Pizza, Roti and Papad

Pizza, Roti and Papad

Some of the code words used by illegal bookmakers in India to take bets on the country’s elections. (Roti and papad are types of flatbread.)

On May 16, results from India’s five-stage general election revealed a decisive victory for the Indian National Congress party. According to the BBC, analysts had expected a much closer race between the Congress Party and the B.J.P. (Bharatiya Janata Party).

Reporting recently from Mumbai, The Press Trust of India stated:

In the lull between polling and counting, punters rushed to place bets worth Rs 20,000 crore [$4 billion] on what was better — pizza or roti.

There was also papad on offer, but it had few takers. Pizza, roti and papad were among the code words bookies used while taking bets so as to avoid the police net.

Pizza, code word for Congress, was the hot favourite among punters, while roti (B.J.P.) saw lesser volumes, a bookie said here. B.J.P.’s P.M. hopeful L. K. Advani was code-named papad.

Have We Really Arrived?

From: maneesh dhanoo
Date: Tue Jun 2, 2009 6:36 pm
Subject: Have We Really Arrived?

I often wonder if time travel was entirely possible what our ancestors who made a perilous journey across the Atlantic ocean henceforth we are here. would think of us now.


To begin with I firmly believe we are the architects of our destiny and we shape it daily. When one would traverse the length and breadth of this land we would realize how disgusting and lewd our so-called Indians behave. On several occasions I had to ask people attending a Hindu wedding at a temple not to consume alcohol on the temple premises to which the response would be one of vile and contempt sneers and responses, "Arrived Indians".


When you drive through the streets and villages you would see all the rum shops wide open and well patronized by whom?,"Arrived Indians".


When any right thinking individual listens to the average conversation amongst East Indian young men their biggest achievement is how many bottles of liquor they have consumed.


Ask them to attend a Temple or a religious function; that is like asking them to amputate a limb. Mind you, there are some who join the pentecostal and open bible faith and suddenly become Holiest of them all. They suddenly know the Lord but when you were a Hindu they were godless.


The most disgusting is at the Chutney shows where the most vile and demoralizing behavior is on full display. I once remembered attending a wedding at the Chinmaya temple at Reform near Gasparillo where there were two Indians, like myself, Wining and gyrating in a most vulgar manner in front of the murtis of Lord Shiva and Mother Durga. When I asked them to stop they wanted to fight. Brothers and sisters these are a few observations of my own of the behavior of our own people.


The issue goes even further - in the village where I live the most famous event is Ramleela. It is well attended but when one takes a closer look at the behavior of these people involved, the participants display a chutney carnival behavior surely not becoming of an event like Ramleela.The same vulgarity is displayed at Phagwa.


The most amazing fact is the leader of this group is a Teacher at a Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha school. His behavior is the worst of all yet he is rubber-stamped by the SDMS.


Looking deeper we hear the great Sat Maharajh saying that Gopio should not get funding from the government. Who is he to decide? Why doesn't he tell the nation the reason for this is sour grapes over the exit of Devant Maharaj from Gopio.


I admire Deo Bisnath for returning the check to the PNM. Why did Sat not be as honorable and do the same since you are a mouthpiece of the COrPse.


Brothers and sisters my point is simple when we can behave in a manner befitting respect we attain such but in the meantime as long as the Chutney Rum culture continues we are going on the wrong path.


The first and foremost institution of learning a child has to attend is the home and when the younger generation of Indians are totally unaware of our rich heritage and culture Indian Arrival is only a state of mind.


Always remember "When we forget where we come from then we don't know where are going."

Maneesh Dhanoo.
Proud Indian and Hindu

GOPIO knocks Govt over $5,000 Arrival 'pittance' Kim Boodram Monday, June 1st 2009

GOPIO knocks Govt over $5,000 Arrival 'pittance'
Kim Boodram
Monday, June 1st 2009




SPECIAL AWARD: Makandal Daaga, left, congratulates Sri Ravindra Nath Maharaj after he received an award for his contribution to Indian culture during GOPIO's Indian Arrival Day observance and National Chutney Awards ceremony at Gaston Courts, Chaguanas, last Thursday. -Photo: TREVOR WATSON

The local chapter of the Global Organisation for Indian People (GOPIO) announced on Thursday that it intended to "follow up" on what it considers poor funding from the Government to those celebrating Indian Arrival Day this year.

The announcement was made by GOPIO head, Deosaran Bisnath, in the presence of President George Maxwell Richards, the patron of this year's GOPIO Indian Arrival Day Observance and Awards Ceremony and National Chutney Awards 2009.

The joint venture was held at Gaston Courts in Chaguanas and was attended by the cream of the chutney industry, as well as former prime minister and United National Congress (UNC) political leader Basdeo Panday.

Richards was initially scheduled to deliver the feature address but declined to speak, in light of an address to the nation that was planned for Friday night.

In his opening address, Bisnath revealed that GOPIO had received $5,000 from the Government to aid in Indian Arrival Day celebrations, the sum of which was then placed in an envelope for return to the sender.

"It reeks of tokenism," said Bisnath of the "paltry amount".

Though he did not call names, Bisnath remarked on statements by Chaguanas West MP and UNC Deputy Political Leader, Jack Warner, that Indian groups should stop begging for a pittance from the Government.

"I want to make it clear that we are not begging for a pittance, we are simply asking for what is due to us as citizens of Trinidad and Tobago," Bisnath said, adding later on that Indian culture was still not being treated as part of national culture.

He also listed several other issues that GOPIO wants to see resolved immediately, among them the firing of columnist Kevin Baldeosingh by Newsday, shortly after Baldeosingh publicly levelled charges of plagiarism against Fr Henry Charles, who used to have a column in the Guardian newspaper.

It was after this accusation that Fr Charles stepped down from his appointment as head of the Integrity Commission - an appointment that was made by Richards. Charles, however, resigned because the appointment was against the Catholic Church's laws.

On Thursday night, the Head of State remained passive during Bisnath's statements. Bisnath also called for the installation of the Equal Opportunities Tribunal and for ex-workers of Caroni (1975) Ltd to be given their lands.

Chutney awards were also given to a 41 local artistes. A presentation was also made by the Sundar Popo Monument Committee.

A spokesman for the committee said that a statue of Popo has been completed and will soon be erected in Barrackpore. The monument will honour the memory of the late singer, who pioneered chutney soca music locally and abroad.

A GOPIO award was also presented to Chayman Ramlagan Sawh, better known as "Prabhu". Sawh, a sculptor by profession, built the statue of Siewdass Sadhoo which stands near the Temple in the Sea at Waterloo, Carapichaima. He has also carved the statue of Popo.

-Reporting by

Ariti Jankie

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161484758

Taking the Indian out of Indian Arrival Day

...is what many in T&T want to do.

Indian Arrival Day was celebrated long before it was designated a National holiday;
Indian Arrival Day was celebrated without miserly funding from the State;
INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY WILL ALWAYS BE CELEBRATED WHETHER THEY TAKE THE WORD
"INDIAN" from "INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY" or whether they take away the holiday or
leave as is; or whether they provide grants or not...

WHO ELSE ARRIVED ON MAY 30th? Why is the Prime Minister praising Indians in T&T yet in the next paragraph of this speech he wants "Arrival Day", not "Indian Arrival Day"? doublespeak...confused people...

What is it with the word "Indian" that bothers them?

Here are two excellent articles on this topic.

Sunday Newsday Editor, Vashty Maharaj:
"....I would suggest to Mr Manning that if he designates a thanksgiving day he can then let go of his reluctance to utter and accept the use of the word “Indian” in Indian Arrival Day. He can then find a way to learn to accept that Indian Arrival Day is a reality and will exist for some time in the future, long after he has died and gone to his heaven, or his hell, depending on how good a boy he has been in this life...

The worst thing the Government could do is to attempt to turn back the clock and return to the original “Arrival Day”. There is a reason that Indo-Trinidadians fought long and hard for a day dedicated to their presence and it has nothing to do with ego or racism or even being race-proud. It has instead, to do with a cry from the heart for acceptance, a reaching out to the wider society and saying “see us, hear us, accept us and allow us to honour our forefathers and foremothers for what they brought to this country that we happily call home.”


Andre Bagoo in Sunday Newsday:
But, a supporter of “Indian Arrival Day” would say, if we were to remove the “Indian” on the basis of living in a multi-cultural society, then by the same token, we should remove all religious holidays. The supporter would have a good point. Why should there be so many Christian holidays like Corpus Christi, for instance, when the majority of the population have no idea what they signify?

An opponent of “Indian Arrival Day” might be reluctantly swayed by this and concede that if the “Indian” goes then so too must most of the religious holidays.

