Pellau Magazine

Minister of Works and Infrastructure and Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, Jack Warner, says the East Indians who migrated from India in 1845 to work as indentured labourers in the Caribbean, came here to help an economy that demanded and needed labour to help stabilise the economy after it was difficult to get labour after the emancipation of African slaves.

Speaking at an Indian Arrival Day celebration at the Warren Road Recreation Ground, Cunupia, entitled "Indian Integration: Myth and Reality", on Friday, Warner, who sponsored the event, said East Indians came to Trinidad and Tobago when the sugar industry was on the brink of collapse. He said they did so "for 72 years, under the most difficult positions, first to come and work, to help build this country".

"The celebration we are having tonight is to celebrate arrival of the Indians who came to save the economy of this country ... at a time when many people feel that the word 'celebrate' is a bad thing," Warner said.

"When people don't want to celebrate anything under this Government, when they find all kinds of spurious and stupid reasons not to celebrate even the achievements of the Government over a two-year period, people who celebrate labour year after year and they are telling us that we should not celebrate our achievements and celebrate those who came here for 73 years to keep the country alive."

The minister urged the gathering to dismiss themselves from people who found it difficult to pay homage and respect to those who helped build and were still building this country.

"The time will come, the same way we are celebrating the Indians' arrival to this country, at a most difficult time, at a most crucial time, when the economy was on the brink of collapse, and Indians came to save the country, the time will come when we shall all celebrate, over time, how it was a woman from Siparia who also came to save this country when the country was on the brink of collapse in 2010," Warner said, referring to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

"It was a woman from Siparia who did that and you must ask yourselves today if we did not have the Indians to come here in 1845, for 72 years, when the country was on the brink of collapse, what would have happened to the country today?"

The minister said East Indians have left their mark in every aspect of nation building, including education, law and medicine.

"You have left your mark as a people based on the fact that you have been able to help yourselves and you have shown that there is no disrespect or disregard for hard work.

"In fact, you have shown that there is no substitute for hard work. You have shown that one can benefit from one's labour by working hard and making sacrifices, and that is why today no one should begrudge the East Indians for what they have achieved. No one should begrudge the Indians for having to celebrate Indian Arrival Day," Warner said.

The audience was entertained by East Indian dances by the Prema Shakti Dance Group, tassa drumming by Tri Star Tassa Group and live entertainment from cross-over band Modern Rhythms.

The event was culminated by a spectacular display of fireworks. Indian Arrival Day will be recognised on Wednesday, a public holiday.
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