‘Anglo-Indian community has contributed to country’s growth beyond measure’

Author Barry O’ Brien was speaking at an event held in Lucknow on Tuesday to mark the launch of his new book -- The Anglo Indians, a portrait of a community.

LUCKNOW: The Anglo-Indian community has contributed beyond measure to the nation’s school education system; Army, sports and other key areas, said Barry O’ Brien, the president of the All India Anglo Indian Association. He was speaking at an event held in Lucknow on Tuesday to mark the launch of his new book -- The Anglo Indians, a portrait of a community.

In the book, the author recounts the fascinating stories of those who left and those who stayed. (HT Photo)

“The first Anglo-Indian could well have been born not long after May 20, 1498, when Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, set foot on the shores of Calicut -- a whole century before the British arrived in India. Today, after five centuries of ups and downs, twists of fate, and turns of destiny, the Anglo-Indian community is firmly established in its chosen homeland -- India,” said Brien.

The author also spoke about heritage, culture, way of life, literature, social mores, and dynamism of the Anglo-Indian community. “The love of Anglo-Indians for yellow rice and ball curry, five-tier wedding cakes, and single-minded faith, rock ‘n roll, and railway institutes is well known,” he added.

His latest book dwells on the “identity and integration” and the political transformation of the Anglo-Indian community through the lens of 20th and 21st century India. In the book, the author recounts the fascinating stories of those who left and those who stayed.