IJJ, May 30th, 2009: 164 years later - the Indian does not always find an equal place.

International Jahajee Journal (IJJ), May 30th, 2009

Voice of the International Indian Diaspora
http://www.jahajeedesi.com/



Home of the International Jahajee Diaspora

Dear Readers:
On behalf of the International Jahajee Journal and GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago,
I extend greetings and felicitations on the auspicious occasion of the 164th
Anniversary of the arrival of East Indian indentured immigrants in Trinidad and
Tobago.

GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago held its annual Indian Arrival Day Observance and
Awards ceremony on May 28th 2009 - see below for more information.
Some will be offended but the truth does offend, at times. In 2009, 164 years after
the arrival in Trinidad, they still face discrimination and prejudice. See my
presentation on this topic, below.

Deosaran Bisnath,
Editor, International Jahajee Journal.
President, GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago
Moderator, Caribbean Hindus Network,
Jahajee Blog
IJJ BLOG


It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never able to
know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us. This we can do only
if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good heart whatever they
might have to say.
-Mahatma Gandhi



Women pray together while on board a recreated Fath al Rozack - the first boat which brought indentured labourers to the shores of Trinidad. This was all part of procession through the streets of Princes Town to mark Indian Arrival Day hosted by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. Photo: DAVE PERSAD, TRINIDAD EXPRESS



GOPIO RETURNS $5,000 Indian Arrival Grant to Ministry
"...We will not accept the grant of $5,000 and we disagree with the total of $760,000 allocated for Indian Arrival Day. We consider this a mere pittance, it reeks of tokenism, and we will not condone this. Consequently, we are now sending back this cheque to the Ministry, via courier mail.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The MNCs are sucking this country dry, they are now even on State Boards – this could and would never have happened during the era of Makandal Daaga, George Weekes, Butler, and Cola Rienzi. The gains achieve by NJAC are now being frittered away; there was a time when there were very few Afro or Indo Trinidadian faces in banks and companies; thanks to NJAC and others this was hastily removed during the 1970s.

Today, the MNC banks are coming back after they deserted us when things were not so good. Soon, they may take control of the entire indigenous banking system, even First Citizens and Unit Trust, who knows what else will be put for sale?...."
Deosaran Bisnath, President, GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago
at GOPIO's Indian Arrival Day Observance and Awards Ceremony.
CONTINUED HERE...



CARONI
a movement from a longer poem, The Rain Suite, from
AMERICAN FALL
ISBN: 9781845230432
August 2007, Peepal Press
by Dr. Raymond Ramcharitar.

On these ululating plains, the rain is fate,
Draining the Indian’s ashes from the lips
Of the patient Caroni, to incarnate
Into the canestalks’ tasseled, sky-turned tips—
Arrows to the India of the mind.
While below, in patchworks of glistening strips
Of razor grass and dirt, board houses on stilts
Enclose the brown, work-knotted bodies,
Still-sitting, folded at the hip and knee
As primal eyes grope along the endless chains
Of the rain seeking escape, samadhi,
Inside the dank Chaguanas cinema
Where the pink, rose-lipped maidens pout and dance
In streams and around trees—a panorama
Of sublimated lust, which spreads outward
Through the roads outside the towns, the chance
Settlements along old sugar cart-routes
where, now and then, resilient mud-spattered shards
Of humanity still walk through the downpours
Of fingers which reach under rough cotton
Like the coolie farmer’s trembling hand explores
His daughter’s taut, brown flesh to the strum
Of small bullets on the raw galvanise, to come,
Hesitantly, to a stop, as the final memory
Of the mother dissolves under the glare
Of the unforgiving sun whose gaze clears
Ruthlessly the dewy fields and glassy paths,
Silencing the rain’s many-armed history.



India in Queens, With a Caribbean Accent
Little Guyana
By COREY KILGANNON

The A train rumbles to a halt at the Ozone Park/Lefferts Boulevard stop in central Queens. To the east, a dozen blocks of Liberty Avenue unfold in a series of roti, sari and gold shops that make up the fragrant spine of Richmond Hill, a community of immigrants who descend from Indians sent to the Caribbean to work on sugar plantations in the 19th century.

One must first reconcile the sight of saris and turbans with lilting English inflected with Creole. Then there is the juxtaposition of Hindu temples and gritty convenience stores, and thumping West Indian dance-hall music pouring out of religious shops. On weekend mornings, locals bring their black finches to Phil Rizzuto Park, formerly known as Smokey Oval Park, for chirp-off contests.

1 P.M. Eat lunch at Sonny’s Roti Shop, 118-06 Liberty Avenue, (718) 835-7255, right under the train station. Sonny’s may not be as well known as Brown Betty’s, Sybil’s or the Little Guyana Bake Shop, but the owner, Steven Rajkumal, a Trinidadian immigrant known as Sonny, is happy to introduce newcomers to the dishes. Order rotis ($5.50 for chicken, $8.50 for oxtail), or try snacks and desserts with cool-sounding names like jalibee and paymee ($2 each).
CONTINUED... .

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --

Brechin Castle
by Madeline Coopsammy
(Trinidad , 2005)

For Yolande Nunez
Friend of My Youth

“ Brechin Castle to Shut Down”

This name of an unequalled music
heralding visions of the rugged Scottish landscape
of Walter Scott and Lorna Doone
of murderous feuding Clans
and the glories of an Empire
on which the sun would never set
was the misnomer for a sugar-cane plantation
in the backwaters of Central Trinidad
its coolies once fettered by
Indentureship, inheriting a legacy
more bitter than the fruit they harvested

One warm and lovely breezy island night
you and I, searching out a fete
on a casual invitation
as we were wont to do
were bound for
a sacred fortress
the Plantation House
of Brechin Castle

leaving well-worn paths behind
our familiar haunts of
Woodbrook, St. James,
Cascade and Belmont
we drove through miles of darkened canes
and approached the Castle grounds
meeting no impediment neither moat
nor armoured Knights
only a sentry at a Gate
who cheerfully waved us on
for we had a password, a Manager’s name
and your Father’s car,
an imported American Rambler
the Mercedes in our third world economy



Independence had not yet come
but you with your mulatto confidence
the long history of your European ancestors
your Portuguese name
never feared to venture anywhere
you took me once on Carnival Day
into the Queen’s Park Hotel where the black waiters
viewed us with disdain, laughing in our faces
you never noticed, too busy enjoying the music and the jump up
while I was left alone to feel their scorn
for we were the only coloured people there

and since you always drove the car
I had no choice but to follow where you led

and thus we found ourselves
in Brechin Castle
which symbolized to me
the servitude of sugar
white colonial overseers
and sweating coolies cutting cane

but the fete was non-existent
someone had failed to extend the invitations
or perhaps the house was subject to a boycott

for the elegant spacious ballroom was deserted
peopled only by
an inebriated Englishman
his wife consorting with the black
yard boy

in South Africa in the days of Apartheid
white women were incarcerated in Insane Asylums
for just such indiscretions

but our hostess welcomed us
with warmth and kindliness
and to my surprise
in excessive courtesy
graced us with a curtsey fine and practised
while I puzzled over
this outmoded custom
which, once habitual in Victorian times
was surely now confined to
visits to the Queen.

but rendering such regard to us
one a coolie woman
the other of indeterminate race
left me wordless with wonderment

but as the years moved on
and the world mad e room for us
that surreal night coming sharply into focus
afforded me the realization that it was already
the dying days of Empire
and our misguided hostess
an Englishwoman of a newer breed
who knew no better.

That was more than forty years ago
now cane will soon be gone from Brechin Castle
the plantation houses stand stately and morose
eerie clones of those on Indian tea estates
we drive between still lovely avenues shaded by Royal Palms
a gentle wistful breeze
fans the rolling landscape

what tales the land could tell
what bitter-sweet memories remain upon
the Castle grounds, the fields
of shimmering waving canes
in the noonday sun
what fate now lies in store for them
since sugar will make way for
housing, development, malls?
I shudder to return.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

Race and the overpass


"....Because, as we all know, politically- inspired and institutional racism has existed and is encouraged against the people of Central Trinidad in particular, for daring to support an Indo- based political party and for having the audacity to retain an attachment to Indian culture.

The disdain and contempt shown in that comedian’s video against Indo-Trinidadians is not something new. It is, unfortunately, endemic in our society and a sad reflection of a lack of maturity and a rabid unwillingness to appreciate that while we may all have culturally or individually differing views, attitudes and beliefs, we are, at the end of the day, simply one human race."
VASHTY MAHARAJ, EDITOR, SUNDAY NEWSDAY, TRINIDAD

http://www.newsday.co.tt/commentary/0,100747.html

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____




The Indian does not always find an equal place


"... Our national anthem describes the yearning for freedom of a people formerly in slavery and indentureship. With hope, prayer, and faith, we pledge our lives to country, though one is not sure how many would sacrifice ourr lives for country. And, we proclaim every creed and race finds an equal place. This is a noble objective, but is this merely a feel-good, hollow statement? Are we genuinely committed and prepared to work hard to achieve this objective? Let’s explore this issue as we look at several complaints, suggestions, and comments that GOPIO has received during the last few months...."

