I saw the recent video by the Dominican PM about Indian vaccines, and I admit I had to look up where the country was. Turns out it's an island in the Caribbean, a member of the Commonwealth. For those of you that don't know, there are many Indian-origin communities that live in that region, about 2.5 million as per one estimate. Indeed, in Suriname, Guyana (which are culturally part of the Caribbean despite being in mainland South America) and Trinidad & Tobago, they are the largest ethnic group, with Sarnami (also called Caribbean Hindustani), a dialect of Bhojpuri, being one of the major languages spoken in Suriname.
Background
How did so many Indians reach halfway across the world? It was slavery by another name. By the late 18th century, slavery was frowned upon in Europe even as it fueled the economy of the Americas. European colonies produced sugarcane and cotton, two crops that required a lot of manual labour, which generated demand for slaves that were mainly brought by force from Africa in inhuman conditions. Eventually, anti-slavery movements in Europe grew, many fueled by Christian groups that saw it as an abomination (it may be noted that pro-slavery groups also used Christianity to justify their stance, seeing it as a means to bring "civilization" to "savages").
Slavery abolished, almost
Eventually, the anti-slavery camp won. Britain had lost its 13 colonies to the American Revolution, but it still controlled Canada, Suriname, Guyana, and many islands in the Caribbean. In 1833, Parliament in London passed the Slavery Abolition Act, formally "An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies; for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves; and for compensating the Persons hitherto entitled to the Services of such Slaves." As the long title suggests, it ended slavery and established compensation funds for both former slave owners and newly-freed slaves. By this time, most European countries had also abolished slavery.
Read the full act here: https://www.pdavis.nl/Legis_07.htm
However, at the very end of the act was this little insertion:
>LXIV. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act contained doth or shall extend to any of the Territories in the Possession of the East India Company, or to the Island of Ceylon, or to the Island of Saint Helena.
So here was the situation: in the Caribbean, plantation owners were hungry for labour, the cheaper the
... keep reading on reddit ➡The funeral director was asking us what we think Mum should wear in her casket.
Mum always loved to wear sarongs (fabric wraps that go around the torso and drape downward a bit like a long skirt would), so my uncle suggested that she wear a sarong in there.
The funeral director looked a bit confused, as did some of our family members, to which my uncle added:
"What's sarong with that?"
I started laughing like an idiot. He was proud of it too. The funeral director was rather shocked. We assured her, and our more proper relatives, that Mum would've absolutely loved the joke (which is very true).
His delivery was perfect. I'll never forget the risk he took. We sometimes recall the moment as a way help cushion the blows of the grieving process.
--Edit-- I appreciate the condolences. I'm doing well and the worst is behind me and my family. But thanks :)
--Edit-- Massive thanks for all the awards and kind words. And the puns! Love 'em.
I would have a daughter
Capital of Ireland
It's Dublin everyday
http://m.imgur.com/ImM3RWz
But Bill kept the Windows
True story; it even happened last night. My 5-year-old son walks up behind me and out of the blue says, "hey."
I turn to him and say, "yeah, kiddo? What's up?"
He responds, "it's dead grass."
I'm really confused and trying to figure out what's wrong and what he wants from me. "What? There's dead grass? What's wrong with that?"
.
.
.
He says, totally straight-faced, "hay is dead grass," and runs off.
You officially hit rock bottom
And then you will all be sorry.
Now it’s syncing.
He replied, "Well, stop going to those places then!"
I will find you. You have my Word.
She said how do you know he was headed to work?
“thank you for your cervix.”
...sails are going through the roof.
Mods said I'm a cereal reposter...
A taxi
But now I stand corrected.
Wait. Sorry, wrong sub.
Wookie mistake.
Theoretical Fizz-ics
He thought homes were built, not born.
Because you can’t ‘C’ in the dark
Now he’s a great grandfather
I said, “That makes two of us.”
so I had to ground him.
He's doing better currently.
And conducting himself properly.
The man says to the bartender “1 for me, and 1 for the road”
Crows mostly drank alone.
An assassin
