From time to time questions on the origin of Indian Arrival Day arise, and lest it be relegated to the shrouds of ancient mystery like most Indian festivals, now is an opportune time to document it.

Early in the year 1977 an historic meeting took place at No. 13 Frederick Street in Curepe that gave birth to the Indian Revival and Reform Association (IRRA). This group was founded on the premise that there was an urgent need to defend "Indianness" and proclaim its relevance to multiethnic Trinidad.

Members had observed that there was a growing tendency to put down everything Indian. They decided to embark on a campaign of resistance, which took the form of pamphleteering. The pamphlet that received the most widespread attention was Racism in Taxis dealing with the hostile reaction of the non-Indian travelling public to the playing of Indian music in taxis.

But IRRA was not satisfied with the progress. It was searching for an idea that would root Indians once and for all in Trinidad.

Members came across a copy of the Indian Centenary Review published in 1945 for the 100^th anniversary of the arrival of Indians as indentured workers on May 30, 1845.

Inspired by the massive celebrations and its indigenous nature, the group decided that this was the event they were looking for.

They noted the annual march undertaken by the Divine Life Society, albeit on a low-keyed level, on May 30, in Central.

Ramdath Jagessar, the general secretary and only historian in IRRA at the time, was mandated to research the topic of Indian Indentureship thoroughly and to become the spokesperson on the event. In a letter to the Sandesh newspaper on July 10^th, 1987, Jagessar wrote: "In 1977 because of the efforts of the Indian Revival and Reform Association (IRRA) the Indian Arrival Day Committee was set up. It's ten founding members were Azamudeen Jang (deceased), Khalik Khan, Anand Singh, Michael Sankar, Rajesh Haricharan, Ashok Gobin, Anand Maharaj, Rajiv Sieunarine, Rajnie Ramlakhan and Ramdath Jagessar."

Members decided that the first course of action was to sensitize the nation to the event and spent the rest of 1977 doing this. It should be noted here that the group consisted of Hindus, Muslims and Presbyterian Indians and that they signalled the intention to have an Indian and not Hindu celebration.

Later on Rev. Idris Hamid and Fr. Thomas Haricharan would respond to the call for involvement by Christian Indians.

However, in 1977 IRRA (except Ramlakhan - it was too dangerous) embarked on a poster and banner blitz across the country, using their won funds. Late into the night they could be found scouring the countryside plastering on posters on walls and hanging banners on poles announcing the commemoration of "Immigration Day" as it was still being called.

This had to be done surreptitiously, as the law did not permit those activities. The following year, 1978, Jagessar wrote a series of articles for the newspapers and gave radio and television interviews. Thousands of pamphlets were distributed by all members throughout the length ad breath of the country.

Satisfied by then that most people were aware of the significance of May 30^th, members began a campaign to woo prominent citizens and organizations to participate in the celebrations.

This was perhaps the toughest part of the activity so far and was undertaken by the men. They were greeted with doors slammed in their faces or being driven off properties.

Prominent people wanted to have nothing to do with the idea, branding it racist, divisive and against nation building.

Fortunately they were able to get the attention of Sat Maharaj of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha and the rest is history.

To quote again from Jagessar's letter: "In 1979 we held a joint celebration with the Maha Sabha and changed the name to Indian Arrival Day in 1980 we handled the celebrations ourselves at the Spring Village Hindu School."

It is necessary to add here that the name-change came from IRRA as members agreed that Indians were no longer immigrants but full-fledged citizens of this land. Jagessar concluded his letter by stating that: "Our aim has always been to encourage the celebration as widely as possible. We hope to see it observed in every school, place of worship and home from 1988 the Committee aims to bring together some of the groups celebrating Indian Arrival Day and take the event into a new dimension."

IRRA spent the greater part of a decade propagating the celebration and when it was satisfied that it had done its job the group receded into the back-ground, convinced tat the day belonged to all Indians, and the nation, and not to any one organization.

