Cliff Richard is one, so is Ben Kingsley: Anglo-Indians were known for fun and fusion food, but their communities are slowly fading

A product of intermarriage between Indians and British colonists over the centuries, the Anglo-Indian community long stood out in India

Now most are almost indistinguishable from their Indian friends and neighbours, but some are trying to keep their culture and heritage alive

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Anglo-Indians at the Calcutta Rangers Club in Kolkata in the 1960s. The Christian Anglo-Indian community were known for their love of fun, hospitality, modernity and fusion cuisine. Photo: Anglos In The Wind

Published: 8:15am, 18 Jan 2021Updated: 8:26am, 18 Jan 2021

When I was growing up in the 1970s in Chennai, in southern India, the Anglo-Indian girls in my class at the convent had English names such as Dorothy, Bridget and Geraldine. They looked Indian, but spoke English with a distinctive accent, and they prayed at the school chapel.

When I visited their homes, I was always impressed by how spick and span they were. They were filled with lace curtains, gleaming English crockery, runners and carpets. The families almost always owned a piano, loved to dance, and were hospitable and warm.

With their mix of Western and Indian names, cultures and complexions, these young people were the product of the centuries-long British domination of the country.

The offspring of British colonists and Indians became their own distinct community known as Anglo-Indians: they lived in India, but they were Christians, had a Western lifestyle and spoke English as their mother tongue.

Anglo-Indians at a dance in the 1960s. Photo: Anglos In The Wind

These days, though, the Anglo-Indian community is fading quietly into the twilight. There are still an estimated 325,000 of them still living in India, but most are now almost indistinguishable from their Indian friends and neighbours. Many live in mixed neighbourhoods, the women wear saris or shalwar kameez, and the children can speak Hindi.

These descendants of the British Raj have little relevance in the modern South Asian state. In 2019, two nominated parliamentary seats reserved for Anglo-Indians were abolished.