Kamla's Indian Arrival Day message: All must work together to overcome pandemic

EVERY citizen of this nation must work on a united front in order to overcome the many challenges posed by the pandemic.

This was the advice of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar in her message to the nation on the occasion of Indian Arrival Day which was observed on Sunday but is given as a public holiday on Monday.

In a message posted to her Facebook page, she said, "Just as our forefathers united to overcome challenges and build a nation, we must work together now to bring the covid19 crisis under control."

In observing the 176th anniversary of the arrival of the first East Indian immigrants to TT, she said, the country is reminded of their courage and resilience in a time of great uncertainty.

Having braved the perilous journey, she continued, our forefathers suffered great hardship upon their arrival to our shores. "They persevered and held on to their religious beliefs, culture and traditions, which were passed on through generations. In spite of the harsh conditions and experience of Indentureship, the majority of Indians who came to Trinidad and Tobago chose to make this country their home."

She said that the indenture system lasted for over 70 years, ending in 1917, and just a year later, TT along with the rest of the Caribbean was ravaged by an influenza pandemic (1918-1919), with the Indian immigrant population and the poor and indigenous populations were particularly hard-hit.

Today, Persad-Bissessar's statement said, our nation is once again in the throes of a pandemic, this time because of a novel coronavirus. While we have the benefit of advances in technology, equipment, and health care, the poor and vulnerable in our society are severely impacted in many ways.

She said restrictions that are in place, while necessary to curb the spread of the virus, mean that thousands of people are unable to earn an income and care for their families. There is a need for greater protection of the poor and vulnerable at this time, she urged.

"Today, we can draw inspiration from our East Indian forefathers and all others who made this nation their home as they looked out for each other, and worked together to build communities. Let us follow their example and work together to overcome this crisis that we are facing.

"Indian Arrival Day serves as a reminder of the diverse beauty of our nation as individuals of different cultures all united to build our nation.

The people of Trinidad and Tobago are resilient, and I am confident that together, we can rebuild and emerge stronger than before, and realize our vision for our nation," she said.