{"id":1713,"date":"2026-04-27T14:16:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/global-development\/?p=1713"},"modified":"2026-05-06T14:17:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T13:17:55","slug":"bbc-radio-4-features-university-of-reading-research-on-indian-indentured-labour-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/global-development\/bbc-radio-4-features-university-of-reading-research-on-indian-indentured-labour-2\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC Radio 4 Features University of Reading Research on Indian Indentured Labour"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Dr Neha Hui, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Reading, appeared as a panelist on In Our Time on 23 April 2026, contributing to a discussion on the history and legacy of Indian indentured\u00a0labour\u00a0across the British Empire.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hosted by Misha Glenny on BBC Radio 4, the 42-minute programme explored the system of indentured labour that emerged following the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833. Over the following decades, more than a million Indians travelled under contracts of indenture to colonies including Guyana, Trinidad, Mauritius and Fiji, where they worked primarily on sugar plantations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The discussion examined the economic,\u00a0political\u00a0and social dimensions of indenture, including the experiences of exploitation and coercion faced by many\u00a0labourers, resistance to the system led by figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, and the formation of new Indian diasporic identities across the empire.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Hui joined fellow guests Purba Hossain, Lecturer in Modern History at the University of York, and Clem Seecharan, Emeritus Professor of History at London Metropolitan University.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Hui\u2019s research spans development economics, gender and\u00a0labour\u00a0economics, economic history, economic\u00a0thought\u00a0and classical political economy. Her work particularly focuses on\u00a0labour\u00a0market rigidity, caste and gender norms, intra-household divisions of\u00a0labour, and the historical political economy of Indian indentured\u00a0labour. Her recent scholarship includes research on caste and repatriation decisions among indentured workers, as well as the political economy of Indian indentured\u00a0labour\u00a0in the nineteenth century.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The episode forms part of the\u00a0long-running\u00a0<\/span>In Our Time<\/span><\/i>\u00a0series, which brings together leading scholars to discuss major themes in history, philosophy, science,\u00a0religion\u00a0and culture.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can listen to the recording here: https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/play\/m002vc9m<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Dr Neha Hui, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Reading, appeared as a panelist on In Our Time on 23 April 2026, contributing to a discussion on the…Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1193,"featured_media":1706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"coauthors":[46],"class_list":["post-1713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nBBC Radio 4 Features University of Reading Research on Indian Indentured Labour - 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