Berbicians to make annual trek to Highbury for Indian Arrival

Apr 29, 2009 News

A spokesman for the Berbice Branch of the Indian Cultural Committee (ICC) has said it is making arrangements to accommodate a bigger crowd of visitors to its annual Indian Arrival Day programme at Highbury on May 5 next.
An organiser, Mr Ramesh Maraj, of New Amsterdam said, “It has been 12 years now since we started the annual programme at Highbury and the attendance has been growing steadily every year. Last year we had over 3,000 participants. We are catering for more this year.”
He added that preparations for the programme, which promises to be colourful, educational and entertaining, were proceeding satisfactorily and will be completed in time for the Highbury Village big event to mark the 171st anniversary of Indian Immigration to Guyana.
Maraj said that Highbury Village or Plantation Highbury, as it was then called, is located twelve miles up the Berbice River from New Amsterdam.
It was the first stop for the early Indian Immigrants who came to the then British Guiana on the ship, Whitby, in 1838.
One hundred and twenty eight indentured labourers were assigned to this Plantation and the Whitby dropped them off there before taking others to other Plantations.
“Highbury is loaded with historical significance; freighted with a lot of sentiment,” Maraj said.
He added that this was the reason why the Committee in Berbice had been holding observances there ever since the access road to the area became passable.
He disclosed that the Committee has upgraded facilities for visitors to the commemoration and celebrations.
The programme on May 5 will start with formal speeches and a history of Plantation Highbury.
Relics from the old Plantation which are on site have been spruced up and will be part of an exhibition which will take place against a backdrop of a colorful cultural show and other popular forms of entertainment, Maraj said.
The Committee will also as usual be sharing sweetmeats and other delicacies to those who participate in the celebrations as well as to senior citizens within the immediate vicinity.
It has benefited immensely from sponsorship from businesses such as Banks DIH, Demerara Distillers Limited and some companies in New Amsterdam and its environs, Maraj said.
He added that the annual observances had become very popular in recent years.
Apart from Maraj, the preparatory team includes Mr Mustapha Ali (President), Mr Chandra Sohan (Vice President) and Mr Vishnu(Treasurer).
The Berbice Branch of the ICC is doing all it can to ensure that visitors thoroughly enjoy being a part of this East Berbice end of the celebrations to mark the 171st anniversary of Indian Immigration to Guyana.

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Berbicians to make annual trek to Highbury for Indian Arrival

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