Deosaran Bisnath, President, GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago

at GOPIO's Indian Arrival Day Observance and Awards Ceremony.

CONTINUED HERE...



____________ _________ _________ _________ _____



Green Face Man
from THE GREEN FACE MAN
by Professor Rosanne Kanhai
ISBN: 976-620-227- 3
Nobody see me, they know my face is green
nobody touch me, they know my skin slippery
nobody hear me, they know how I curse
nobody watch the bad eye I born.
I am the green face man
coming down, coming down
all over de town

Sugar in my blood, sugar
I plant the cane
weed the cane
cut the cane,
I grind the cane to sweeten my tea.
Sugar in my blood
I tief the cane
suck the cane,
make me faint
all that sugar not good for me.
My eyes going blind
my foot swell up
sores on my skin
my hands tremble when
I take out the cutlass
sharpen it on a stone
cut my veins
let the sugar out

I see blood flowing
more dirty than Caroni
more sacrifice than Ganges
I see splatters
from the highway to the back trace
accidents happen every day,
a whole family clean-up
trap in burglar proof
a little child hold down
two brothers break they neck
a taxi turn over
a truck run off the road
land up in somebody bedroom
I put kajar in my eye, I don't see so good.....



____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __

"....GOPIO is urging the Government to do all it can to facilitate the distribution of funds from the European Union to the canefarmers. This is not taxpayers’ money; this is not coming from the Treasury; these are funds from the European Union – why is the Government blocking access to these funds to the long-suffering cane farmers? Why this injustice?


INDO-TRINIDADIAN CULTURE IS NATIONAL CULTURE
Before the Fifth Summit of the Americas, GOPIO had urged the Government to ensure there are more elements and facets of Indo-Trinidadian culture in the cultural events and ceremonies. There is a simple reason for this: Indo-Trinidadian culture is also national Culture, Indo-Trinidadian culture is a very important element of national culture.
Regrettably, and embarrassingly so, there were only 60 seconds of anything remotely associated with Indo-Trinidadian culture in the opening ceremony. We urge the Government to ensure that what is showcased as National Culture truly represents this wonderful multi-cultural multi-racial multi-religious nation of ours. GOPIO suggests a Committee - composed of representatives of all components of our national culture – should be responsible for creating the cultural programs and ceremonies for national events. This should be implemented at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November.... "

CONTINUED HERE.....


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ___



Coolie Mother
by Professor David Dabydeen



Jasmattie live in bruk-
Down hut big like Bata shoe-box,
Beat clothes, weed yard, chop wood, feed fowl
For this body and that body and every blasted body
Fetch water, all day water like if the
Whole slow-flowing Canje river God create
Just for she one bucket.



Till she foot bottom crack and she hand cut-up
And curse swarm from she mouth like red ants
And she cough blood on the ground but mash it in:
Because Jasmattie heart hard, she mind set hard.



To hustle save she one-one penny,
Because one-one dutty make dam cross the Canje
And she son Harrilal got to go school in Georgetown
Must wear clean starch pants, or they go laugh at he,
Strap leather on he foot, and he must read book,
Learn talk proper, take exam, go to England university,
Not turn out like he rum-sucker chamar dadee.




------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --


RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE AND BIGOTRY

Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Trinidad and Tobago strongly condemns what we regard as religious intolerance and hate speech contained in the article by Kenneth Assee, titled “Weak Criticisms by Baldeosingh”, in the Guardian newspaper, on Sunday May 10, 2009.
Specifically, reference is made to Assee’s statement:
“This is why religions like Hinduism and Islam continue to exist despite rational criticism of the cruelties they sanction. Their followers choose to believe.”
GOPIO categorically rejects Assee’s claim that Hinduism and Islam sanction “cruelties”, and the characterization that Hindus and Muslims “choose to believe.”
While Christians, Hindus and Muslims may be tempted to respond with the long list of cruelties perpetrated in the name of religion throughout the past two millenniums, we caution against descending to such low levels of behavior; instead, we urge everyone in our multi-religious rainbow nation to practise tolerance of all religious communities, acceptance of every citizen, and inclusion of all, as we seek to develop a peaceful and harmonious society.

CONTINUED HERE....


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____



East Indians Stand Proud
We sailed the Kala Pani
In ships so small and frail
We braved the monsoon’s tyranny
Most times we had to bail
But came we on to West Indies
From famine and from jail
Because British sahibs said the coolies mutiny
We came to work the sugar cane
Which lay in abandonment
We worked those fields with so much pain
From sun up to day’s end
Still our cultures we maintain
Our traditions and religion
Of east and western India and the Gangetic Plain
Our food and music, capra and dance
How widely they have grown
Local culture to enhance
To all the world we have shown
Our peacefulness and tolerance
So great is our contribution
To the Trinidad and Tobago islands
From early days to present time
We’ve laid a solid foundation
We saved each paisa, every dime
To improve our education
On many pedestals we’ve climbed
Hold elevated positions
In religion, government and administration
So East Indians stand proud
Be never ashamed of your roots
Hold high your heads in every crowd
Let the world see the fruits
Of your labour and shout aloud
Of your achievements, your pursuits
Since the journey on the Fatel Rozack
And your ultimate reward

Eva David Swain
TRINIDAD

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _


Indian groups angry over poor Arrival Day funding


"...The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has also expressed dissatisfaction with the Government’s funding for Indian Arrival Day celebrations, calling it “grossly inadequate, embarrassingly unrealistic and unfair”.

The President of GOPIO Deosaran Bisnath told Sunday Newsday, “This is a national disgrace and shows the government’s contempt for Indian Arrival Day. The pittance they gave us is totally unacceptable. If the government could not donate an amount that could contribute to the cost in a meaningful way, then they should just not have given anything at all. It demonstrates that the government does not recognise the significance of Indian Arrival Day to our country’s history. ”

In a release, the group stated, “GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, a national organisation, was allocated a mere $5,000 to defray expenses for the activities to mark the 164th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians in Trinidad and Tobago.”

The head of GOPIO said that this token amount cannot even cover the cost of a PA system, venue preparation, decorations and food. He explained that a basic event can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 and a major national event can run upwards of $30,000.

According to GOPIO, cultural groups throughout the country are in dire need of financial assistance to offset the expenses they incur to host their activities. Bisnath stated, “More groups need to be given funding because those 56 organisations are not representative of all the groups in the country hosting Indian Arrival Day events. There is something like 200 groups that requested grants....”
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,100732.html


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _


IN THE DUNGEON OF MY SKIN


In Suez they thought I was Egyptian

In Manitoba they wonder if I'm native-born

In India they said derisively:

Indian Christian! Goan! Anglo-Indian!

In the Bronx, wayside vendors spoke to me

in the guttural music of Cervantes and Borges.

A long time ago, in my native place

on coral shores beside the Pirates' Main

they said, "You surely must be Spanish."

In a country famous for its indiscriminate racial copulation

ethnic nomenclature was the order of the day

and "Spanish"

was a mantle that gathered in its folds

all who bore or seemed to bear some trace,

however faint, of European ancestry.

It labelled you a cut above

the blacks and Hindus, low men on the totem pole;

rendered you a more pleasing place in the racial mosaic.



Now though the landscape of my being

negates the burnished faces of my youth

while molten rhythms

forged from the heart of Africa and India

elude me now

and I have cast from consciousness

satiric folk-songs spawned from the tortured metres of our

bastard English tongue

have clipped the bonds of cultures and boundaries

and made myself a universal woman

yet this poor frame, no castle

proves itself no fortress, but a dungeon from which

there can be no release.





