On arrival and disappearance
By Professor Prakash Persad
Published: May 18, 2009
Tradition by its very definition suggests continuity and therefore embedded in it must be mechanisms to ensure the propagation of the practices. This being the case and judging from the number of and the rate at which our cultural inheritances are disappearing, there must be something seriously askew within the Indo-Trinidadian community. It is not the intention to list all the customs that have disappeared but rather to give a snapshot of the many areas in which we have suffered loss.
The community would be well advised to take heed for our culture and traditions define who and what we are. It provides a bulwark against cultural hegemony and provides a sanctuary in times of uncertainty and change. These days, it is difficult to find Ramayan groups. In the past, every village had at least one. They would be present at the various satsanghs (pray meetings) and times of bereavement.
The Ramayan holds a special place in the hearts and lives of Hindus worldwide. Here in Trinidad, it holds an even more special value as it is the very scripture that was the catalyst for the meeting of the indentured labourers where they prayed, reminisced, socialised and were given the succour, strength and courage to succeed in a harsh foreign land.
Indeed, without the Ramayan it is very likely that the denuding of our cultural foliage, as was the intent, would have been fully accomplished. The beleaguered committed preserved the tradition. Let their effort not be in vain. The “classical singing” (folk songs and bhajans) era has effectively ended despite the brave efforts of some to keep it alive. It was an art form that entertained and maintained a link with the ancestral homeland. The drumming and singing styles associated with this have not been fully preserved and indeed this is a huge loss as it had evolved to very proficient level.
So too the itinerant troupes who performed the Harischand and Prahalad dances on the cooking nights at Hindu weddings. These extraordinarily talented musicians and dancers would perform for the entire night. This art form has apparently entirely disappeared. What makes the disappearance of the above-mentioned art forms even more tragic is that the “classical singers” initiated the chutney movement which has now descended into self-destructive vulgarity. Some disgracefully argue that chutney was always a part of the culture. They are nothing more than charlatan apologists enamoured with vulgarity.
The custom was for the women folk at the groom’s residence, after the wedding party had departed to the bride’s home, to dance to their heart’s content in an unrestrained manner. The centre of attraction was a couple of women, with one dressed as a man, engaged in suggestive dancing. As mainly the men folk would form the wedding party, it was the task of some of the family boys to stay at home for security reasons.
It was not unusual for them to sneak peeps at the dancing, which the womenfolk generally keep in jealously guarded quarters.
This dancing was thus done in solely female company away from prying eyes as was the case in the Hardi ceremony etc. The unrestrained, suggestive and many times lewd dancing done at chutney shows is a public vulgarisation of a tradition rooted in modesty and which had specific cultural intents and outcomes.
The drinking, nonsensical, unimaginative, suggestive lyrics and vulgar dancing on display at chutney shows have nothing to do with our tradition. Call it chutnival but do not call it traditional culture for it is not. The close neighbourly and community relations that existed with our forebears have all but disappeared. Most villages would have a monthly full moon katha (prayer meeting). As most Hindu and Indian occasions have a strong social component, it was a meeting place for families, an opportunity to bond and to strengthen relations. These too have waned significantly with the resultant disintegration of the communities.
Interestingly, the Bhaagwat yagyas (a seven-days prayer meeting with three prayer sessions a day) provided not only spiritual inspiration and solace but also a two-week or so opportunity for team building and bonding among the young and old alike, which formed and strengthened friendships and family bonds while providing, like the wedding ceremonies, opportunities for meeting prospective brides and grooms. As religious ceremonies provided the main platform for social interaction in the Hindu community, the reduction of their frequency and size have not only resulted in the reduction of their social scope but also in the losing of other associated art forms, skills and personnel.
The peripatetic sadhus have disappeared, the skills in event organisation and management have been dissipated and diluted, as have the skills in chulha (earthen fireside) making and a reduction in the transmission of the bhandara cooking (largescale cooking) expertise. The list of vanishing customs, skills, practices and traditions is, tragically, too long.
What may be fatal however is the comatose-like reaction of the community to these losses and the inability to proactively respond to the challenges posed to the survival of our cultural inheritances. The tools provided to us by our forebears to succeed and flourish in a new situation while keeping one’s identity are being discarded and lost. Becoming culturally poor is the first stage in the process of losing our identity and therefore our value.
• Prof Prakash Persad is the director of Swaha Inc
http://guardian.co.tt/commentary/columnist/2009/05/18/arrival-and-disappearance
