Indian cultural centre opens in Mt Hope 21 years later

Some 21 years after the foundation stone was laid, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Cultural Cooperation was finally unveiled on October 9.

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne toured the newly-built facility Mt Hope last week with the ministry’s acting permanent secretary Reita Toussaint.

Indian High Commissioner Arun Kumar Sahu and his team guided the minister of the tour, according to a statement from the Indian High Commission.

The media release said Browne had a positive reaction on seeing the building “especially the spacious classrooms where lessons on Indian music, dance and yoga would be imparted.”

Browne was treated with a cultural performance where Indian tabla joined pan, African drums and tassa.

According to information about the institute provided by the commission to Newsday, the idea to build the institute was formed during a 1968 visit to TT by former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

In 1987, the cultural agreement was signed between then TT’s foreign minister Basdeo Panday and India’s foreign minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari.

In 1991 both governments signed a protocol agreement and a plot of land at Mt Hope was donated to the commission in 1994 for the construction of the building.

Seven years later, the centre began functioning out of a temporary space in Caroni. In 1999, the foundation stone for the building was laid by then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Panday, then prime minister. The centre then shifted its rented location to Chaguanas as its construction was delayed, the commission said.

On October 2, the commission unveiled a Mahatma Gandhi bust at the newly constructed building.

The unveiling ceremony was held on the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and was led by the High Commissioner and St Joseph MP Terrence Deyalsingh.