Madeline Coopsammy


From: her book, “Prairie Journey” published by TSAR Publishers, Toronto, 2004


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____


Not enough $$ for Arrival Day

"....Maharaj compared the grant received by the Maha Sabha with governmental grants for other events, including Carnival on which he claimed $120million was spent this year.
"Put it (the grant) against the kind of money T&T is spending, no grant given for education and religion is ever sufficient," Maharaj said. Though he never said how much money the Maha Sabha received from the Ministry, he later told reporters that the Maha Sabha's celebrations would exceed $400,000, even with donations.
On Friday, the Ministry of Culture distributed cheques to various groups to assist in the celebrations of Indian Arrival Day on May 31.
A total of $750,000 was distributed to 56 organisations.
The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) also protested the amount of money given to the organisation to help with hosting Indian Arrival Day activities.
GOPIO's president, Deosaran Bisnath, said the organisation received a mere $5,000 which he said was "grossly inadequate."
Gopio got $10,000 to help with its Indian Arrival Day activities last year.
Bisnath said the East Indian Community was generally disappointed in the "token amounts given."
"What can we do with $5,000? This sum cannot even cover the cost of a PA system and venue preparations. I know of a group that received only $3,000, that is an insult," Deosaran said in a telephone interview yesterday. He accused the Ministry of showing "utter disrespect and contempt" for Indian Arrival Day celebrations and to the Indian community.
Bisnath said GOPIO has since written to the ministry, expressing its dissatisfaction with the sums allocated and was requesting that Government provide additional funds to these groups, "to cover the expenses for activities for Indian Arrival Day 2009."
Bisnath said GOPIO was prepared to return its $5,000 cheque if Government ignored this request.
with reporting by Rohandra John

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161481373

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _______


Episodes of Indian Experience
by Professor Kenneth Ramchand

Professor Kenneth Ramchand is Professor Emeritus of West Indian Literature,
University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Emeritus of English (Colgate
University), and currently, Associate Provost, The Academy at the University of
Trinidad and Tobago for Arts, Letters, Culture and Public Affairs.
http://deosaranbisnath.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html
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KALA PAANI — THE BLACK WATERS, by Ashram B. Maharaj
KALA PAANI—THE BLACK WATERS
by Ashram B. Maharaj

Death of an Arkatya

http://jahajeedesi.blogspot.com/2009/05/kala-paani-black-waters-by-ashram-b.html

‘When you reach to Chinidad (Trinidad), all you have to do is sift
sugar. I tell you that the place is like Vaikunth (Heaven) and anyway,
is the same Dharti Maataa (Mother Earth) everywhere. After three
years, you will be coming back with plenty jewels and gold,’ the
arkatiya (recruiter) assured the gathering.

Dookhee was absorbed with the arkatiya’s promises. He had always
considered his future to be in Bharat. But if he stayed in India, he
would have to continue paying rent to his landlord, Lallaji, for the
plot of land he was cultivating. Paying rent seemed futile since the
land was not yielding as bountifully as before. Besides, his bullock
that he used to till the soil had recently died. He could not ask his
brothers for assistance since they were also struggling to survive.
...CONTINUED... .
http://jahajeedesi.blogspot.com/2009/05/kala-paani-black-waters-by-ashram-b.html



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"Tracing the Roots" Tracks Down Family Tree in India
Indian Americans (and Indians throughout the world) now have the
chance to track down the details of their origins in India, thanks to
a new program introduced by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
For more information on the Tracing the Roots program or to
download an application, visit the Ministry of Overseas Indian
Affairs' Web site at http://www.moia.gov.in or e-mail indiroots@yahoo. com.
http://indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=746&Sid=1
http://www.indiroots.com/
http://www.cousinconnect.com/d/a/192237


Editor's Note: Dr. Chandra Tiwary from INDIROOTS.COM is now in
Trinidad; if anyone wants to meet him, send mail to gopiott@gmail.com or deobisnath@yahoo.com

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ______


The latest issue of the Indo-Caribbean Times can be
accessed online at
http://www.esnips.com/web/Indo-CaribbeanTimes
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____

Indian Indentured Immigration to Trinidad

By Deosaran Bisnath.
President, GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago.
Moderator, Caribbean Hindus Network,
Jahajee Blog
IJJ BLOG

Part 1 :
Origin of The Coolie Slave Trade

Sookra Khadoo Male 15, Panchoo Darhoo Male 16, Dabee Sing Sobrun Sing
Male 16, Hullodhur Gobardhun Male 18, and Chowdory Aukalee Male 18, were
amongst the youngest in the human cargo aboard the FATH AL RAZACK when
it departed the Port of Calcutta on 16th February 1845. One hundred and three
days later - on May 30th - the first immigrant ship from India to Trinidad arrived
off Nelson Island. Deepa, Mungree, Ancklee, Jhalowa, and Somoreeya were
among the 225 who survived the perilous journey across the Kala Pani; the
unfortunate six who died were dumped unceremoniously, without rituals or rites.
.... READ MORE...


Indentured Indian Immigration to the Caribbean, Part 2 of 3
Journey of the Jahajees:From Calcutta to Caribbean
An Arkatya came and told me
To come to "Chinidad" (Trinidad)
All the people here were told
That the streets were filled with gold
And once we reach over there
Our problems would disappear.
Now that all of us on this ship
And we are sailing out to sea
The Arkatya comes and tell me
We are all bound kulis
.... READ MORE....

Indentured Indian Immigration to the Caribbean, Part 3 of 3
Life on the Plantation, and Beyond.
Some push us around, some curse us
Where is your splendor and prestige today?
The whole world calls us black thieves.
The whole world calls us 'coolie.'
Why doesn't our flag fly anywhere?
Why do we feel low and humiliated?
Why is there no respect for us in the whole world?
-- An early Indian immigrant protest song
...READ MORE....

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SURINAME ARCHIVES:
http://www.nationaalarchief.nl/suriname/base_hindo/database/engine/zoeke\ n.asp?4=On&39=On


INDO-CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY WEBSITE
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bhatchaman/
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GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago
a chapter of GOPIO International.
P.O. BOX 2286, Chaguanas. TRINIDAD.
BECOME A GOPIO member: write to -
GopioTT@gmail.com

GOPIO on the NET:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GopioTT/
http://gopiott.blogspot.com/
http://www.gopio.net
http://gopio. com

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MERE DESH Indian Arrival Day Events
E-mail: poojabhavan3001@ yahoo.com

Community Announcement
Mere Desh 3-Projects

Junior Tassa Rama Competition
On Saturday 30th May, 2009 at the Mid Centre Mall Car-park Chaguanas
Time-5.00pm
Registration 672-4423 Big Cash prizes to be won!

Also the public is invited to attend Free Classes
@ 1.00pm also the same day and venue mid centre mall
(1) The Applying of Mehendi- Teaching various artistic designs on both hands
and feet
(2) The Cutting of Kite paper for Decorations
(3) The Making of Stuff Toys e.g. Teddy Bear
(4) Garment Construction, Curtain and Draperies designs


Sports - Wind ball Cricket Match
10-Over One Day Cricket wind-ball Tournament
Venue- Knowles Recreation Ground, Curepe
Time- 10.00am Date- 30th May (Indian Arrival Day)
Contact- Joe Dwarika, Anand Balram, Premchan Roopia or Praimsingh-672- 4423
Big Cash Prizes to be won!

This project is in celebration of 164th Anniversary Indian Arrival

Slogan/Theme for this project-
"The greatest gift one can give to someone is to pass down to others what one
has learnt for oneself"

Entertainment Galore- Brantec Orchestra, Dances by top Artistes .D J Alma Sound
5- Sons & Daughters will be honoured * Guest Speakers by prominent citizens
Venue Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, Saturday May 30th 1.00pm - 9.00pm

Cricket-Lovers
Wind-ball Cricket Match- Knowles Street Recreation Ground 10.00am
No Entrance or Registration fee!. It's Free to the Public
Bring the entire Family!
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Immigrants to Citizens: the Indian Community
in Grenada, 1857 to the Present
by RON SOOKRAM
http://74.125. 95.132/search? q=cache:r3R12HK_ 5oEJ:arts. brunel.ac. uk/gate/entertex t/6_3/ET63Sookra mRevsED.doc+ coolie+return+ India&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=455&gl=ca&client=firefox- a


EAST INDIANS IN BELIZE
http://www.amandala .com.bz/index. php?id=5336

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~


JAMAICA : INDIAN HERITAGE DAY IS MAY 10
http://www.indocari bbeanheritage. com/content/ view/43/64/



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HINDU WISDOM


The laws of life are five:
Nonviolence,
Truthfulness,
Integrity,
Chastity,
Nonattachment.

These laws are universal. Unaffected by time, place, birth,
or circumstance, together they constitute the "Great Law of Life."
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:30-31



____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

Books published on Indentureship in the Caribbean

Dr. Kumar Mahabir
University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)

The theme of this year’s edition of the Indian Arrival Day magazine produced by the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council is “A pictorial survey of books on indentureship in the Caribbean.”

After the abolition of African slavery, Indians came to the Caribbean to work as indentured labourers from 1838. They came to work in sugarcane plantations in the British, French and Dutch colonies under a semi-slave contract system known as indentureship. By the time indentureship ended in 1917, about 400,000 Indians had come to Trinidad, Guyana/Guiana, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and other Caribbean islands.

