History and Present of Mumbai’s East Indians | Interview with Dr. Fleur D’Souza | By Subuhi Jiwani

In the 2010s, a rough survey of East Indians in Mumbai revealed that there were 2.5 lahks in the city, 80,000 in Vasai and 12,000 in Thane. Why, one might ask, would a Christian community living on India’s west coast call itself East Indian?
The reasons are not known, says Mumbai-based historian Dr. Fleur D’Souza. The Bombay East Indian Association (BEIA) was formed in 1887 and that’s when Dr. D’Souza adds, that the community gave itself the name East Indian. The Association sought to uplift Bombay’s indigenous Roman Catholics and distinguish them from those migrating to the city from places like Goa and Mangalore.
Dr. D’Souza also reminds us of a misconception related to the community’s adoption of its name. It is often assumed that East Indian was chosen to find favour with the British East India Company. However, by 1887 when the BEIA was formed, the Company was defunct; the British Crown and Parliament had taken over control of India in 1858. East Indians, who considered themselves Bombay’s ‘original inhabitants’, still hoped for preferential treatment from the British, Dr. D’Souza says.

[@waltermurzello5001]

Thank you Dr.Fleur.. True champion of the Mobai East Indian Communities. We take vicarious pride in your achievements..

[@karlousfernandes969]

East Indians are fun loving people. Enjoyed my time with people from Vakola and Kalina Village. They are gem of people and always welcoming.

[@nd2402]

Professor Fleur was my History professor.. so good to see you Mam ..

[@geoffreymachado6932]

To be better understood, in a highly cosmopolitan city like Mumbai, we 'EAST INDIANS' can be spoken of about as "THE 'MOBAI' MARATHI ROMAN CATHOLICS, THE 'GAOTHANKARS', THE ANCIENT NATIVES OF 'AAMCHI MUMBAI', THE GOOD OLD BOMBAY" the sons of the soil, the landlords of Mumbai and it's environs!!!

[@joanrodricks1705]

Very Very informative.❤ Thank you Dr. FLEUR for enlightening us about our community

[@farzanashaikh520]

Dr. Fleur D'Souza is so very beautiful connects hearts lots of love to her ❤

[@aarem6466]

My professor❤️ Wonderful to see Ma'am after decades

[@user-cn7vc1ws9t]

Many Thanks Ma'am D'Souza, Very informative. Impressive ❤🎉God bless u both.

[@santoshramchandran5535]

Your show took me back of my father days when he had a good relations with this lovely community when he was a bachelor in late 50s, and then up-to-date we are in touch with their family, morever we had good friends too and not forgetting our school teachers, sports masters were all from this lovely community. Good old days.

[@jamespereira1202]

My B Ed classmate at St Xavier's 1978-79 batch. I have still the photo of this batch. Congrats Dr. Fleur.

[@britneydharmai]

Thank you for educating us! 🎉

[@Doreen3010]

Very interesting interview! Being an East Indian, was happy to hear so much history about our culture ❤❤❤

[@climbeverest]

This is incredible

[@lukesaldanha9060]

Excellent ! Excellent! I did not know the history! I went to Marve for 10 years

[@christinapereira8894]

Very proud of the interview of Dr.Fleur with Subhui to talk about the east Indian community..

[@fleuromeara4924]

Very informative Dr. Fleur. My ancestors came from Portugal and settled in Goa marrying into the Indian community. Thanks to your talk, I now better understand my family background. I see that we share the same Christian name too !

[@discomallu9769]

😂 congratulations, please get pokergee citizenship and return to your homeland.

[@Shawn_Pereira]

Dr. Fleur D'Souza please make more videos on Vasai ( bassein) history as the locals are very unaware of their history and maratha invasion.

[@1armenia8]

In migration is causing problems in Goa similar to what happened to Bombay and the East Indians. Very informative interview. Thanks.

[@AnandaVasishta]

Thanks for the very informative interview. During my service in Bombay during the 1970s I had the privilege of working with an East Indian gentleman. He was so helpful and decent in all his actions, I still think of him.

[@christopherrodrigues8787]

A very informative interview. Thank you,

[@user-sk2wi2mz7z]

Amazing information.... Errol... Vasai

[@pravinmachado7835]

The white cloth to cover the head and flowing down till the back of the knees of ladies is the ...Veil....Vasai Vadvals call it the " Vàl".

[@martinhofernandes2601]

Listening to this interview was great,You both were fantastic .God bless you both.

[@bennodsouza2487]

Superb introduction & Brief on the East Indian Community spread over various parts of Mumbai & Thane...Nice to hear Dr.Fleur Dsouza share snippets of her background & family....thee Culture....identity...

[@alani3992]

Another cuisine influence is the introduction of Portuguese-bread (pao). leading to all these 'pav' dishes that the region is known for.

[@leonine01]

The "pao" was introduced by the Goan community, in their so-called hostels in the Dhobi-talao precinct.

[@ushabhende4040]

​@@leonine01, kood, not hostels.

