Dundee Village- a comfy little alcove where the races unite

Apr 07, 2019 News

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By Alex Wayne

It was always an exciting feeling when it was time to embark on my village focus treks, and this time around it was no exception. I was really anticipating my visit to Dundee Village, East Coast Demerara, so naturally, I was my usual fussy and fretful self.
The bus driver and conductor seemed to take ages before finally filling the minibus with passengers and moving from the East Coast Bus Park.
I was just about getting ready to throw back and enjoy the ride to the countryside when this big, buxom, and unnecessarily loud woman bellowed from the back seat, “Drivah! Must stap a few minutes ah de Popeyes place, leh me get some fries and some chicken. Ah really hungry..”

That did it for most of the other passengers in the bus who all exploded in unison. One woman was very outspoken, evoking peals of hysterical laughter from the others.
“Wait. You sit down yuh big, fat self in dis bus and yuh didn’t know you want chicken all de time? You could ah buy yuh chicken at dem other place right pun de park.
“But is where you going with chicken though? Look at yuh size. You ain’t need chicken. You need ah good licking.”
The woman tried to engage them all in a verbal showdown, but she was no match for her opponents, so she eventually boiled down, mouthing, “Drivah look: guh lang yuh way yeah. Dem dis just like to talk. dem should mind dem own business.”

I was amused at the spectacle that unfolded in the minibus, but inside I desperately hoped there were no more interruptions of this sort, and luckily there was none.
Dundee is a village at the mouth of the Mahaicony River, about 27 miles east of

Stabroek Market in Georgetown. It is nestled cozily between the villages of Airy Hall and Novar, which are slightly larger.
Dundee, like most East Coast Demerara villages, was just a settlement of scattered houses, sprawling pastures and quite a few natural waterways.
The backlands were of course dense bush and foliage, with rich, fertile soil most suitable for planting crops.
Today it has become quite a modern location with shops and groceries, airline offices, and other businesses. People describe it as a very thriving community, where one can access just about anything.
Villagers are proud to declare that they have two drainage and irrigation sluices that prevent flooding (on the outskirts of the village), and good sea defence.

There are excellent roads in the villages and gone are the days of the mud dams which became just terribly during the rainy season.
Smiling housewives are elated that they now enjoy excellent telephone

service, and they are now the recipients of potable water, which was not available in years gone by. Street lights add to the security.
The Journey
I soon blocked out all the noisy passengers and took myself to a place where I could enjoy the scenery of lush, green pastures gliding by on both sides. As the bus sped along the East Coast Demerara Public Road, the sight of horses nuzzling each other lovingly, took me back to my days as a young boy living in the countryside, and loving nature.
The midday sun beat down quite mercilessly, and I felt sorry for the bare back young men exposed to its intensity, on both shoulders of the road in some villages. They were drying paddy in the sun, something that has become a custom in many countryside villages.

I giggled at the sheep and goats, desperately trying to get a mouthful of paddy, each time having to endure some good whip lashes on the feet of the men whose job it was to prevent them getting close to the paddy drying process.
Some used dogs to shoo away the animals. It was quite a comical sight to watch the animals dart across drains and ditches, eyes wide with fright, with snarling dogs in hot pursuit.
In some areas young women with skirts hoisted high, sheltered under umbrellas, as they engaged in girlish banter, but focusing on the lines they had thrown into the trenches to catch ‘bush fish’.
In times gone by, Dundee was a village popular for its many weekend weddings, most times attended by folks from villages wide and far. These functions were a relish to many, since they are always assured of alcohol and food in abundance, and in some cases, days of frenzied gyrations to pulsating music.

