Dear Editor,
In Berbice, the annual journey to Highbury on the East Bank of the Berbice River had been done on the holiday (May 5) itself. This year the organizers sought to do things differently to suit their own purposes. This time around, the Highbury celebrations were brought forward to Sunday, May 4 – a day before to make way for the big event that would have been held the following day at the Albion Sports Complex on the Corentyne. So I ask the question: when really did East Indians arrive at Plantation Highbury? Was it May 4 or May 5? If the latter, then why are the organizers trying to rewrite and change and alter the history?
Are they aware of what they are doing? How can they put the Albion frolic and fete before this most important visit to where hundreds of our forefathers arrived on May 5, 1838? If they had wanted it so, then they could have planned the Albion event on May 4 and allowed people to really and truly travel on the day itself to Highbury and not a day earlier. History should not be changed – ever! What has happened on a specific day should remain at that!
In doing so, then we all might as well go and celebrate Christmas on December 24, Phagwah a day earlier, Diwali a day earlier, Eid a day earlier, and so on.
Furthermore, we have people saying ‘High-Berry’ and ‘Hiberry’ and all sorts of nonsensical pronunciations of the place.
Another thing: is it Carifesta ‘X’ (as in the letter in the alphabet)? If so, could someone tell us when saying ‘Carifesta 10 (Ten)’ was replaced by ‘Carifesta X’ (and saying the letter of the alphabet)? We have news lunatics on you-know-where in Berbice saying ‘X’ instead of the numeral ‘ten.’
Yours faithfully,
Leon J Suseran