[@zeenagoes7680]

Thks DR Fleur for yr information

[@RamMohammadJosephKaur]

Fleur Mam ❤. My ex professor at Xaviers 😊

[@davidulahanna1762]

Such a beautiful community.

[@sanalopes8441]

Thanks a lot Dr Fleur. Myself an East Indian from Vasai and have been always very intrigued by our history. More content would be appreciated. You may also feel free to reach out for any help researching in Vasai.

[@ivelcolaco3090]

Hello, Good Day ! fantastic work by Ms. Subuhi Jiwani, the flow of questions were really gripping and insightful and so were the inflow of informative answers. It was nice to know that Dr. Fluer's paternal side heritage comes from Bassein, which also happens to be my hometown. It was really sad to hear about the demise of Mr. Darryl D'monte...RIP...his grandfather was the former President of The Bombay East Indian Association and my grandfather - Mr. Michael Colaco was the secretary. It would be nice of Dr. Fluer and Ms. Subuhi to get to the Samvedi Brahmin Catholic roots....All the best !

[@shomarodrigues6828]

It was a good interview and so happy to learn about my city Thane, where her parents lived and she grew up. I had a lot if friends from those areas which she mentioned . Maybe a few of my school teachers were from this area.

[@donnareen3012]

What a wonderful interview. Dr. Fleur D'Souza is knowledgeable, eloquent and so well groomed. Fabulous!

[@freemanrodrigues]

one can still the women's wearing the rose pink navari saree ( lugda) in Vasai. There are only very few left.

[@user-cn7vc1ws9t]

Thank You Ma'am for sharing your Knowledge.🎉

[@zeenagoes7680]

Oh proud to be an east Indian I belong to the Santos family from Sahar can proudly mention that the East Indian book way back of the year 1857 has a write up of my uncle Mr Alex Santos who is the first graduate of the suburbs There is a pic if him in the book

[@50967A]

The stoll Dr D'Souza has round her neck is a typical print of a east indian saree (lugda), u still find east indians from vasai wearing it.

[@shanifernandes8909]

Very very interesting Interview, nice to listen love : Sibila Rodrigues Benaulim Goa

[@edwarddmello9351]

Excellent history Cristian an East Indian community God bless you both mam

[@DilipMore-tl7hm]

Informative. The real Maharashtrians.

[@sangeetaangelakumar]

My history teacher in college!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ my favourite as well!! Gosh I love her! What a wonderful video and she looks the same even after 25 years

[@devottabeno3569]

I treasure this program. How can I get to have the books authored by Dr Fluer.

[@darrylpereira473]

The East Indian community origins from Balutedaar socio systems of Maharastra. So we are purely Maharashtrian with Marathi language.We adopted the English language and culture from the Anglo community.

[@dwightdabreo7478]

From the British,not the Anglo community.

[@jiti5034]

but this interview talks about Portuguese influence not British!

[@discomallu9769]

​@@jiti5034 Mumbai was occupied by portugandu and was gifted to the British in dowry. The British didn't waste time converting them into Anglican or COE believers so they have retained the pokergee influence

[@jiti5034]

Please make a video on Marathi speaking Jews from Konkan region ( Pen / Alibag ) they are also known as "Bene Israeli " AND they are one of most assimilated community withe majority Hindu community , many migrated to Israel but still proud of the Maharashtra / Indian heritage

[@SALIMKHAN-rg5ph]

BEST 1

[@darrylpereira473]

How we were called East Indian? In 1886,the British crown received two applications from India,one was from calcutta and the other from Bombay.Both were two different communities but asking to be officially recognised as East Indian community.The Anglo indian community in calcutta and local indiginious community from Bombay. Queen Victoria,decreed in favour of the Bombay application and the local community of native of Bombay were officially gazetted to be called the East Indian community. . Thats how all Balutedar sharing cultural and linguistic uniformity, the sutar, the kunbi,the nhavi the bhandari the lohar...etc were formed and recognised as the East Indian community!

[@lillymia150]

Very nice and interesting. Thank you for this video

[@arvindvaz6816]

1) Do East Indians have Goan linkage and or Origin? 2) Were East Indians Konkanis as Manglorians? 3) How can Anglo Indians, East Indians with Goans be distinguished? 4) Why are East Indians not Anglicans but Catholics? 5) Why was it not called West Indians? 6) Are East Indians Bartolomeo/Nathanial Christians? 7) Did the Portuguese subpress the East Indians from speaking Konkani as was the case with Goa or its history is burried?

[@juliusdmello6199]

Could it be the community wanted the "east India company" Name to be preserved as they were emotionally attached and hence chose to call themselves "east indians" - the very year the east India Company was defunked.

[@zeenagoes7680]

The Santos fly still resides at Sahar village and belong to Our Lady Of Health Sahar

[@climbeverest]

This is a Bombay that is gone, not one remnant remains.

[@rajnikantpatel9462]

Please define east indian. In west Indies people of Indian origin are called east indian. Are the people who worked for East India co. called east indian? 😢

[@gama1639]

Builder mafia destroyed my Goa

[@mentalretard2359]

Why did you allow them to destroy?

