Reimagining the Aapravasi Ghat: Khal Torabully's poetry and the indentured diaspora

Khal Torabully's poetry collection, 'Voices from the Aapravasi Ghat: Indentured Imaginaries,' challenges traditional narratives of Mauritius' indentured labor history by highlighting the diverse ethnicities—Indian, African, Malagasy, and Chinese—that contributed to its diaspora. Through his concept of Coolitude poetics, Torabully reimagines the Aapravasi Ghat as a foundational space for complex, open-ended identities that promote diversity while acknowledging contradictions. This study reveals how Torabully's work disrupts ethnic distinctiveness but inadvertently reproduces Indo-centric perspectives, particularly through the themes of 'kala pani' (dark waters) and the fakir figure.

Mohammed, S. (2021). Reimagining the Aapravasi Ghat: Khal Torabully’s poetry and the indentured diaspora. The Journal of Indian Ocean World Studies, 4(2), 118–143. https://doi.org/10.26443/jiows.v4i2.80