President: Honour Indian ancestors by rejecting division

PRESIDENT Christine Carla Kangaloo has issued a call to citizens to honour the Indian ancestors, by banding together as they did 179 years ago, and not allow division and strife to weaken the sacrifices they made.

In a message commemorating Indian Arrival Day on May 30, the President noted that the strength of this nation lay in the unity of the diverse races and cultural expressions.

She said the arrival of the first indentured labourers on May 30, 1845, on the Fatel Razack, marked one of the most significant developments in our nation’s history.

“One hundred and seventy-nine years later, Trinidad and Tobago looks back with profound gratitude for their arrival. We have inherited not only the cultural products of music, dance, food, and festivals which the indentured labourers brought, but also the values and principles which fortified and sustained them during times of difficulty and uncertainty.”

As the country celebrated the immeasurable impact of their contributions, she also reflected on the hardships they suffered as they navigated the realities of indentureship in a foreign land.

“As we reflect on those hardships, we marvel, pay tribute, and we are filled with gratitude for the things that allowed them not just to survive those hardships, but to thrive in spite of them.

“We marvel at the example of their resilience, courage, and hope in the midst of adversity. We pay tribute to the sacrifices they made to carve a life for themselves and a future for their offspring.

“We are grateful for their determination to hold on to their cultural traditions and values which have enriched the beautiful mosaic that is TT.”

The President, who is also the descendant of Indentured Indians, said there is no better way to honour the contributions of the forefathers than to committing to ensuring that their efforts towards forging a resilient society do not go to waste.

“What greater tribute can we pay, than to commit to building upon the foundation that they created and do our part in strengthening the nation for which they gave their blood, their sweat and their tears?” she asked.

Kangaloo said Indian Arrival Day provided the opportunity to express appreciation for the work of nation-building undertaken by the forefathers.

“It is important that we do so, but it is equally important that we do our part to strengthen and deepen the bonds that sustain us as a nation, and that we forge a common path forward, so that the invaluable work done by our ancestors is not in vain.

“This Indian Arrival Day, let us therefore band together, as did the indentured labourers – both on the perilous journey across the kali pani, and thereafter, in facing the challenges and adversities of life in a new land – and recommit to working together to overcome the adversities and challenges of modern-day life...

“I wish the national community a joyous and peaceful Indian Arrival Day.”