Dundee is predominantly occupied by East Indians, whose camaraderie with other villages to this day is still very appealing.
A little history on the village
The Dundee today was nothing like it was many years ago. I was actually shocked at the deteriorating state of the once popular Dundee Rice Mill which now according to villagers has been shut down entirely.
I was appalled at its apparent ‘run down state’, and even more stirred up that almost the entire complex was in a state of decay.
In times gone by, this mill would have catered to the needs of almost all the millers and rice farmers from the East Coast of Demerara.
Taking me through the history of the village was elderly businessman Roop Mahadeo. He said that
”Raaju”, the eldest of four brothers, had arrived from India as indentured servants donkey’s years ago, and settled there. He said the labour contracts under which their forefathers worked varied, but as a rule, they were ‘bound’ to work on a designated estate for five years in return for a wage, housing, clothing, food, and medical care.
After five years, they could choose between owning ten acres of land or ten pounds sterling, or they could, after a further five or ten years of ‘industrial residence’, get a free passage back to India.
Checking his story on Google, one would realise that Mr. Mahadeo actually knew what he was talking about.
He informed that completing his indentureship in Guyana, ‘Raaju’ opted for the ownership of land in compensation for the five years he worked at Vryheid’s Lust sugar estate. Raaju took up farming, and later on saved up enough money to purchase more land at Mahaicony.
He also owned cattle and horses.
Raaju reputedly settled at Lot 2, Dundee, Mahaicony. He and his wife (name unknown) had five children.
Mahadeo is not sure whether Raaju was married before he arrived in Guyana.
Raaju was born around 1864, and died around 1929. His father, whose name is currently not known, was born around 1845, and died around 1910, assuming he lived an average age of 65 years in those days.
Uniting the races
As I walked through the village I was surprised at the level of unity and camaraderie amongst the races. I passed houses with females lounging dreamily in hammocks, some eating pumpkin and roti with either cups of bush tea, or lime water drink (swank)
Each yard that I looked into I was greeted with a smile or a wave of the hand. And along the roadway, persons of African and East Indian descent were chatting cheerily on topical issues, or everyday life happenings.
This pleased me well. I just felt really at home and much comfortable.
The joyful giggles and heckling of both East Indian and African women in the shops and byways was music to the soul. They chattered on about life’s trials, trending times, and even their husband’s sexual prowess in the bedroom in some cases.
This harmony of the races spilled into the streets as children of all races were observed walking down the street in gleeful conversation, perhaps planning for the next day or even the week to come.
And the fusion of the races was at its peak at ‘Tuss’s Liquor Bar and Cutter’s Joint” where every race congregated daily to ‘tek a little tups’ as the countryside people would call it.
Here they pranced and danced as one, communed as one, and tried to adopt the culture and dance moves of the other.
Over the years, things have changed, and Dundee Village has shed its ‘old world feathers’. It has transformed like a beautiful swan into a quite sophisticated settlement, showcasing posh buildings and businesses, well paved streets, and an infrastructure that is dictating that this once little ‘yester-year village’ is now a well established location with vibrant signs of ongoing economic development.
Dundee was a very under-developed settlement in the early 1980s. It was not until after 1992 that things began to change for good in the village. Before that time, the village was lacking established businesses. Access roads and small streets were unpaved. There was no street light, or much scope for entertainment or employment in the village in the olden days as well.
Today, businesses like Ice-Cream outlet, Amelia’s Grocery and Lumber Yard, Vishal Pawn Shop, Curie’s General Store and Internet Café, BM Soat Auto Sales, and of course the Sisson’s Paint supplier, add a certain sophisticated aura to the rapidly developing village.
The farmers speak
While many are pleased with the economic growth of the village, the farmers however had a burning issue.
Rice farming is the main livelihood of villagers. Farmers depend greatly on the surpluses they get from it. However they are complaining bitterly about the deplorable state of the Burma Access Road and also the main dam aback the village that is used to access their rice lands.
Farmers noted that for years they have been complaining about the conditions of these locations, noting that it’s impossible to get to their rice fields or farms during the rainy season.
They say that nothing is being done in the directions of repairs. They said also that certain areas of the access routes cannot be accessed by vehicles because of the state of things. As a result they are unable to transport their water pumps to properly irrigate their lands, and this has been creating mammoth setbacks over the years.
They also complained deeply about the present dry spells. Some claim that they are unable to get water pumps in because of the state of both access routes. As a result several farmers have parked their machines and are counting their losses over the rum bottles at Tuss’s Liquor Bar.
And almost everyone seems to be employed in this village, either functioning as carpenters, rice and cash crop farmers, fishermen or shop owners. Poultry rearing is not much the centre of attraction these days. The fishing boats that still ply the nearby Abary River still remain.
Villagers always seem to wear a smile, and nothing really seems to bother them.
Hop on a bus and hit the road, especially if you have stress overload. Bask in the simple beauty of this location, especially if you desire solace, comfort and relaxation. Dundee Village is definitely a ‘must visit area’ on our Village Focus calendar
From its well paved streets, to its appealing scenery, from its rapidly transcending modern sophistication, to its economic possibilities, Dundee Village is really headed for ultimate economic evolution.

 

 

 

 

 

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