Authorities in British Guiana, like their counterparts…

Authorities in British Guiana, like their counterparts in Dutch Guiana, concerned about the plantations' shrinking labor pool and the potential decline of the sugar sector, begin to contract for the services of poorly paid indentured workers from India.

The East Indians, as this group is known locally, sign on for a certain number of years, after which, in theory, they will return to India with their savings from working in the sugar fields.

The introduction of indentured East Indian workers alleviates the labor shortage and adds another group to Guyana's ethnic mix.