The state media hurts national unity

May 07, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Before the Parliamentary decision was made to declare May 5th as Arrival Day, the East Indians of Guyana celebrated their arrival on the same day.
As such, a number of private East Indian groups were established, such as the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Indian Commemoration Trust, the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), among others, to host events, such as, cultural shows, religious functions, etc, to commemorate this historic event.

The entire month of May is filled with activities celebrating Indian Arrival as a result of these groups’ activities.
Today, however, we must take heed that May 5th is now deemed official ‘Arrival Day’ for all indentured labourers, and the State Media, along with the Private Media houses should observe this day for what it represents, and that is, a day for all indentured labourers.

Over the last few days, the State Media, inclusive of television, radio and newspapers, seem to focus all its coverage to the arrival of our East Indian brothers and sisters, ignoring the arrival of the other ethnic groups that came to Guyana’s shores to work as indentured labourers.
I recall I came across a four-page “pull out” in the Guyana Chronicle featuring the arrival of East Indians to Guyana. This is a State newspaper, and so it would be incumbent upon such an entity to provide coverage to all indentured labourers.

Guyana’s soil is nurtured with the hard work and labour from its Guyanese brothers and sisters, and it is important that we acknowledge this.
Since we are a young nation striving for national unity, it is only right that the State media rectify their approach to Arrival Day and include all indentured labourers: Portuguese, East Indians, Indentured Africans, and Chinese. The State media’s approach in just covering East Indian arrival hurts any movement towards national unity.
Rebecca Moonsammy