A survey of the literature reveals that approximately 85 books have at least one chapter on Indian indentureship in the Caribbean. The first book was written by Joseph Beaumont and published in 1871. It is entitled The New Slavery: An Account of the Indian and Chinese Immigrants in British Guiana. Beaumont was appointed Chief Justice in 1863 and attempted to alleviate exploitation and abuse of both Chinese and Indian labourers by applying the laws that were designed to protect them.

About 80 years later, the second non-fiction book on Indian indentureship in the Caribbean was written by Dwarka Nath and published in 1950, entitled A History of Indians in British Guiana. Unlike Beaumont, Nath was an Indian and a senior immigration agent in colonial Guyana. Nath ranks among 75 Indian historians to have written at least a chapter on the subject.

Eighteen years after in 1968, two non-fiction works were published independently by Judith Ann Weller and Donald Wood. Weller is the first woman to undertake an in-depth study of the Indian indentureship in the Caribbean in The East Indian indenture in Trinidad. Wood’s publication, Trinidad in Transition: The Years After Slavery, is an important contribution to the historiography of indentureship.

Since then about 80 books have been written on the subject, mainly by Indians in the Diaspora, some of them being women. Basdeo Mangru and Clem Seecharan, are the two Guyanese historians who have written the most books on indentureship. Seecharan has four books and Mangru five. They were followed by a Trinidadian, Ron Ramdin who has written three books on the subject. Brinsley Samaroo and David Dabydeen have edited the largest number of volumes on the subject.

Sixteen books on indenturehip were written by women, seven of which are by non-whites. Two books were written by Verene Shepherd, a half-Indian from Jamaica. Shepherd’s two books are Transients to Settlers: The Experience of Indians in Jamaica, 1845-1950 and Maharani's Misery: Narratives of a Passage from India to the Caribbean. Another woman, Laxmi Mansingh, co-authored with her husband Home Away From Home: 150 Years of Indian Presence in Jamaica 1845-1995.

Eight of the 85 books on indentureship in the Caribbean are works of fiction. The first of which was published over 132 years ago in 1877, and entitled Lutchmee and Dilloo: A Study of West Indian Life. It is written by Edward Jenkins. The second came 40 years later in 1917, entitled Those That be in Bondage: A Tale of Indian Indentures and Sunlit Western Waters (1917). Its author is Albert Raymond Forbes Webber. Other novels published on the subject are The Dispossessed (1992) by Clement Maharaj, The Promise (1995) by Sharlow Mohammed, Tikasingh’s Wedding (1998) by Wilfred D. Best, Chalo Chinidad - Let’s Go Trinidad (2003) by Jang B. Bhagirathee, Rama’s Voyage (2004) by Ron Ramdin, and Jahajin (2007) by Peggy Mohan.

Both Trinidad and Guyana have produced an equal number of books on indentureship in the Caribbean. However, there is a severe scarcity of books on indentureship from the smaller Caribbean islands and the non-English- speaking territories. There is also, an absence of imaginative books in the form of poems and plays on the subject.





Dr Kumar Mahabir

Assistant Professor, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)

Chairman, Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC)



10 Swami Avenue, Don Miguel Road

San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago

West Indies



Tel: (868) 674-6008

Tel/fax: (868) 675-7707

Mobile (868) 756-4961

E-mail: dmahabir@gmail. com, kumarmahab@hotmail. com



------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------



HINDUS CONSTANTLY ATTACKED IN TRINIDAD


Since 1845, the Hindu population has constantly been attacked by people who do not share our views. Cowshed schools, “coconut oil head,” Concordat, idol worshippers, bastards, illegal marriages, radio and TV licences etc are examples of intolerance of eastern religions.
The latest example took place at the Barrackpore Senior Comprehensive where jhandis were ordered to be taken down by “the authorities.” Who are these authorities? Do you recall the incident with the jhandis placed by then Prime Minister Basdeo Panday at the PM’s residence? Let it be known to those who continually attack Hinduism that this religion was brought here from India and it belongs to us. It is over 7,000 years old during which time there have been numerous attempts worldwide to destroy it. It is based on solid principles of philosophy. Ask Morgan Job. It has the only complete language in the world (44 letters).
Joel Quintal, in a letter in the May 18 Guardian, wrote about the Trinity Cross and religious intolerance, stating that the cross is a symbol of Christianity and that Hindus and Muslims met it here when they came. However, my readings tell me that the cross is Egyptian in origin. And may I ask Quintal who the Christians met when they first arrived in the west? What happened to the people who they met? What about their symbols? Where is the tolerance of which Quintal writes?
Hindus represent 37 per cent of the population, yet we have to go to the Privy Council to obtain redress for intolerance. Legal victories, yes, if that is the way to go. We have come of age, just like Barack Obama. Finally, Quintal, your intolerance is revealed when you say that those who are offended by the Trinity should pack up and leave this country. Be mindful that Hindus also have a Trinity which is “OM” meaning Bramha (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Mahase (the destroyer), and this is recognised over 7,000 years ago.
Doodnath Maharaj
http://guardian.co.tt/commentary/letters/2009/05/29/another-act-intolerance


------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Indian civilisation - Worthy of emulation
by Robert Buddan

THE MONTH of May is significant for Indians in the Caribbean. It is the month in which
Indians first arrived (in different years) in Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica.
CARICOM is, in reality, a largely Afro-Asian region. .......READ MORE....

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ______


GIVE BACK ARRIVAL MONEY

http://guardian.co.tt/commentary/letters/2009/05/29/return-arrival-day-money-govt

With the distribution of the pitiful sum of $750,000 to 56 groups for Indian Arrival Day celebrations, it has become painfully clear that the Government has no interest in distributing the nation’s resources equitably.
However, as history has shown time and time again, when you oppress and take advantage of a people they rise up even stronger and more resilient. I believe that the Indo-Trinidadian groups which seek the interest of the East Indian community should instead focus their energies on becoming more self-sufficient. We have seen the devastating effects that becoming dependent on this Government has had on other sectors of the community and it would be a tragedy of national proportions if the Indo-Trinidadian community were to fall victim to the same syndrome.
It is hurtful as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen to see my tax dollars so unfairly distributed but I think in the long run it will work out to the benefit of the Indo-Trinidadian community. The 56 groups should return every cent of that $750,000 and show the Government that they can be totally self-sufficient. By becoming self-sufficient they will at least have lifted the burden of having to invite these politicians to their functions and pander to them with tassa drumming, flag waving and free food.
Naushad Khan
http://guardian. co.tt/commentary /letters/ 2009/05/29/ return-arrival- day-money- govt

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _______


Yesu Persaud: All Guyanese should be proud to
celebrate Indian Arrival


The Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT) is happy to celebrate this historic
day not only with Indians but with all Guyanese because this is a part of
our history as the indentured Indians made tremendous contributions in
helping to build the nation, ICT Honorary President, Dr Yesu Persaud
said in a statement on the commemoration of Indian Arrival.
.... READ MORE....

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ______

Voyages into Coolitude:
A Comparative and Textual Analysis of Kala Pani
Women’s Cross-Cultural Creative Memory

.... CONTINUED AT...

http://edoc. bib.ucl.ac. be:81/ETD- db/collection/ available/ BelnUcetd- 05142003- 074243/unrestric ted/VoyagesCooli tudeShort. pdf


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From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize -
THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS
by Karan Chand
Karan Chand is a Guyanese living and teaching for the past 19 years in Belize City,
Belize. This book is on the list for Literature at two high schools in Belize and others
are now considering it to be included as an additional text.
From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize - THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS is available from
the author - E-mail kchand16@hotmail. com




Inspiration
http://www.jahajeed esi.com/forums/ index.php? showforum= 10

FORGET THE BODY

He who does sankirtan (same as kirtan: chanting) forgets the body and the world. Sankirtan brings
super-intuitional knowledge. Sankirtan brings darsan (vision) of God or attainment of divine
consciousness in this Kali Yuga (dark age). It develops love. It is the easiest, surest, safest, quickest
way for attaining God-realisation.

Those who do sankirtan in the beginning, for the sake of mental enjoyment, will realise the purificatory
effects of sankirtan after some time and then they will do it with bhava (devotion) and sraddha (faith).
There is a mysterious power in the name of the Lord. Man cannot live by bread alone but he can live on the name of the Lord.

The harmonious vibrations produced by the singing of the names of the Lord help the devotees to
control their minds easily. They produce a benign influence and elevate the mind at once from its old
ruts, to magnanimous heights of divine splendour and glory. If one does sankirtan from the bottom of
one's heart, with full bhava and prem (love) even the trees, birds and animals will respond. They will be
deeply influenced. Such is the power of Sankirtan. It brings the devotee face to face with God.


http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/CaribbeanH indus/
http://www.jahajeed esi.com/forums/ index.php? showforum= 10


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________
Kahe Gaile Bidesiya 05 - Trinidad
Desecrating Nelson Island
Published in Bhatchaman@yahoogro ups.com
by "Lloyd Harradan"


PEOPLE WHO cause harm to Nelson Island or its environs will be
fined $5000, an advertisement in the August 14th 2007 issue of
Newsday stated. The foliage, fauna and any monuments should not
be interfered with, the Government ad stated.



