Celebrating a day that marks the beginning of our long suffering is indeed bizarre and unsound

Feb 24, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
In Guyana, we now have several statutory holidays celebrating ‘Indian’ cultural and religious occasions such as the Hindu’s Phagwah and Diwali and Muslim’s Eid-Ul-Aza and Eid-Ul-Fitr. Many Indians who came here became Christians and joined in the established traditional celebrations of Christmas and Easter. In general the entire Guyanese population ‘celebrates’ these religious festivals with or without the religious connotations.
Descendants of the Guyana’s Indian immigrants or Indentured servants who came to the then British Guiana now celebrate ‘Indian Arrival Day.’
This named ‘Indian Arrival Day’ presents a rather curious perspective of the historical events and thus raises questions as to the intents of such a celebration in our current situation.
The descendants of Africans slaves were forcefully brought against their will to Guiana (under some Colonial power – mainly Dutch and British) celebrate Emancipation Day in acknowledgement of their freedom from the bondages of slavery, dehumanisation, and unimaginable horrors and death.
This is a joyous occasion since it marked the birth of a dream for untold many in several generations for centuries and the beginning of their voyages of freedom. We celebrate this landmark event.
The Indian indentured servants and immigrants (as well as their descendants) who came here have always compared the initial conditions of ‘Indian indentureship’ with those of African slavery. At least the Indians got the tail end of the harshness of the sugar plantation life.
As they rightfully complained, things were very bad and they too likewise yearned for the heavy yoke to be lifted. We would analogously expect indentured servants (and their descendants) to celebrate a day which marked the end of ‘indentureship’ – the new and improved form of slavery.
From the oral histories passed down and the experiences of this writer the sufferings of the plantation workers were great and they never thought about celebrating “Indian Arrival Day.’
Now descendants of the ‘Indian indentured servants and Indian Immigrants celebrate “Indian Arrival Day” in Guyana – A Day to mark the beginning of our ancestral neo-slavery!
One must ask: What is going on in Guyana?
We are indeed unique. We are the only society that I am aware of which marks the beginning of its brutalisation as a joyful occasion. The celebrations are marked with Indian music and dancing on floats on the streets and the women participants adorned in saris. The men do not want to wear or simply shun the traditional kurtas and dhotis.
The music is from modern bollywood films. The Hindu religious hymns of thanks are given the silent treatment.
Nothing is wrong with such celebrations; people have the right to celebrate whatever they want – providing it is lawful.
In addition, when Indians migrants arrived they walked into a very delicate situation. The ex-slaves were demanding better wages and working conditions. The other indentured servants the Portuguese and Chinese left the plantations.
This enhanced the African bargaining position for better wages. The arrival of Indians in effect weakened the bargaining position of the Africans who remained on the plantations.
Initially, there was natural resentment by some, but eventually most of the African sector saw the plight and empathise with the new Indian arrivals. (The then Lords of the Plantations could have gotten labourers from somewhere. If the Indians labourers failed, then African labourers would have been brought in. They have already proven themselves on the cane-fields.)
Now for some to ‘jump up’ and celebrate ‘Indian Arrival Day’ is at least insensitive to and disregarding of ‘African’ sensitivities. An analogous situation would be that GuySuCo brought workers from Haiti or India (visibly different in appearance, language and culture) to harvest the sugar cane during a strike or shut down, and the children of these workers later celebrated their arrival here.
The initiation, support and celebration of ‘Indian Arrival Day’ indicate strong political overtones. This was likely done to keep the descendants of Indian immigrants together as a cultural cohesive group, and to remind them where their loyalty should lie.
Before elections, some Guyanese are reminded that they are of Indian descent and to unify and support the PPP. At other times, all Guyanese are asked to put aside their past and support the PPP Government.
During the last election campaign President Jagdeo publicly announced that the ‘other group’ would treat them worse. He was the only candidate for the Presidency to publicly do this. It is kind of ridiculous that he is now asking people not to allow others to divide us in the upcoming elections.
Therefore some Guyanese of ‘Indian’ descent have scored a first in celebrating their enslavement via ‘Indentureship.’ Celebrating a day that marked the beginning of our long suffering is indeed bizarre and unsound.
What is even more remarkable is that some people who have left Guyana and live in USA and Canada are celebrating “Indian Arrival Day” in Guyana.
Most are likewise trying to get their family members to join them because of the harshness of life in Guyana under an ‘Indian’ Dictatorship. It seems that these folks should be truly celebrating “Indian Departure Day” from Guyana.
Other fellow Guyanese must be wondering what madness has consumed us. It is strange that after at least a century (last batch of arrivals came in 1919) of living in Guyana, we still cling to our past and allow our ‘Indian’ identity to be used to as means to herd us into quiet subjugation.
If we are honest then we are truly celebrating our departure (‘Indian Departure Day’) from the harsher realities of life in then India. Our fore-parents came in meek humility seeking hope from despair. Let us respect the descendants of those who pitied and helped us in our time of need and those whose land we occupy.
Let any celebration of the end of ‘indentureship’ be inclusive of other human beings around us. Let us show that we are worthy of being washed up on these shores. We should now know who we are – human beings who are simply Guyanese.
Seelochan Beharry

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