Blood under the Sundown Light
The Siddi are descendants of East Africans residing in the state of Gujarat, India. Siddi people blend African traditions with diverse Indian socio-cultural practices, forming a unique creolized context. Despite the challenges of globalization and discrimination, the community demonstrates how cultural intersectionality fosters new identities and narratives, and preserves heritage.
Little has been said about African descendants in India. The reason may be that the African continent is usually accounted for since colonial times. Nevertheless, it is essential to move away from thinking that African communities were isolated and static prior to their contact with white men. It is crucial to acknowledge counterstories of black communities outside of a colonial context and recognize their socio-political and economic influence in the formation of diverse contexts globally, one of them being India.
Blood under the Sundown Light weaves together the stories of three families, the Murima family from Bedi and Ahmedabad, the Al Mumbrik family from Bhavnagar and Sikandars’ family in Ahmedabad. These three testimonies form the narrative core of the project, anchored in their individual experiences yet representing the broader reality of the Siddi community in Gujarat.
The community is shaped by converging Indian and east-African cultural aspects, fostering a unique identity connected to Gujarat and the Abyssinian Valley in Africa. Nevertheless, the current Indian institutional segregationist policies have pushed them into the margins of society, limiting their access to education, work, living space and personal development. Despite this, most Siddi members remain committed to preserving their traditions, knowledge and cosmovision alive by navigating their complex, transoceanic identity. The Siddis represent a unique intersection of two continents and cultures, offering a rich narrative of heritage and resilience.
The book
