 Since 1947 the official name for the ethnic group in Suriname has been "Hindostanen" (“Hindostanis”).As the term "Hindoestanen" is mostly associated with followers of Hinduism, "Hindostanen" also includes the Muslim and Christian followers among the Indian immigrants in Suriname.They were also known as girmityas, a term referring to the Agreements that the labourers had to sign regarding the work and the period of stay, and meaning "Someone with an Agreement."