Given the nature of our society at the time it was necessary for IRRA to be militant against the repressions of government in the form of institutionalized discrimination in job opportunities and scholarships and housing distribution; aided and abetted by the media.

These have been well documented by the Centre for Ethnic Studies. So I can understand the need people felt to distance themselves from the group, out of fear.

What I do not understand is why now the members of IRRA are not given their just recognition for their role in the establishment of Indian Arrival Day.

As if by tacit agreement all the major organizations, including the government, that commemorate the annual national celebrations, ignore the group.

I am a sad witness to seeing just about every active Indian getting an award on this day - except the members of IRRA. Jagessar played a pivotal role in this affair.

Is it too much to ask the government to bring him back from Canada to honour him and the group?

There have also been attempts to marginalize my role in the shaping of this event.

Peripheral though it may have been, I was there and I am proud of that fact. Indian Arrival Day is not, and never has been, a male-oriented celebration as claimed by a Toronto-based Indo-Trinidadian feminist in 1995 for the UWI conference to celebrate the 150^th anniversary.

The members that made up the now defunct IRRA are humble people whose philosophical outlook is based on the principle of social service rather than individual gain.

They would probably want to refuse any attempt to pay homage to them. But that does not absolve the State and the society from their responsibility to acknowledge the contribution of the group in shaping the destiny of our beloved nation.

TOP

_________________________________________________________

Indian immigrant Siew Dass Sadhu has become somewhat of a legend in Trinidad and Tobago. He has a $1.5 million temple in the sea named after him and a pristine statue of himself clad in a dhoti, (loincloth) standing reverently at the top of a pedestal at the entrance to the temple.

On Indian Arrival Day last year, Prime Minister Basdeo Panday unveiled a plaque at the base of the statue in Sadhu's honour. It is now a tourist attraction and a shrine for worshippers.

Each year, hundreds of people gather at the site to celebrate Indian Arrival Day with the Hindu Seva Sangh. And the smiling Sadhu welcomes them with clasped hands.

At the age of four, a young boy by the name of Siew Dass accompanied by his parents left their homeland in India and sailed across the ocean to a destiny unknown. Little did he know that his name would be whispered with reverence on the lips of many or that he was destined to change the lives and history of the people in a humble village in Central Trinidad.

Siew Dass was born in 1901. He came to Trinidad under the indentureship scheme.

After the deaths of his parents and having served his indentureship period, Siew Dass accepted his return passage to India but was unable to stay away from the country he came to love and respect as his home.

He returned to Trinidad, and settled among the residents in Waterloo Village in Central Trinidad.

He loved the lush green sugar cane in the village and the clean fresh air. It was near the sea where he could perform his poojas undisturbed by the intrusion of noise from the town.

Siew Dass was of strong religious and moral beliefs. When he returned to Trinidad, he brought with him the "firm religious beliefs and traditions of his forefathers" and fought desperately to hold on to those beliefs against a society that scorned and ridiculed him.

He was nicknamed Sadhu (religious one) by villagers who laughed at him because he stood up for what he believed. Today, the name Siew Dass Sadhu is looked upon with great respect and awe.

Sadhu has come and gone, but his memory lingers on in the minds of those who were fortunate to know him. He has left an indelible mark on the earth when he single-handedly took tons of sand, cement, stone and bricks into the Gulf of Paria, to construct a mandir 500 feet into the sea at Waterloo Bay.

His dream was to build a temple and teach his children and the young ones in the village the principles of Hinduism and how to worship and perform poojas.

This dream brought him humiliation and shame, but nevertheless bore fruit before he bade this "cruel" world good-bye. In 1947, Sadhu asked Caroni (1975) Ltd. To purchase a parcel of land at the edge of the Bay, to build a temple. His wife, Samdaye, said he was given verbal consent by a Mr. Mark Millan, to build the temple.

An elated Sadhu began the herculean task of clearing the land and building the temple. For four years the temple with its murtis was used by residents and people from neighbouring villages to perform poojas.

