Guyanese East Indians or Guyanese Asians?

Nov 01, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
A recent letter posed the question “Where are the Indian-Guyanese intellectuals”? The question posed is “Why aren’t Indians speaking out about their physical existence? According to the letter, their silence may be due to (1) not being capable of ‘articulating a position on their behalf …’ or (2) their fear of being seen as ‘racists’. I found the observation that ‘Africans and Indians were brought to this country ………………and their voices are drowned by a national culture that does not legitimately embrace the Indian culture as part of the national fabric of dear Guyana…’ a bit strange. We have all heard of the divide-and-rule policy of rulers and leaders, to further their aims. That seemed to be the policy of our colonial masters.
As I see it – since childhod – when I spent school holidays with my father’s family on the Essequibo coast, Indians – I prefer the term ‘Asians’, to include both Hindus and Muslims – are as intelligent as any other people, but they seem to prefer to concentrate on ‘money matters’ and are, on the whole, good at figures, and are keen savers. On the whole, they stick to their dialect. As children, we always found it funny when my father tried to ‘revert’ to the language of his visiting birth family.
I recall spending time as a 10-year old with my much older male cousin and his family and ‘testing’ my arithmetic against his. He had a rice field, in which he toiled daily. Off duty, with fascination, I watched him counting numbers by touching his fingers in turn, presumably keeping the total in his head. At the end, we had the same result, my counting done by arithmetic learnt at school!
Fifteen years later, he had more rice fields, owned a petrol station, a lovely home, and was a well-known businessman, to whom members of the middle class of other races would turn in times of trouble, for a “tideover.” I found it amusing when they requested him not to mention it to anyone. Asians, in their often quiet manner, operate in a different way. My father did. An avid reader, he was one of the most knowledgeable people I ever knew, and kept his views of politicians and politics to himself. My tendency would be to “leave well alone”. We may have to rely on the younger generation to put perceived wrongs right.
Geralda Dennison

Latest News

Guyanese East Indians or Guyanese Asians?

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Jagdeo urges Associations to take a business approach to sports

The Battle for Barbados: One Guyana Racing Stable...

Tyrrell breaks 12-year-old school record to claim...

Raja Pooran inspires Everest Masters to victory...

BCB saddened at the passing of the late Lennox...

Berbice Cricket Board names 15-man squad to...

Features/Columnists

We need a DOGE

Why the U.S. Should Strengthen Trade Ties with the Caribbean

Financial institutions grabbing Guyana’s goodies

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Guyanese East Indians or Guyanese Asians?

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]