Berbicians who turned out yesterday at Highbury, East Bank Berbice to celebrate Arrival Day were assured by India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa that the relationship between the two countries remains strong as the governments are continuously working to strengthen the partnership.
Highbury is where the SS Whitby arrived with the first set of indentured labourers from India, and the High Commissioner said he was happy to be part of a programme to commemorate the 185th anniversary.
He said that paying homage to those who came first recognised their journey and perseverance. He stressed that their determination and hard work must always be remembered.
Pointing to the many projects that India and Guyana have partnered to complete in recent years, the High Commissioner said, “We are very happy to work closely with the Government of Guyana” to the benefit of the people of the country.
He stressed that Guyana is a strategic partner to his country and that they will continue to work to strengthen the relationship between the two.
Additionally, he announced that they are awaiting the arrival of drums and books from India which will be distributed to groups to ensure that the Indian culture is taught to future generations.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman David Armogan also pointed out the cooperation between India and Guyana, which he said has intensified over the last few years “to economic cooperation, culture cooperation, technological cooperation and all other forms of cooperation that we will begin to enjoy the kind of relationship that we are now building with India. You will see more and more cooperation between our two countries.”
Armogan told those gathered that their foreparents came from poor families in India but were hard workers. “They made lots of sacrifices, they laboured from morning to night… We work very hard, we build on what we have, and above all, we are resistant to people who try to exploit us,” he said.
“We were taught courage, today they must be proud of us.”
The programme at Highbury is organised every year by the Berbice Indian Cultural Committee. Committee President Chandra Sohan, in brief remarks, spoke of the harmony among Guyanese. He said the racial divide in Guyana only shows its head around elections, and stressed that outside of that the people in the country live in “harmony and in peace.”
He urged that people should try to live like their foreparents who nurtured the country’s culture and were determined that they were not going to live in bondage. “We have a very long history, we have a very proud heritage and we must continue to inculcate the values of our foreparents,” he said.
Sohan also took the opportunity to remind those gathered that while freedom of speech is important people must be respectful of what they are saying to others. “Be conscious of that and the country can continue to live in harmony,” he said
The programme included a number of cultural items which greatly entertained the gathering.
