St James connection to India

THE EDITOR: Today, our country commemorates 173 years of East-Indian arrival to our shores. Incidental to this is the 80th year anniversary of the inclusion of St James into the City of Port-of-Spain.

This historic event took place on June 1, 1938. Since then, the town of St James has developed from a sleepy village into a vital sub-division of Port of Spain.

Originally, St James was settled by Tamil Indians and immortalised that event by naming a large percentage of its streets after the cities and regions of India. Hence we have such streets as Bombay, Calcutta, Bengal, Kandahar, Lucknow, Agra, Benares and Madras, to name some.

Moreover, the two religions associated with the Indians of Trinidad, Hinduism and Islam, are well established here and the Hosay commemoration is a major religious and cultural event which has become well known.

Furthermore, all aspects of Indian cuisine, whether in direct form or indirectly in the manner in which food is seasoned, have become characteristic of St James households, regardless of ethnic origin, and of food vending outlets all over the country.

Additionally, St James’ architecture and the enterprising spirit of its people reflect the philosophy of life of the Indian immigrant.

All of those characteristics have functioned to cause St James to be regarded as the most vibrant sub-division of the city and, incidentally, the best example of cultural and ethnic harmony in the Trinidad landscape.

Most natives of St James are proud to be St Jamesians and are quick to acknowledge the contribution that the Indian immigrant made to the creation of this outstanding community. Indians in St James also participate in events of other ethnic groups, thus reinforcing our watchwords, “Together we aspire, together we achieve.”

RISHI LAKHAN, St James