CARIBBEAN HINDU CULTURAL SOCIETY
'ACTION THY DUTY, REWARD NOT THY CONCERN'
ESTABLISHED 1959 REGISTERED CHARITY No. 249559
16 Ostade Road, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 2BB
Telephone: 0208 674 0755 email: om@chcstemple.org
Indian Arrival Day
05/05/2020
“This brief summary of the end of Indentureship to Guyana and the economic
status of Indians who remained and those who returned to India, was compiled by Shree Fizul Ali for the CHCS”
“A Commemoration of 100 years since the end of Indian Indentureship to Guyana”
Guyana normally commemorates the anniversary of the Arrival of Indian Indentured labourers from the 5th of May 1838, four years after the end of African Slavery in 1834.
Indian Indentureship formally ended in 1917 when the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, assented to a recommendation made by the Government of India, that Indentured emigration to Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Fiji, and Surinam, be abolished. However, in order to minimise disruption on the sugar plantations, the Government of India agreed to an extension of a further period of five years. (A History of Indians in Guyana: Dwarka Nath, 1950).
Between 1838 and 1917, 239,909 Indians arrived in Guyana. Then, in 1921, 274 arrived. In 1922, 160 arrived, and finally, in 1926, 173.
It is worth noting that between 1843 and 1955, a total of 75,792 Indians returned to India with $4.7 Million in cash, and $600,000 worth of jewellery!
Of those who decided to stay on in Guyana, their propensity to work very hard and build up wealth, can be demonstrated by the following ownership in 1925 A total of 238 Jewellers, 445 Shopkeepers, 845 Hucksters, 259 Milk-sellers, 12,465 Rice Farmers, and, 13,700 Landed Proprietors, Agriculturists, and Cattle Farmers. (Dr B Mangru, Guyanese Historian and Writer).
By: Khalil Rahman Ali (aka Fizul Ali): Author of “Sugar’s Sweet Allure” (2013), “The Domino Masters of Demerara” (2015), and, “In Pursuit of Betterment” (2017). Next publication titled, “Daughter of the Great River” (due, 2020).
23rd April 2020
Indian Arrival Day and CHCS (Caribbean Hindu Cultural Society) Founders Day
5th May 2020.
Jai Sita Raam, Namaste, Salaam and Good Morning to all Guyanese at home in Guyana and in the diaspora.
On the 5th May 1838, the first of our fore parents were landed in British Guiana.
They were hard working and very industrious.
Today, in Guyana and across the world, where ever domiciled, the descendants of those early pioneers are making their marks in all walks of life and helping to make this world a better place.
“Tujhe Suraj Kaho yaa Chanda, Tujhe Deep Kaho yaa Tara,
Tera Naam Karegaa Roshan, Jag me Teraa Raj Dulara”
(We the descendants of our ancestors continue to make the names of our ancestors shine and bring Joy to their Souls)
This year marks the One Hundred and Eighty-Two years since our Fore Parents were taken to British Guiana and Sixty-One years since the establishment of CHCS. For many years now we at CHCS have been celebrating these events with pomp and good humour.
Unfortunately, because of the Pandemic of Covid-19 our celebrations due on 9th May cannot go ahead as planned. We Pray that the situation can be speedily resolved and life can go back to normalcy as soon as possible.
Remember, our ancestors maintained our Dharma and passed it on through the system of Parampara. The Shree Mad Bhagavat Gita and the Shree Ram Charitra Manas or the Shri Tulisidas Ramayan continues to support our generation and will do so into the future. We would like to share a short clip from the Holy Ramayan. May Shree Rama’s Blessings be upon all the peoples of the world.
Pt. Bish Persaud.