The Indian contributiont o St James

THE EDITOR: On Tuesday our country will be commemorating 178 years of East Indian arrival to our shores. Incidental to this is the 85th 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 St James has developed from a sleepy village into a vital sub-division of the capital.

Originally, St James was settled by Tamil Indians and that was immortalised by the naming of a large percentage of its streets after cities and regions in India.

Hence we have Bombay, Calcutta, Bengal, Kandahar, Lucknow, Agra, Benares, Madras and Patna Streets, to name some.

Moreover, the two religions associated with the Indians in Trinidad, Hinduism and Islam, are very well established here and the Hosay commemoration is a major religious and cultural event which has become very 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, architecture in St James 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 vital sub-division of Port of Spain and, incidentally, the best example of spiritual, cultural and ethnic harmony in the Trinidad landscape.

Most people 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 religious and ethnic groups, thus reinforcing our national motto, Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve.

RISHI LAKHAN

via e-mail

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"The Indian contributiont o St James"

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