As you flip through the book “History of Indian Migration to Kuwait”
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Labour migration around the world date back to centuries which has its deep root in the stories of hardship and struggle. But when it comes to the question of identifying those who made it first, we stumble with no absolute proof. Decades ago when Indian labour find its flow towards Middle East, Kuwait was one among their destination and it is a known fact that Indian expatriate society has played a vital role in the overall development of Kuwait. It is a history of companionship and mutual sharing.
Presently we have someone or the other, who came before us, to guide through the entire migration. Everything is comparatively easy. It is at this point, the thought of those who came first in Kuwait, from our land, peeps in. Often we tend to forget those predecessors who made our path smooth, gaining confidence of the national employers through their un-comparable sincerity and dedication.They became part and parcel of fast developing Kuwait. They are the ones who made Kuwait the land of opportunities for us. Even then, we have no traces of any recorded history of our first entry to this country, ‘the fort near water’, Kuwait. All efforts to know the past goes in vain.
Such a dilemma has led Mr. Sam Pynmood, the writer and social activist in Kuwait, hailing from Kerala, to venture on a book on the history of Indian migration to Kuwait. From a vague idea that it was someone from North India who moved to Kuwait from Basra for business reasons, the author succeeded in going further for a much detailed record. His new book, which is getting published in the regional language Malayalam, titled ‘Kuwait Indian Kudiyeta Charithram’ (the history of Indian migration to Kuwait), provides a much clearer picture on past of Indo-Kuwait labour migration history.
As a usual book on history, it is not dealing with the factual figures. The book relies mostly on the hands-on experience from those younger generations, whose family got migrated to Kuwait, decades before. Here, the author takes us for a glide through the stories of our ancestors, at the same time providing an insight to the development of Kuwait, from a seaside village to an internationally strong economy.
With a quick browsing through the history of Kuwait, as pre and post oil era, it travels through the veins of Indo-Kuwait relationship. Trade with Indian regional business class, which led to the acquaintance with families, laid the foundation for such a strong bond. Starting from the period when Indian currency and postage prevailed here, the book touches the presence of an Indian driver where the Kuwaiti nationals were first taught driving, 1896. Years of pain and struggle took by the author to get authentic facts threw light on the first Indian presence in almost all fields possible, from various industries and business to service sectors like health and education. The book serves as an absolute guide for younger generation of both nationals to know and sustain the warmth of such a bond. The known facts are well presented with supporting photographs as far as possible which helps the readers to experience those days.
In the pursuit of data collection, the author was able to gather information which contributed to the early social life of Indians in Kuwait. The oil industry paved way to a change in the lifestyle of Kuwaiti nationals as well as the expatriates. Community living took its formal structure for the Indian community where the need for basic facilities to survive with family crept in. The book documents the complete representation of our evolution as a strong supporting community for the State of Kuwait. It describes the launch of official representation of Indian government in Kuwait, the Embassy, diplomatic visits made to both countries, launch of first school for the community, darker days of invasion, the associations evolved for the welfare of community from time to time etc. The beauty lies in the fact that as he pens down the progress of Indian community in Kuwait, the element of personal experience adds life to his words. He starts reliving his yester years in Kuwait. As the author proceeds through the book he discovers himself amidst all the milestones for our community taking role of a lending hand as part of his social commitment. He is an active member of Kerala Art Lovers association (KALA)
The book depicts our story, yours and mine, directly or indirectly. It depicts the path which took us here, at this point of life. The effort to document the facts before it is lost with time is highly commendable. The project to release the translated English and Arabic version of the book is pipelined. IIK wish all the very best for the author in his future ventures. Happy reading.
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Reshmy Krishnakumar is a freelance Statistician based in India. She was working with Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) as Research Associate. Having done her post-graduation in Statistics, she worked as lecturer at St.Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, until her relocation to Kuwait to join at Statistics Department, Kuwait University, Khaldiya.
As a freelance writer, she is contributing to various magazines, blogs, and websites. Her passion includes classical dance, writing poems in Malayalam and Hindi. While in Kuwait she was an active member of the Writers’ Forum Kuwait, Indian Women In Kuwait (IWIK) and Science International Forum (SIF) Kuwait.
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