 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 350,000[1] | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Pakistanis in Bahrain |
The history ofIndians inBahrain dates back to the time of theDilmun civilisation in 3000 BCE when the civilisation served as a trade link betweenMesopotamia and theIndus Valley civilisation.[2] Proper immigration of Indians to Bahrain first started in the late quarter of the 19th century, withBanyan merchants arriving fromBritish India or also known asBritish Raj under the jurisdiction ofHM Government of the United Kingdom when it was under the rule of theBritish Empire. Today, there are about 350,000 Indian nationals in Bahrain, making them the largest expatriate group in the country.[1]
Initially, Indian merchants in Bahrain traded dates, though most later entered thepearling business and helped to exportpearls to the world market. These merchant families originated from theSindh province and theKathiawad region ofGujarat.[2] By 1925, it was estimated that there were 2,500 Indian families settled in the country, most of whom were involved in theretail sector. With thediscovery and refinement ofoil in Bahrain in 1932–1945, there was a demand formanpower in the oil sector, which led to greater number of Indian workers to immigrate to the country. Following theSecond World War and the subsequent expansion ofBahrain's economy as a result of the oil boom, greater number of Indians emigrated to the country to set up their own businesses and to fill in manpower demands as workers, managers and salesmen.[2] By the 1950s, theBahrain Petroleum Company, which was the country's sole oil company, had employed more than 600 Indians. A rough estimate suggested that the number ofmigrant workers, from the state ofKerala, in Bahrain increased from 1,000 in 1958 to almost 5,000 in 1981.[3] This figure has increased to 101,556 in 2011, forming the majority of Indian nationals in the country.
Indians in the country have predominantlyblue-collar jobs; 70% of the Indian community work in theconstruction sector of the country, with others working asbarbers andcarpenters. Around 15,000 more Indians work asdomestic workers; these are almost exclusively women.[2] Most Indian women in the country work asteachers in the country'sprivate schools. Despite the vast number of Indians working as blue-collar workers,white-collar Indian workers are present in the country, often working aspharmacists,physicians andaccountants.[2] In recent years, a large number of Indians have committedsuicide, leading to a public outcry in Bahrain and India, with community leaders asking for greater reach of counselling and support services.[4]
The Indian embassy in the country was first opened in January 1973. Prior to that, India's Ambassador toKuwait was concurrently accredited to Bahrain.[5]
There are 32 registered Indian cultural organisations, with a further 68 unregistered socio-cultural organisations and clubs.[2] There are multiple non-Muslim religious places of worship present in the country including a 200-year-oldShrinathji temple, five churches and sixGurudwaras.[2] The country's oldest and largest Indian social club is theIndian Club with over 4,000 members.[6] The club was first established in 1915 as theBahrain Sports Club to serve the country's native and non-native inhabitants.[7] TheBahrain Keraleeya Samajam was established in 1947. Many of the Indian associations are under theumbrella group of the Co-ordination Committee of Indian Associations (CCIA), which coordinates events for the Indian community such as theIndian Republic Day.[2] The CCIA also helped to provide relief for Indian workers in tragedies such as theBahrain boat disaster, which killed 17 Indians.[2]
There are multiple schools that were established in the country in the 20th century that offer theCBSE curriculum, the oldest of which isThe Indian School which was first established in 1950.[2][8] The list of CBSE curriculum schools in Bahrain are:-
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