In 1952, Sadhu was ordered by Caroni Limited to demolish the temple. With a heavy heart and tearful eyes, he told the authorities that the temple was a House of God and was built for worship. "I cannot break it down," he said.

Sadhu's refusal to comply landed him in jail for 14 days. He was fined $500, which he paid at $20 a month. While he was in jail officials of Caroni Limited demolished the temple and cleared the debris.

Sadhu told Samdaye: "They say the land is company land and they don't want me to build my temple on it. Then I will build my temple in nobody's land. I will build my temple in the sea where nobody will have to break it down and nobody will say the land is theirs."

One week after his release he began to build his temple in the sea. Each day for almost five years Sadhu journeyed from his home to the site on a bicycle with two buckets of material which he dumped into the sea to build a road.

He was laughed at and called a "mad man" by villagers as he toiled day and night. Finally the work was done, and Sadhu stood back and looked at his work with pride.

The stone temple had a kitchen and rest room. Murtis were in place and the symbol Om beckoned from atop the roof. It was time to perform pooja. News of the temple in the sea spread to all corners of the country and visitors and worshippers travelled long distances to see the spectacle.

Many visited the temple on Sundays to perform prayers. For over 30 years the temple in the sea was used by devout Hindus and served as a pilgrimage spot during Kartik and Shiva Raatri. His dream realized and his heart content, Sadhu quietly passed away in 1971.

In May 1993, he received recognition for the first time when the Hindu Seva Sangh held a march in honour of his memory. Over 5,000 followers walked from St. Mary's Junction, Freeport, to the banks of the Waterloo Bay where an inaugural ceremony was held by the late Swami Satchichnanda at the temple ruins. The procession made a brief stop at Sadhu's home.

TOP

_________________________________________________________

 This year the Hindu Seva Sangh Incorporated will honour Central Bank Governor Winston Dookeran, Public Service Commission Chairman Kenneth Lalla, Legal Affairs Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Pundit Ramcharan Gosine and Chairman of the Princes Town Regional Corp, Mohammed Haniff.

The ceremony will take place at the Waterloo Bay Cremation Site Car Park, at 4 p.m. on Sunday May 31^st.

The annual seven-mile road race will begin at the Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, and end at the site. Winners will share a cash prize of $10,000.

The Sangh will hold celebrations at Hassarath Road, Cunupia and the Creative Arts Centre, San Fernando, on Sunday May 24^th.

Celebrations will be held at Cedar Hill Ram Leela Grounds, Princes Town, on May 28^th, 29^th, and 30^th.

TOP

_________________________________________________________

The Mahatma Gandhi Peace Foundation is proud to be associated with the 153^rd Anniversary of the Arrival of East Indians in Trinidad and Tobago.

As we herald the 21^st Century, we have to face the realities of a new world order. Ancient civilizations are slowly adjusting to meet modern developments, China, India, Egypt and Africa, are the cradles upon which our civilization is built.

They are all undergoing this evolution. They are carefully protecting their ancient customs, but at the same time, opening little windows to assimilate the world's technological impact.

Trade liberalization policies and military armaments in these ancient lands are systematically transforming them into modern places.

Our people are the proud descendants of these civilizations.

Our culture is a mosaic of the consciousness of varying backgrounds, as is our music and religion. We have together through an abundance of love and tolerance forged for ourselves a unique blend of a Trinidad and Tobago culture. I am proud to be part of this unique harmony.

On the 30^th May 1845, the Fatel Razack arrived in Trinidad and Tobago with 225 people from India. These people were lured to the Caribbean region with a promise of the gold of El Dorado and the good life. Reality reared its ugly head when they were made to enter indentured contractual labour for a period of three to five years, at the end of which, they were promised a free passage back home.

For those who did not return home, they were promised land. Some returned, some stayed. They never got the promised land. Some of them are still asking for it. They were hustled and bundled into cramped barracks sleeping sometimes four to six in ten-foot room.

These people came generally from the working class and were basically illiterate. They certainly spoke no English.