[@12villages]

East Indians got swamped by migrant coastal christian communities from goa and karnataka. These are its final decades. Sad to say.

[@moinsyed4475]

To be very polite,, How many names did Bombay, 14:52 now Mumbai have?

[@doreenfernandes2431]

In lndia, it's a trend to change names of places 😊

[@jiti5034]

@@doreenfernandes2431 No it is original name is Mumbai Britishers bastardized it as Bombay , Similar Thane was changed to Thana , Pune changed to PUNA, Vandre Changed to BANDRA, Shiv changed to SION ,

[@krishnaswami346]

Would like to understand the surnames which have a Portuguese connect. Dsouza, dasilva, Rodriguez etc etc. were the indigenes, maharashtrians or GSBs of goa converted by Portuguese to Christianity and hence the surname? Most speak Marathi or konkani and hence the question.

[@MP-iw4bw]

How does Dr. Fleur distinguishes between Anglo Indians and her own community? Do they look down upon Anglos?

[@darrylpereira473]

The East Indians have never looked down upon Anglo infact looked up to,right from East India company to calling themself East Indians which apparently anglo community identified being east to the UK. East Indians adopted much of English culture and language from Anglo community.

[@ushabhende4040]

​@@darrylpereira473Anglo lndians have one European parent almost always a Brit. They could be catholics or protestants and spoke English at home. They did not consider themselves lndian and referred to England as home. They were white colored largely employed by the army or railways. East lndian are local Hindus converted to Roman Catholicism. Racially they were 100% lndians, spoke marathi, derived livelihood from the soil and water. Women wore saree known as lugda and in the past men wore half dhoti.

[@jiti5034]

@@ushabhende4040 so originally Hindu

[@kimlockrubber769]

The fact remains that there is no EAST on the west coast of भारत. It a feeble effort to conceal their original identity. It's NO SECRET that the हिंदू from आगरी,कोळी & भंडारी communities which were converted to the Christianity were labelled "" East Indians'"" to conceal their low social hierarchy. The Christian missionaries have condemned the caste system in the सनातन धर्म persued the same practice

[@lailasiddiqui263]

where can we read the thesis on line ? thank You

[@felixdsouza8981]

Excellent.I wonder where the book is available

[@FrancisFernandes-mv3xu]

Look at the channel Jio.. 😂😂😂whatever is left of the original inhabitant of Mumbai.. gujjus will that off as well..

[@user-cn7vc1ws9t]

🎉❤

[@freemanrodrigues]

Displaced & Dispossessed !!

[@viveknair891]

Not Maratha Invasion, Maratha Liberation (Swarjya) of coast. The choice of the word to describe the liberation movement indicates loyalties.

[@rahulgatlevar3591]

East Indians are converted by dropping bread into their well.most of them are Brahmins. In hv visited some houses in vasai .their old wooden houses still have hindu inscriptions carved on doors.some of them proudly tell we were hindu Brahmins.

[@Kalki3999]

What is the meaning of “East Indians”? Never heard of this in my 76 years before.

[@gregoryantony7491]

Pls visit kotachi wadi Girgaum charni road, goregaon east behind st Thomas church nr railway station, mahim west, bandra west, versova all or east Indians Catholics are staying and many have left the places

[@bonniedzouza1970]

Kaka Baptista has a bust erected in Uttan. He was originally from Uttan.

[@professorengineermuhammads5556]

I am from Larkana Sindh Pakistan, from the seat of Ancient civilization of the Indus valley! Mombai was actually Mom Bai, the name of a Sindhi woman of Malaahs from Kolachi clan and was married there from Karachi. for before the both place got shape of cities. The both MomBai and present Karachi were small Fishermen villages on the banks of ocean, those days called as Sindu Sagar (ocean). Her younger sister Gul Bai, popularly known as Mai Kolachi, is burried here along with her seven brothers on Maripur Road on the bank of Lyari river in Karachi, the port city of Pakistan. Larkana Sindh Pakistan July 19, 2024.

[@rekhakumar1441]

Kuch bhi.

[@jiti5034]

Vandre NOT BANDRA , Shiv not SION.... brown sahib syndrome!

[@user-pj3jh2pk1n]

How can u say they are the original inhabitants.

[@moinsyed4475]

Michael Perera, billard world champion should have mentioned

[@doreenfernandes2431]

He is Michael Ferreira 👍

[@dwightdabreo7478]

we lost are fields under the T P S scheme in Bandra Mumbai.

[@ShaileshKumar-io2zn]

The more you call us east Indians 😂

[@jiti5034]

So are East Indians mixed race or converts?

[@jiti5034]

Are East Indians Catholic or Protestants?

[@samk6051]

East Indian...I thought it was people of North East...😂😂

[@moinsyed4475]

Too many flaws

[@discomallu9769]

Long story short, a colonial power occupied some parts of India. Some of the occupied heathen convert to the true religion of the colonial power. The neo converts then find ways to separate themselves from the heathen. This difference in life style becomes their culture & we spend 30 mins listening to something that could have been wound up in 5. 😂