In which case the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago should be
fined for causing harm to the Island.



Pictures available here
http://www.indocaribbeanheritage.com/component/ option,com_ zoom/Itemid, 76/catid, 6/


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____


Contribution by People of Indian Origin to Jamaica
by Pandit Lochan Nathan Sharma
http://pandit-jamaica.com/ index_files/ Documentation. htm


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WORD PLAY

indenture
Spelled Pronunciation [in-den-cher]
IPA noun, verb, -tured, -turing.

–noun 1. a deed or agreement executed in two or more copies with edges correspondingly indented as a means of identification.
2. any deed, written contract, or sealed agreement.
3. a contract by which a person, as an apprentice, is bound to service.
4. any official or formal list, certificate, etc., authenticated for use as a voucher or the like.
5. the formal agreement between a group of bondholders and the debtor as to the terms of the debt.
6. indentation.


–verb (used with object) 7. to bind by indenture, as an apprentice.
8. Archaic. to make a depression in; indent; wrinkle; furrow.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Origin:
1275–1325; ME < ML indentūra. See indent 1 , -ure

Related forms:

indentureship, noun
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Contextualizing the Roots of Chutney Music
by
Dr. Ashford Maharaj
Finance Professor, Berkeley College, White Plains, NY

The birth of Chutney as an art form must be broadened to include a
greater contextual comprehension of a more encompassing antecedent
that has allowed chutney to become popular Trinidad and Caribbean
art form.... READ MORE....


Tassa in Felicity, Trinidad
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=YgWmdx8E8oY

Berbice Dance
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=xiiG0HYaMy4



Petrotrin Boodoosingh Tassa Group in Queens, New York
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=rSjZEwKhU0A



Tassa Trini Style in Sunrise, Florida
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=AS5cVbyG4JA

Ladies Only, at Indian Wedding, Trinidad
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=Ba_l2xwNzUk

Sylvan Bharat Tassa in Toronto, Canada
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=l9azGoTmQWA

Maticore in Aranguez, Trinidad: Dancing to Tassa
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=oKu5WIvPT1o

Tassa Wine at Hibiscus, NY
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fYT-dGb1ccE

Tassa crew from NY Duck Curry Competition 08
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=egms1gITJtI

Dancing Tassa - Maticoor Night, El Dorado, Trinidad
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=B9r2I-3Dvog

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ___


President Jagdeo lauds inner strength of indentured Indians
HEAD of State President Bharrat Jagdeo has noted that it is
important to know the history of the struggles of our ancestors
and has urged Guyanese to work together to help build the country. ... READ MORE....


____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
"jahaj" = ship; "desi" = Indian
"JahajeeDesi" = The Indians who crossed the Kala Pani by ship,
the Indentured Indian Immigrants, and their descendants.
http://www.JahajeeDesi.com
For Free Subscription to this Newsletter, or to Join the JahajeeDesi
YAHOO Group, or to contribute News, Letters, Essays, Reviews,
Send Mail to: CCDSJ@yahoo. com

http://twitter.com/iTrinidad
http://twitter.com/Chaguanas

http://deosaranbisnath.blogspot.com

164 years later - the Indian does not always find an equal place.

Speech by Mr. Deosaran Bisnath, President of GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago
at GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago’s Indian Arrival Day Observance and Awards ceremony
On Thursday May 28th, 2009 at Gaston Court, Lange Park, Chaguanas

His Excellency, Professor George Maxwell Richards, President of the Republic of Trinidad & Trinidad; High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Shri Malay Mishra & Mrs. Mishra;
Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Basdeo Panday & Mrs. Panday;
Deputy Leader of the Congress of the People, Mr. Prakash Ramadhar;
Representative of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture, and Gender Affairs; Members of the Diplomatic Corp;
Head of NJAC, Chief Servant Makandal Daaga & Mrs. Dagga;
Representative of the Emancipation Support Committee;
Mr. Ome Ayagorro, Head of NJAC’s Cultural Council;
Iiya Shango Wummi, Chief Orissa Priestess
Ms. Obika, Head of the Caribbean Historical Society;
Mr. Ricardo Hernandez, Chief of the Amerindian or First Citizens Community;
Mr. Jervase Caesar, Young Calypso King;
Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, and GOPIO International, and our co-hosts, the National Chutney Foundation, I extend a warm welcome to you at this, our 2nd Annual Indian Arrival Day Observance and Awards ceremony, in commemoration of the 164th Anniversary of the arrival of Indentured Indian Immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago.

GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago is the local chapter of GOPIO International, a highly regarded and well-respected global organization that advocates and represents People of Indian Origin - commonly referred to as PIO. GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago is a secular, non-partisan, registered non-profit and NGO (Non-Governmental Organization). GOPIO is not a political party and not a religious organization. GOPIO is committed to national loyalty, national unity, and the development of a peaceful and harmonious society.

In the early 1980s, GOPIO was brought to Trinidad & Tobago by Pandita Dr. Indrani Rampersad, through her involvement in Gopio New York; later Pandita Dr. Indrani and Shri Ravindra Nath Maharaj (know popularly as Raviji) started GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago. The current executive of GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago was elected in February 2008. We invite you to become a member of GOPIO – membership forms are available at the reception table.

During the past few weeks we have sang and recited our National Anthem at several events.
Forged from the love of liberty
In the fires of hope and prayer
With boundless faith in our destiny
We solemnly declare:

Side by side we stand
Islands of the blue Caribbean sea,
This our native land
We pledge our lives to thee.

Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our nation
Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our nation

Our national anthem describes the yearning for freedom of a people formerly in slavery and indentureship. With hope, prayer, and faith, we pledge our lives to country, though one is not sure how many would sacrifice ourr lives for country. And, we proclaim every creed and race finds an equal place. This is a noble objective, but is this merely a feel-good, hollow statement? Are we genuinely committed and prepared to work hard to achieve this objective? Let’s explore this issue as we look at several complaints, suggestions, and comments that GOPIO has received during the last few months.

1. Discrimination still exist
“….High Court judge Maureen Rajnauth Lee found that the Education Ministry had discriminated against teachers Vijesh Mahadeo and Vashti Maharaj. Both individuals, who applied for teaching posts, were turned down on the basis that they were not suitably qualified….The Education Ministry did not even come to court to challenge the case against them….:
Newsday Editorial, Friday May 1st, 2009

“…That discrimination exists in the Public Service is not a new revelation. Over a decade ago, the now-defunct Centre for Ethnic Studies produced a research report which stated that “One of the major findings of the investigation was the tendency for Indians to be heavily under-represented at the higher reaches of the Public Sector.”
This from the same Newsday editorial.

I discussed this several employees of the Public Service; all agreed that not much has changed since that report and that today “Indians” are heavily under-represented in the upper echelons of the Public Service, especially in the Permanent Secretary category. Why? GOPIO calls upon the Government to accelerate the implementation and operation of the Equal Opportunity Commission, including the Equal Opportunity Tribunal. This should be one of the top priorities of the Government; we challenge the Government to have the EOC and EOT fully operational by Independence Day, August 31st, 2009. GOPIO will be monitoring this closely.

2. EX-CARONI WORKERS. FARMERS, AND CANE FARMERS
GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago has received numerous complaints and requests to help ex-Caroni workers who have not been give the lands they were promised. We call upon the government to honour its obligations and facilitate the speedy transfer to these lands to the people who have been waiting for years.

In a related matter, GOPIO is urging the government to implement, immediately, the Cabinet decision for farmers to lease land at $200 a hectare. We fully support Mr. Norris Deonarine and the foodcrop farmers: “the State should stop “fighting down” local farmers, and instead strive to help them.”

GOPIO is urging the Government to do all it can to facilitate the distribution of funds from the European Union to the canefarmers. This is not taxpayers’ money; this is not coming from the Treasury; these are funds from the European Union – why is the Government blocking access to these funds to the long-suffering cane farmers? Why this injustice?
3. INDO-TRINIDADIAN CULTURE IS NATIONAL CULTURE
Before the Fifth Summit of the Americas, GOPIO had urged the Government to ensure there are more elements and facets of Indo-Trinidadian culture in the cultural events and ceremonies. There is a simple reason for this: Indo-Trinidadian culture is also national Culture, Indo-Trinidadian culture is a very important element of national culture.
Regrettably, and embarrassingly so, there were only 60 seconds of anything remotely associated with Indo-Trinidadian culture in the opening ceremony. We urge the Government to ensure that what is showcased as National Culture truly represents this wonderful multi-cultural multi-racial multi-religious nation of ours. GOPIO suggests a Committee - composed of representatives of all components of our national culture – should be responsible for creating the cultural programs and ceremonies for national events. This should be implemented at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November.


4. RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE AND BIGOTRY

Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Trinidad and Tobago strongly condemns what we regard as religious intolerance and hate speech contained in the article by Kenneth Assee, titled “Weak Criticisms by Baldeosingh”, in the Guardian newspaper, on Sunday May 10, 2009.
Specifically, reference is made to Assee’s statement:
“This is why religions like Hinduism and Islam continue to exist despite rational criticism of the cruelties they sanction. Their followers choose to believe.”
GOPIO categorically rejects Assee’s claim that Hinduism and Islam sanction “cruelties”, and the characterization that Hindus and Muslims “choose to believe.”
While Christians, Hindus and Muslims may be tempted to respond with the long list of cruelties perpetrated in the name of religion throughout the past two millenniums, we caution against descending to such low levels of behavior; instead, we urge everyone in our multi-religious rainbow nation to practise tolerance of all religious communities, acceptance of every citizen, and inclusion of all, as we seek to develop a peaceful and harmonious society.

GOPIO notes that this is not the first time a letter writer with the name “Kenneth Assee” has attempted to cast aspersions on Hinduism and Islam.
In the Guardian on Friday July 29th, 2005, a column titled “Towards a True Emancipation,” by “Kenneth Assee, a Reader from Port of Spain”, included the following”
“Our aspirations for the future must recognise that Hindutva and Islamic fundamentalism will present themselves in beguiling guises with seductive arguments. But their overall objective, explicit or implicit, is the same, to derail our society.”
http://library2.nalis.gov.tt/infofiles/collect/news3/index/assoc/HASH011a/8b62dcfb.dir/5662.jpg

GOPIO cautions against dangerous and harmful generalizations that may portray Hindus, Muslims, and Christians as extremists and enemies of our nation who seek to destroy our society.

In the Guardian on Sunday 12th October, 2008, one “Kenneth Assee“ writes as follows:
“Would Balkissoon consider paying some form of compensation to the victim’s relatives as an appropriate moral act for his crime? Or is this kind of morality beyond the doctrinal tenets of his Hinduism? ….The victim is now but a bunch of bones in his grave, but Balkissoon, his killer, will be able to enjoy the company of his relatives, celebrate and dance at Hindu festivals, and eat his roti and doubles while bemoaning how bad prison life was. Did he expect it to be a Hindu retreat?
Kenneth Assee Port-of-Spain “
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2008-10-12/letters.html

GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago exhorts all to heed the advice of Pope Benedict XVI, who during a visit to Nazareth on May 13th, 2009, urged all to “work to build bridges and find the way to a peaceful coexistence. Let everyone reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice, which kills men's souls before it kills their bodies!"

In addition, GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago exhorts all to heed the advice of President Obama, contained in his National Day of Prayer proclamation, on May 7, 2009:
”Let us also use this day to come together in a moment of peace and goodwill. Our world grows smaller by the day, and our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife; and to lift up those who have fallen on hard times. As we observe this day of prayer, we remember the one law that binds all great religions together: the Golden Rule, and its call to love one another; to understand one another; and to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth.”


GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago reminds all that bigotry, intolerance, sectarianism, and fanaticism have resulted in nothing but violence, death, despair, and destruction. GOPIO believes we need to develop a society that moves beyond tolerance, to mutual acceptance, with the core values of community and individual responsibility; equality of opportunity; and respect for freedom of rights, including freedom of speech but refraining from hate speech that discredits and denigrates fellow citizens.

GOPIO Trinidad has, and is requesting the Guardian to publish this response. They haven’t done so as yet, we hope they will do so as soon as possible.


5. HCU – CLASS DISCRIMINATION FLOURISHES IN T&T

GOPIO has been inundated with pleas for help from the long-suffering members of the HCU, now under Government control during the past nine months. HCU members are poor, not powerful, disadvantaged, mostly living outside of the urban regions, many are senior citizens and retirees, and the collapse of the HCU, we are told, does not constitute a risk or threat to the financial system. CLICO, on the other hand does, and CLICO customers and depositors are richer and more powerful; many belong to the Upper Class of the society, in government, politics, the business and professional class, and they are bailed out – costing us $10 billion, and counting. The fat cats take care of themselves and recover their CLICO funds; HCU members can drop dead.

HCU has hundreds of millions in asset yet the recovery proposals that require 200 or 300 million are rejected; the OECS countries are bailed out to the tune of $300 million and counting, yet HCU members who are citizens of T&T, are refused help. HCU members are blamed for the demise of the credit union while the Ministry of Labour and Office of the Commissioner of Cooperatives are not held responsible; CLICO management collected bonuses and severance pay while CLICO depositors and consumers are reassured of full recovery of their funds – we, including HCU members are paying for that. Every creed and place finds an equal place?
GOPIO calls on the Government to bail out the HCU, now. Just as they have done for CLICO, the Government should assist HCU members. We want to form a political union with the OECS while here in our own country, we cannot and do not want to help our citizens who are suffering.



6. CULTURAL GRANTS

In a letter to the Honourable Minister of Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, faxed on May 22nd and May 25th, GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago expressed disappointment with the Indian Arrival Day grant to GOPIO, and the total amount to all groups celebrating the 164th Anniversary of the Arrival of Indian indentured immigrants in our country. We requested an additional sum of $20,000.
Earlier this week, Aleem Khan informed us that the Ministry had nothing more to add or say; we were also told that the Honourable Minister is out of the country. It was reported that Mr. Khan also said “While the Ministry is always thankful for feedback, it must be understood that Government cannot fund every activity 100 per cent."
This is an astonishingly insensitive and uninformed statement and we are calling upon Mr. Khan and the Ministry to show us where anyone has asked for 100% of the funding for Indian Arrival Day funding. Mr. Khan and officers from that Ministry should go out to the people and try to be informed about Indian Arrival Day activities. They would realize that there are over 250 groups celebrating Indian Arrival Day during Indian Arrival month at total cost of approximately $10 million. The Ministry has provided less than one-tenth of this amount, to approximately 20% of all groups celebrating Indian Arrival day.
It seems that Mr. Khan and the Ministry are suffering from delusions and misinformation about the celebrations of Indian Arrival Day. Indo-Trinidadians do not depend on Government to fund the Indian Day, and fortunately so, because the mere pittance and token amount of $760,000 would hardly suffice for the totality of Indian Arrival Day activities. Mr. Khan and the Ministry should be reminded that the key issues are fairness and equality: give us only what if given to others; we don’t ask for more; give us a fair share. Remember the Anthem – every creed and race finds an equal place.

And, let’s make this quite clear: we are not “begging anyone for a pittance.” We ask for what we are entitled to as citizens of this country. GOPIO rejects the premise that Indo-Trinidadians are begging anyone for anything - the Government provides funding to all, including Indo-Trinidadians; thus we should ask for what is due to us.

Some have tried to create divisions amongst us Afro- and Indo-Trinidadians, and they will continue to do so. Do not heed them; do not allow them to sow the seeds of dissension amongst the two major races in our nation. We must unite and work together to seek the betterment of all of us, not just any one race. Each of our every struggle belongs to all of us.
In this postracial world where a President Obama is elected because he is the best man for the job, not because of race or religion, we must move beyond race, beyond mere tolerance, and embrace acceptance and inclusion.
Yes, there were and still are problems in our society; there are tons of racial and racist baggage fro decades gone by, but we cannot look back and remain frozen in time; we must adopt enlightened policies and try to get all of the people of this country aboard the train heading for fairness, equality, and the development of a strong and united nation where every creed and race truly finds an equal place.

What do others in our country think about issue?
Paolo Kernahan in Guardian, Thursday May 28th, 2009
“Members of the East Indian community are again advancing the argument of discrimination.

