Robyn Andrews

Christianity as an Indian Religion: The Anglo-Indian Experience

Anglo-Indians originated in India in the seventeenth century as a result of colonialism. They aligned themselves culturally with the West rather than with India—being English speaking, Western in outlook, and Christians. Indian Independence in 1947 led to a sense of deep unease about their future in India, which resulted in a significant trend of migration from the community to English-speaking Commonwealth countries. The Western lifestyle of those remaining in India is now threatened by a combination of the loss of a critical mass, introduction of Hindu nationalist policies, and integration of Anglo-Indians with other Indian populations. An additional pressure on their Western way of life is posed by post-Vatican II inculturation policies. In this article, I examine the changing practice of various aspects of Anglo-Indian Christianity in Calcutta and comment on the ways in which it is being influenced by the milieu of Hinduism and assisted in this by the Vatican.

Anglo-Indian Residential Care Homes: Accounts from Kolkata and Melbourne

Research was conducted in four Anglo-Indian residential care facilities (one in Melbourne and three in Kolkata) which identified the distinctly Anglo-Indian characteristics of the institutions and sought to ascertain residents’ attitudes towards and reasons for living in them. The methods used were ethnographic: participant observation fieldwork combined with semi-structured informal interviews over the course of multiple research visits. The histories of the institutions were examined, including the purpose of their establishment. All four institutions are unique, but share common characteristics such as distinctly Anglo-Indian food, religious observance, and hospitality. Residents’ values and background, accents, and their (and their children’s) migration experiences are also shared. This article looks closely at what makes these homes distinctly Anglo-Indian, and compares residents’ narratives about why they chose to live in the ethnic-specific residential facilities in the two cities. This forms the basis for the argument presented here that in an increasingly globalised world the need for ethnic-specific homes for residents to spend their last years in a culturally familiar environment is growing rapidly. In conjunction with this is a need for published research on such homes to provide models for these types of facilities.

Anglo-Indians: Buying into Nationhood?

Andrews focuses on Asansol, a small industrial city (coal, iron and steel) by Indian standards but one of the fastest growing in the state of West Bengal. Its significant railway junction, in particular, accounts for the presence of an Anglo-Indian community that, unlike those in other parts of the state, tend to own their homes and put down roots in India. Andrews’ ethnographic investigation tests the idea that, at least in part, this is a result of a growing sense of citizenship in the local Anglo-Indian community. She asks whether they are involved in any level of governance, administration and decision-making, and whether the minority status of their cultural and religious affiliations is still significant. The discussion illuminates various aspects of ‘modern’ India, such as a transnational workforce; economic changes, such as property speculation and development; the effect of cultural and religious differences; and the impact this has had on this community.

Anglo-Indian reunions: secular pilgrimages?

The Anglo-Indian diaspora is a result of the accelerated migration of Anglo-Indians from India to (mainly) Commonwealth countries after India gained independence from Britain in 1947. This article examines the World Anglo-Indian reunions that are now held every 3 years in one or another of the diaspora cities in which they have made their homes. It interrogates what it is about these week-long events that bring thousands of Anglo-Indians to them, concluding that the answer hinges on the ability for attendees to feel Anglo-Indian at a sensory, experiential level, for the duration of each reunion. It further claims that reunions can be productively understood as pilgrimages in that they renew the attendees sense of belonging to a community, in ways that can be understood in terms of Turners notion of ‘communitas’.

Religion as capital: Christianity in the lives of Anglo-Indian youth in India

Abstract Religion is an important marker of identity for India’s Anglo-Indians. It distinguishes them within the principally non-Christian context and is integral to socializing youth to their distinct Anglo-Indian culture and heritage. This can be observed in Anglo-Indian practice—attending Christian schools, church-going, celebrating religious festivals, making pilgrimages—which forms a significant part of a matrix through which young Anglo-Indians learn how to perform their Anglo-Indianness. Our recent research (2013–2014) looked at the role of religion in the lives of Anglo-Indians intergenerationally and transnationally, through a survey, interviews, and participant observation. The results suggest that the performed religiosity of Anglo-Indian youth in India yields certain benefits for this group. It constitutes a capital which has the potential to make an enormous difference to their lives—socially, culturally, and otherwise. For example, Christian practice provides them with access to élite Christian educational institutions and the career possibilities that follow from such education. This article describes our research, focusing upon the findings related to Anglo-Indian youth in India. In particular, it argues that in various ways, the practice of Christianity both acts and is recognized by young Anglo-Indians as a source of capital in their lives, which is not to say that religion is practised for the purpose of acquiring capital. Rather, religious practice is a part of being Anglo-Indian that in India accrues capital.