Revisiting Kala Pani and Reinventing Identities: Reading Peggy Mohan’s Jahajin (2007) and Ramabai Espinet’s The Swinging Bridge (2003)

Peer-Reviewed
The Criterion

The Criterion: An International Journal in English ISSN: 0976-8165

Open Access

Comparative Literature

Revisiting Kala Pani and Reinventing Identities: Reading Peggy Mohan’s Jahajin (2007) and Ramabai Espinet’s The Swinging Bridge (2003)

Dr. Neetu Devi
Volume / Issue
Vol. 17, Issue 1 · February 2026

Pages
467-488

Article ID
2026V17N1006

Abstract

The term Kala Pani has been at the focal debate of old Indian diaspora studies, specifically central to the multiple identity discourse from old age diaspora of late capitalism. Women from the old Indian indentured diaspora find tales of empowerments amid exploitative hierarchical structure of plantation system. The forbidden crossing of ocean opened a diaspora space for women. While such crossings discouraged religious men of Indian society, the single mothers, widowed or dependent women already living under restrictive patriarchal structure with outcastes’ status found it to be a powerful tool to achieve relative autonomy. The current paper aims at delving into the discourse of relative autonomy and empowerments of women in the old age diaspora from indentured society.

Keywords

PatriarchyCrossingsEmpowermentSpaceRelative autonomy.

Article History

Received
1 September 2026
Accepted
11 February 2026
Published Online
3 February 2026

How to Cite

Dr. Neetu Devi. “Revisiting Kala Pani and Reinventing Identities: Reading Peggy Mohan’s Jahajin (2007) and Ramabai Espinet’s The Swinging Bridge (2003).” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 467-488. ISSN: 0976-8165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n1.33

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