repressed minority community, and did not hesitate to
champion their cause.
The Ricketts's Petition of 1829 was a landmark for the
community's growing awareness of their position in India.
The Petition expressed the community's dissatisfaction with
the treatment received by the community at the hands of the
English. The Petition was important because it
encapsulated the frustration and emerging political will of
the community.
The Ricketts's Petition dealt with the laws which did not
treat Anglo-Indians with equality; for example, there was
no law to regulate their marriages and make them lawful, or
to define legitimacy or illegitimacy of children, or a law
to protect the succession of Anglo-Indian property. The
Ricketts' Petition outlined the discrimination and
contrariety of laws for Anglo-Indians and stands as a major
document in the development of the Anglo-Indian community.
(17)
Although, John Ricketts did pioneering work to raise the
political consciousness of the community, his work was not
carried further by the community. The community lacked the
political foresight to create their own ethnic identity.
A similar parallel still exists in the community. It is
still unwilling to forge a solidarity and lacks a
charismatic leader who will raise the political
consciousness of the community. In 1829 the community was
seeking an identity with the British colonialists. By
1990, the community was still seeking an identity in India.
Since 1786, when Anglo-Indians were not allowed to be
educated in England, the stereotype of the poor
Anglo-Indian, who had no educational ambitions or property
rights and whose ancestry was shrouded in doubt, was being
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