Indian Arrival has no significance for PPP

May 03, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

This Sunday, May 5 is Indian Arrival Day, commemorating the day Indians first landed on the territory in 1838. It is a day inscribed in the psyche of Indians, a day they held cultural and religious activities annually going back over 180 years to celebrate life and their survival after a long difficult journey and oppression on the plantations. It became a holiday that was fought for by a handful of Indians but opposed by the PPP government until it caved in to unrelenting pressure from Indian activists and organisations.

Ironic, the PNC supported Indian Arrival Day as a holiday reversing a position it held prior to 1992. Desmond Hoyte declared a one-off holiday in 1988 for the 150th anniversary of Indian arrival.

Although it is the most important day for Indians and perhaps for the entire nation given the number of Indians who arrived from India, some 240,000, and the largest racial group in the country for some 125 years, and their contributions to the country and to the PPP, the PPP has disrespected Indians. The party has opted to hold its Congress coinciding with Indian Arrival Day. This is a day that Indians around the country would host celebrations or commemorative activities nationally in every community. Yet, the PPP chose to hold a political party Congress rather than organise or join in celebrations to mark the arrival of Indians, 186th anniversary. I doubt the PPP would hold a Congress on Good Friday or Emancipation Day or on a holiday of significance to any other religious or racial group.

Clearly, the day has had no importance for the PPP or else it would not have opposed the holiday during its 23 years tenure. It has no significance for the party except for a few Indians in its Central Committee, all of whom have lost their tongue to oppose the holding of a political party Congress on the most important day for the Indian Guyanese people. The irony is the PPP depends on Indians for political support; 96% Indians support the PPP. If Indians withdraw their support, the PPP would cease to exist. It is de facto an Indian party.

Yet, no Indian has stood up to the leadership querying why Indians are disrespected. The party does not care about Indians. The party only wants their votes. After elective office, to hell with supporters! If the day was important to Jagdeo and Irfaan Ali, they would not have planned their Congress to conflict with Indian celebrations. Anil Nandlall, Vindya Persaud, Ashni Singh, Seeraj Dharamkumar, Indar Deodat, Priya Manickchand, among many others, owe their presence in parliament and in government because of Indian support. Yet, they have not voiced any object to their party leader or the President on holding Congress on Indian Arrival. They are spineless and clearly lack Indian values. They would all be at the Congress canvassing for votes to get elected to the Central Committee rather than join in community celebrations in their neighbourhoods, regions, and nationally.

Indian Guyanese at home and abroad should take note of how Indians are treated as second class and silenced by the party and send a clear message when elections are held next year. Indians need to push back against abuses and the disrespect meted out to them by the PPP.

And why haven’t the Indian rights activists speaking out on the PPP’s disrespecting Indian Guyanese?

Yours sincerely,

Sharmila Ally

Desmond Hoyte, Indian Arrival, PPP, Sharmila Ally, significance

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