A Place to Call Home tells the compelling story of Sookoo, a beggar from the Dalit caste in Bihar, India, who leaves his homeland to work as an indentured labourer on the sugar cane plantations of Trinidad. In 1884, while the Indian labourers were preparing to celebrate Hosay-a traditional religious observance-the British colonial authorities imposed strict regulations. These rules forbade them from carrying their tadjahs into San Fernando and immersing them in the waters at the wharf, a deeply significant ritual.
The restrictions sparked growing unrest among the labourers. Tensions escalated and ultimately culminated in the Hosay Riots at Mon Repos, San Fernando. The confrontation turned deadly when British troops opened fire on the crowd. Many labourers were killed, and even more were injured, marking a tragic chapter in Trinidad's colonial history.