In consideration of the facts, it is easy to see how our Indian brothers and sisters would come away with this impression. Last year the Emancipation Support Committee received an estimated $2 million to stage what was perhaps a month-long emancipation extravaganza, the Prime Minister attending in those noisy African robes. Meanwhile all of the Hindu groups put together received a paltry fraction of that figure and they could not get Mr Manning to even eat a doubles at the Divali Nagar!..... What the Government should do instead is establish an endowment fund which it could kickstart with a symbolic donation of $200,000, and an annual contribution thereafter. This fund would be administered by a committee representing the very plural interests of our society: Hindu groups, Catholic, Muslim, Lebanese/Syrian, calypsonians, artists, you name it…. ”


EXPRESS EDITORIAL MAY 28th 2009
“….it is possible to promote and improve all the cultural activities that have made Trinidad and Tobago what it is, that is, arguably one of the most dynamic and diverse cultures in the whole of the Americas.
To demonstrate that they, in fact, accept as evident this particular mandate, governments have a responsibility to be transparent about their disbursement of funds, not only in disclosing who gets what for what but in detailing the rationale behind these funding decisions, the better to raise the level of discussion from one that is disagreeably communal to one that is agreeably national…”

EXPRESS EDITORIAL MAY 27th 2009
“…one has to understand Indian insistence on the point given the deep-seated feelings of being marginalised, if, indeed, not victimised in a country that for the most part has had an Afro-centred leadership….. consideration has to be given to discrimination as seen through the eyes of the beholder and, in any case, whatever the Prime Minister's private feelings on the matter, publicly he has to be seen to be on the side of all our peoples and not just some….In politics, particularly multi-ethnic politics, symbolism is important and, as such, Mr Manning, as the signal symbol of an all-inclusive Trinidad and Tobago, has either to attend all of the significant national celebrations or none at all. It requires a statesman of exemplary vision to understand this but we fail to see how the Prime Minister could be embarking on a mission to unite the peoples of the Caribbean without doing everything that is humanly possible to do the same with his own….”
GOPIO will be taking up this matter and the allocation of grants in general, with Office of the Prime Minister, and the Equal Opportunity Commission, during the next few weeks. We will not accept the grant of $5,000 and we disagree with the total of $760,000 allocated for Indian Arrival Day. We consider this a mere pittance, it reeks of tokenism, and we will not condone this. Consequently, we are now sending back this cheque to the Ministry, via courier mail.


7. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The MNCs are sucking this country dry, they are now even on State Boards – this could and would never have happened during the era of Makandal Daaga, George Weekes, Butler, and Cola Rienzi. The gains achieve by NJAC are now being frittered away; there was a time when there were very few Afro or Indo Trinidadian faces in banks and companies; thanks to NJAC and others this was hastily removed during the 1970s.

Today, the MNC banks are coming back after they deserted us when things were not so good. Soon, they may take control of the entire indigenous banking system, even First Citizens and Unit Trust, who knows what else will be put for sale?

Support TSTT, they are ours, they help us. Do not support those who take their profits abroad and do not even acknowledge our requests to help the community. We have power – consuming power, let us use to benefit our citizens, not the foreign MNCs.

Their policies in T&T and their home countries are different; when the time comes they will simply pack up and go, leaving us in far worse economic situation with a polluted environment. They boast of how much taxes they have paid as if they are doing us a favor; they sell our oil and gas and pay an unfair rent yet they do not tell us that this rent is a mere fraction of the revenues and they make billions in profits.
The local conglomerates aren’t much better. With regards to these companies helping the poor and the disadvantaged, and NGOs throughout the country: we will be collating the data from MNCs – especially energy companies and local conglomerates, ad releasing the results later this year. They have a corporate social responsibility to help but they do not. There are many later-day arkatyas at these companies – it’s not a race issue, it is more of a class issue. Let us not allow them to divide us as they have been doing for decades.


8. What are we doing about?

Let us heed the words of Mahatma Gandhi: be the change you seek in the world. Let us not only complain about the media – let us have our own media! I have suggested many times that there is a great opportunity for brave and determined entrepreneurs to publish another newspaper in Trinidad & Tobago. How about TV stations with programs targeting the niche markets?

How about community watch groups working in tandem with law enforcement to protect your towns and villages? This is a major crime prevention effort in many first-world countries.

How about a personal Green revolution? Mobilize and energize your communities to go Green – more fuel-efficient vehicles, lower energy-consuming appliances and lighting fixtures, less meat and alcohol consumption, more recycling and efficient garbage disposal techniques.

GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago urges communities to work together to develop our nation; too many of us, including Indo-Trinidadians, are not keen to be involved in social and community groups. We must unite and work together or else our nation will remain mired in mediocrity and underdevelopment while the world moves forward.

I congratulate the citizens of our nation who are being awarded today by GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago for distinguished and meritorious service to our nation. They should be role models for all of us – not just for Indo-Trinidadians. They have rendered valuable service to our country; they have worked long and hard hours, sacrificing themselves for the progress and development of our community. We extend our sincere gratitude to them and their families, and we are extremely pleased and honoured to play our part in recognition of their sterling contribution to our nation.

When our Jahaji ancestors came on the ships, after the long journey across the Kala Pani, they had very few material possessions - nothing except themselves, with their determination to succeed and build a better life for future generations, for us. It is our duty and obligation not to squander the gains they made under the most oppressive conditions, but to add to development, progress, and the rich legacy and culture they bequeathed us.

In closing, GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, and GOPIO International, extend greetings and felicitations to all on this auspicious occasion of the 164th Anniversary of the Arrival of Indentured Indian Immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago.

Thank You.

==========

India in Queens, With a Caribbean Accent

Little Guyana
India in Queens, With a Caribbean Accent

By COREY KILGANNON

The A train rumbles to a halt at the Ozone Park/Lefferts Boulevard stop in central Queens. To the east, a dozen blocks of Liberty Avenue unfold in a series of roti, sari and gold shops that make up the fragrant spine of Richmond Hill, a community of immigrants who descend from Indians sent to the Caribbean to work on sugar plantations in the 19th century.

One must first reconcile the sight of saris and turbans with lilting English inflected with Creole. Then there is the juxtaposition of Hindu temples and gritty convenience stores, and thumping West Indian dance-hall music pouring out of religious shops. On weekend mornings, locals bring their black finches to Phil Rizzuto Park, formerly known as Smokey Oval Park, for chirp-off contests.

1 P.M. Eat lunch at Sonny’s Roti Shop, 118-06 Liberty Avenue, (718) 835-7255, right under the train station. Sonny’s may not be as well known as Brown Betty’s, Sybil’s or the Little Guyana Bake Shop, but the owner, Steven Rajkumal, a Trinidadian immigrant known as Sonny, is happy to introduce newcomers to the dishes. Order rotis ($5.50 for chicken, $8.50 for oxtail), or try snacks and desserts with cool-sounding names like jalibee and paymee ($2 each).

2 P.M. Within a block of the subway station, there are more shopping options than in some entire towns. You can buy a washer-dryer set at G&R Electronics, 114-04 Liberty Avenue, then walk next door to the Outlook Fashions gift shop, 119-03 Liberty Avenue, for a sitar, then take a safari through the crystal jungle of chandelier shops like B.Q. Gifts, 124-02 Liberty Avenue. Anjee Sherman, the owner of Anjees, 123-11 Liberty Avenue, (718) 843-6108, enjoys helping hip Western women try on saris, which start at $10 and can top $1,000 for wedding silks; her shop also carries small idols of Hindu gods, known as murties, worship offerings called pooja, and holiday fare like prasad.

3 P.M. Among the halal butchers and open-air markets stocked with South Asian spices are stores specializing in Guyanese gold, which is particularly glittery and is often used in ornate pendants.

4 P.M. At Rishi Video Palace, 103-44 124th Street, the owner, Raj Dutt, will guide you through the Bollywood classics and CDs of chutney and soca (think calypso on steroids, with singing in Hindi or English).

5 P.M. For tropical refreshment, sidewalk vendors on every other block sell sliced mango flavored with hot sauce, lemon and salt. At other stalls, a worker with a machete will chop open a coconut and stick in a straw for $3. Or, have your palm read by any of a half-dozen psychics; Marie Sanchez, between 128th and 129th Streets, is offering a $5 recession special. The sidewalk entertainment includes young men in cars with tinted windows and flashy metal rims creeping along Liberty Avenue, blasting soca, dance-hall or reggaeton music.

6 P.M. Relax at Rani Spa, 126-08 Liberty Avenue, (718) 641-7600, which offers eyebrow threading, mehndi (temporary henna tattoos on the hands) and shirodhara, a massage that includes the pouring of warm oil on the forehead ($50 for a half hour). The manager, Rumi Begum, will put you at ease, and the friendly locals sitting around the salon will make you laugh.

7 P.M. At the Ranch Restaurant and Bar of Guyana, 134-01 Liberty Avenue, (718) 206-2333, drink Red Stripe, Carib and Banks beer, or a Guyanese overproof rum known as High Wine while playing pool and watching cricket. Order fried shark or jerk chicken appetizers at the bar ($8). A short walk east is Club Tobago, 147-02 Liberty Avenue, (718) 658-9600, which on weekend nights is a hot dance hall popping with big crowds and live DJs.