Indias Dwindling Chinatown Asia DW.de 17.10.2013

INDIA

India's dwindling Chinatown

Kolkata once boasted a significant Chinese population, numbering in the tens of

thousands with its own schools, social clubs and festivals. But the city's Chinese

community has dwindled in population over the years.

Gina Huan, a third generation Chinese resident of Kolkata, gets up with unfailing regularity at the

crack of dawn and gets busy ordering the cooks and helpers to prepare for the elaborate fare she dishes

out in her eatery.

Not completely connected

Her restaurant is located in the congested Tiretti Bazaar at the city's fringe which is widely known as

the original Chinatown. It is one of the few remaining places in India where one can buy authentic

Chinese snacks like steamed pork buns, dim sum, and light, subtly sweet, sesame-sprinkled deep-fried

batter balls.

"I have my faithful clientele but business is nowhere like what it was ten years ago. Many of the young

Chinese boys and girls have left for greener pastures," Huan told DW. Her father started the restaurant

in the early 60s.

Dominic Lee, who runs a grocery shop selling

exotic sauces and Chinese provisions, laments

that opportunities have shrunk for the

once-vibrant ethnic Chinese community that

numbered over ten thousand. Even some of the

iconic temples and churches that were built

almost half a century ago are neglected or in a

state of disrepair.

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Kolkata's Chinese community owns a number of beauty

salons, restaurants and grocery shops

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"We are financially independent and do not get

much help from the government for

employment prospects. This obviously leaves

out a vast swathe of the younger generation who travel abroad for work and a good education," Lee

told DW. After finding footing abroad, many members of the younger generation do not return.

According to government sources, many of the Chinese, who now number around an estimated 2,000

across the city, came as immigrants to India in the late 18th century driven by famine in central China.

A majority belongs to the Hakka community and found work in the port, set up leather tanneries and

opened restaurants.

"Those were the glorious days and my grandfather and his family

took to Kolkata easily. But despite being Indian citizens, we really

did not get much support from the government to set up our

enterprises," Paul Chung, 72, president of the Indian Chinese

Association, told DW.

A new hope for the community?

In his reckoning, when hostilities broke out between India and

China in 1962, which also led to a brief war, the Chinese

community felt they were unwanted and also viewed with

suspicion. Some were also stripped off their citizenship and even

barred from owning property.

"We had no option but to reconcile to this position as we were not

in any condition to go back to China," says Chung.

But despite the overall mood of aloofness, despondency could

soon lead to hope and cheer for this community. Earlier this year,

following representations by some eminent citizens and the

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, a proposal

was sent to restore and renovate Chinatown and promote tourism

there. The local government has also agreed to partner in the

project.

Many of the Chinese came as immigrants to India in the late 18th century

Called the "Cha Project" or tea project, the endeavor is expected to help preserve Old Chinatown


2 of 3 17/10/2013 2:37 PM

Date 17.10.2013

Author Murali Krishnan, Kolkata

Editor Sarah Berning

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(Tiretti Bazaar) and will also focus on developing the New Chinatown (Tangra).

"Unlike other Chinatowns in western countries, the one in Kolkata is unique and steeped in history.

We cannot afford to ignore this important locality. It certainly needs a facelift," Anirban Roy, a local

conservator told DW.

And many members of the Chinese community are keenly waiting for that much-needed refurbishing

of their district they have made home.

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