathering protest in Dublin Estate clash with police

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WIITransformation into Trade Unionist

MCP played vital role in bringing together Chinese and Indian working class and Malay nationalist movement together after war. First political party to promote unity among races through its ideology towards a republic nation

Many ex-INA joined labour movement to champion labour rights after war. Some even had greater view to seek independence for Malaya. (Ex: President of PMFTU - S.A Ganapathy was an Ex-INA instructor transformed towards a nationalist working together with MDU and AMCJA-Putera for independence of Malaya

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WIIS. A Ganapathy from Trade Unionist to Nationalist

Born in India (Tambikottai, Tanjavur) in 1917 Came to Singapore in 1929 (Parents passed away. Lived with uncle in Singapore) Heavily influenced by Self-Respect Movement and Indian Communist Party (independent of MCP) From 1943 to 1945 - An instructor in INA (still maintain connected with Communist MPAJA) Captured and beaten up by Japanese for being a communist 7th Feb. 1947 Elected to become the President of PMFTU with 400,000 members Lead PMFTU in AMCJA Putera struggle for Malaya Independence Gone underground in June 1948 Arrested in March 1st in Rawang Waterfall Estate Sentenced to death by hanging in 4th May 1949 for possession of fire arms "His sincere services to the workers for a long time cannot be forgotten. In appreciation of these service it is, but right to express our sympathy to him in his dark days. John Brazier (Trade Union Adviser Malaya)

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIITransformation Radicals in Trade Unionist V.Sutharman (Singapore) MNLA 7th Regiment President of PMFTU Plantation Workers Senai Kulai We have to run and hide in jungle as we were hunted after June 1948. In the jungle we joined the MNLA took arm to protect ourselves. Later on we were taught communist ideology in an interview with presenter P.Veerasenan - President of SFTU Joint MNLA in June 1948. Shot dead on 3rd may 1949 at Pertang. Unlike Ganapathy, Veerasenan and Rajagopal were not communist T.N Harper The Forgotten Wars The End of Britains Asian Empire

Radicalization of Indian Plantation Workers Post WWIITransformation Radical Indians in Trade Unions

R.G Balan (Vice President of MCP)President of Perak Rubber Worker UnionDetained from 1948 to 1960 Incident: Klapa Bali and Lima Belas Estate (Socfins) with 12,000 workers strike. Responsible for 85 strikes in Perak early 1948. Balan was only 23 when he was arrested. Successful in preventing all Braziers attempts to float pro British trade union Ramasamy Vengadasalam Gen.Sec of Collieries Workers Union Batu ArangMost wanted MNLA terrorist in Selangor. He learned Marxism during under ground after June 1948. Written letters to his brother in Indian, requesting books on Marxism Oral interview with family member