Das was a Guyanese poet born in Eccles, Guyana in 1954 (“Mahadai Das”). After earning a degree at the University of Guyana, Das earned her Masters at Columbia University (“Mahadai Das”). Later, she would begin work on her doctorate at the University of Chicago (“Mahadai Das”). Unfortunately, Das would die before completing the program in April 2003 from health issues (“Mahadai Das”).

She was part of a Messenger Group that prompted “coolie” art during a time when it was not acknowledged in the national culture. She was also part of the Working People's Alliance that worked toward resolving political and social problems in Guyana.

Some of the major themes presented in her writing include establishing ethnic identity and bringing light to unfair conditions in the Caribbean.

The term “coolie” was “first used by the British to designate the inhabitants of Kula, India, but later used to refer to any hired 'unskilled' worker” (496). This term today is known for being offensive, due to the negative implications beyond its dictionary definition, and was used in the past as “a slur against low-wage, immigrant laborers in the United States” (Gandhi).

While immigrant laborers often endured harsh treatment and conditions, similar to that of slaves, they were known for being indentured, meaning they were under an agreed upon contract. However, these contracts were often misleading by saying the indentured laborers would receive wages and land, when this rarely happened. The motivation behind signing such contracts was escaping poverty, which was a common experience when the British had colonial rule in India. Along with this, many laborers were lied to about where they would be taken, with the travel time being presented as much shorter than the reality. This deception made a difference in the terms of their contract, as the agreements usually included that they had to work to cover the cost of their transport and keep on the ship.

The poem “They Came in Ships” presents the story of women who were taken away from their homeland, India, and transported to Trinidad, Tobago and Guyana in 1845, where they lost both their identity and their hope for a better life. The poem references the image of “hearts brimful with hope,” connecting to the reasoning why many Indian women chose to be taken to a new, strange land during this time (496).

The first part of the poem, stanzas one through five, focuses on describing the immigrant women referred to as “coolies.” They are presented as “human victims of Her Majesty's victory” and are also compared to cattle with limpid, clear, eyes (495). Additionally, their various reasons for being transported from India are relayed, including “fleeing famine and death,” being stolen, “afraid and despondent,” and having “hearts brimful with hope” (495). However, they all end up in the same position, “dying at the street corners, alone, hungry/ For a crumb of British bread” (495).

The second part of the poem, stanzas six to nine, focuses on remembering the blood spilt and the tears shed by the coolie women. The use of “I” in this section seems to be Das talking directly, as she is from Guyana. She can hear various voices crying on the horizon. These voices provide allusions to famous people involved in fighting for the rights of slaves and indentured immigrants in Guyana. Two of the recognizable figures are:

• Cuffy: “Remember 1763!” (496) → Cuffy seems to be referring to an Akan slave in present-day Guyana who led more than 2,500 slaves in a rebellion in 1763.
• Des Voeux: “I wrote the Queen a letter/ For the whimpering of the coolies in logies/ would not let me rest.” (496) → Des Voeux seems to be referring to one of the primary figures who opposed the Indian indenture system after he saw many servants mistreated in Guyana.

After these references, the poem ends with the solitary line, “the cry of the coolies echoed around the land,” indicating their suffering still lingers and must be acknowledged (496).

Similar to “They Came in Ships,” “The Brazilwood Poetry Manifesto” (149-151) by Oswald de Andrade Biography enforces a theme of remembering past identities.

• “They Came in Ships” brings the history of the “the coolies” to life by transporting their cries into the present, emphasizing the point that their past must be remembered and made a part of current identities.
• “The Brazilwood Poetry Manifesto” presents the importance of true Brazilian culture and identity being remembered beyond the Portuguese influences from colonization.

“Cuffy.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuffy.

Gandhi, L. (2013). A History Of Indentured Labor Gives “Coolie” Its Sting. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/11/25/247166284/a-history-of-indentured-labor-gives-coolie-its-sting.

Striking Women. “Indentured Labour from South Asia (1834-1917) | Striking Women.” Striking-Women.org, 2019, www.striking-women.org/module/map-major-south-asian-migration-flows/indentured-labour-south-asia-1834-1917.

“William Des Vœux.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Des_V%C5%93ux.

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