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This study examines the dualistic nature of colonialism and its effects on colonialised society. It shows how Indian Christians´ concept of community and self were manipulated via colonial power structures. They reacted and interacted with the all- powerful British colonialist, but such responses were often not solely a direct reaction to colonialism but a result of a fusion of ideas. Indigenous traditions and the acquisition of modern ideas played an important role. Interaction between these opposing elements often brought about a concoction of concepts often unfamiliar to both traditional and modern circles. Assimilation into colonial structures was more akin to a relationship of borrowing and difference. Life under colonialism was epitomised by the dual faces of repression and coercion. Colonialism used these elements in tandem, consciously excluding some groups while ´accepting´ others.

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Dr Marc Rerceretnam is an affiliate of the University of Technology, Sydney´s Cosmopolitan Civil Societies Research Centre´ and has a special interest in social and political trends and movements in colonial and present day Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. All correspondence should be addressed to marc@hwy.com.au.

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