Communication was impossible for the first few years. Their working and living conditions were deplorable. They worked in the cane plantations owned by the British. The names of Indians in the Caribbean are differently spelt to these in India, primarily because they spoke no English.

The British plantation owners wrote their names in the Register, as these immigrants pronounced them in their native dialects - hence the spelling errors.

Between 1850 and 1917, 143,000 Indians had arrived.

The voyage from India took over three months in ships, which were no more than floating Sampans.

Food was meagre and miserly. The hostile winds of the open seas were freezing and turbulent. Many died en-route, others committed suicide. We are the offspring of those few brave men and women who survived.

Mahatma Gandhi went back to India from South Africa in 1915. He was absolutely shaken by the treatment of indentured labourers in South Africa and he raised the question with the Indian National Congress in 1916 and found support from GK Gokhale.

Gandhi sent lawyers to report on the situation in Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana and the Caribbean. One of his emissaries was the well-known confidant of the Mahatma, CF Andrews, who also visited the Caribbean.

After reading the reports by Andrews and W. Pearson, Mahatma Gandhi persuaded Gokhale to call for the abolition of Indian Indentureship in the Indian Imperial Council.

Taking up the call, a stalwart supporter of Gandhi, Pundit Madan Mohan Malaviya moved the abolition of Indentureship in the legislature.

Governor Hardinge supported the call Mahatma Gandhi, Andrews, Henry Solomon and Leon Polak campaigned throughout India.

On March 21, 1916, the British Government cancelled all indentureship.

Today in Trinidad and Tobago their offspring steadily progressed through 153 years.

They now number about 500,000 or just about one-half of the population. They are in the mainstream of society and an indelible part of the mosaic that makes up our beautiful native land.

TOP

_________________________________________________________

The long journey across the Kala Pani (black water) to a land unknown was dismal and filled with uncertainty. The indentured immigrants packed on board vessels that left India for Trinidad and dreams of a better life than the one they left behind.

To ease the boredom and anxiety, they sang, danced and made music. A cultural heritage that they brought through the dark ages and developed into an institution of inspiration and wonder over the years.

Today, the music of India, introduced to this country by the indentured immigrants, has diversified and is now the stock of rigorous competitions locally and in some countries abroad.

India is a land steeped in mystery and rich in culture. The name has a melody of its own. Its music is timeless. It has evolved from ageless classical music to modern day pop and rock.

In Trinidad, the traditional Indian music has been developed into an indigenous blend, popularly known as chutney and more lately, chutney soca. The chutney songs, which originated from what was traditionally called "breakaway", a backdoor ceremony held at Indian weddings, was widely practiced in India.

The art form was continued on plantations by the immigrants when a wedding was held. Men were not allowed to witness or take part in the "Lawa" and "Matchor" rituals. The Lawa, held on Friday night, consisted of the parching of dhaan (rice in the shell).

"This was more or less like a competition. The two families tried to out do each other in parching the lawa," said Batchiya Nanan, 68, a singer from Princes Town.

"If the rice comes out fluffy and nice, then it is believed the couple will have a good married life. At first the lawa was parched at 4 a.m. but as time went by people lost the tradition and it is now done at midnight, sometimes before that," she said.

"What is now called chutney, is really breakaway, which was sung in Hindi. Women would dress in men's clothes and dance and sing, and the things they said to each other in the song, I can't even mention," she laughed.

"Saturday night Matchor was the most fun. People with their drums, organs and dhantals would sing breakaway whole night. People used to go to farewell just to hear breakaway. Now that has changed. The tradition is different now. People go to weddings to hear chutney and chutney soca," she said.

Chutney King Sundar Popo is the pioneer behind the chutney blend of music. He took the breakaway song, sprinkled it with English and rolled out a new melody.

"You could say chutney was formed from the breakaway songs, which our ancestors taught us,' Nanan said, "the only difference is we now have chutney soca. The traditional music is evolving into its own Trinidadian style, like what is now happening in India."

TOP