| Title: | R1178_03 Track 3_Avtar Singh Jouhl |
|---|---|
| Description: |
This is an oral history interview with Avtar Singh Jouhl, recorded between October 1991 - February 1992, as part of the Birmingham Black Oral History Project (BBOHP), discussing his life in India and the UK. Avtar lived in Punjab, India until 1958 when he left college and travelled to England hoping to continue his studies. He worked in foundries in Birmingham and joined the Indian Workers Association after experiencing inequalities in the workplace. He talks about his upbringing in rural Punjab, India, his involvement with Trade Unions and politics and his work and family life in Birmingham. These recordings include racially explicit content, including discussions of racism, prejudice and violence; and language and phrasing that we would not use today. Some of this content might be unsuitable for younger listeners or triggering for People of Colour. We recommend reading the description for each track before choosing to listen. R1178 Track 1 Introduction Avtar Singh Jouhl introduces himself and his family background Track 2 Childhood / Family Roots Avtar talks about where he grew up, where he lived and how his family made a living working the land Track 3 Village Description Avtar describes the family small holding and talks about the crops grown and how surplus crops were sold Track 4 Village Description (Continued) Avtar talks about how crops were sent to market, cooking with oil and growing poppies for opium under licence Track 5 Village Description (Continued) Avtar describes the village he grew up, shops, goods sold and luxury goods becoming available Track 6 Village Description (Continued) Avtar talks about how his family were the first villagers to start tea drinking Track 7 Village Description (Continued) Avtar describes the village mill owners and how a barter system was in place Track 8 Village Description (Continued) Avtar talks about the ‘untouchables’, the water man and the caste system Track 9 ‘Untouchables’ at School / 1947 Partition / A Cousin’s Political Involvement Avtar talks about attitudes to the ‘Untouchables’ caste, about the political changes that occurred in 1947, his cousin’s politicial involvement and his father getting beaten by the police Track 10 Political Education Avtar recalls the impact his father’s beating by the police made on his political education |
| Keywords: |
Birmingham Museums Trust/Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, India, Birmingham history, Social history/ BBOHP, Social history/ Birmingham Black Oral History Project, Black History, South Asia |
| Usage Rights: | CC BY-NC 3.0 - Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 You are free to share & adapt this material. Credit: © Birmingham Museums Trust |
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