At ‘Arrival Day’ concert at Albion… President urges nation to stand tall –be proud of who we are as a people
President Donald Ramotar takes time out to meet the artistes of the 'Hamara Guyana concert' held yesterday at the Albion Community Centre Ground
President Donald Ramotar takes time out to meet the artistes of the 'Hamara Guyana concert' held yesterday at the Albion Community Centre Ground

AS all Guyana observed Arrival Day yesterday, President Donald Ramotar called upon the nation to celebrate the tremendous sacrifices our ancestors made, but most importantly to jealously protect the inroads they made in the quest for the many freedoms we now enjoy. 

He made the call at the Albion Community Centre Ground where a huge gathering was assembled for the Indian Arrival Committee’s (IAC) Arrival Day ‘ Guyana Hamara Concert’.
Said the President at the outset of his brief address, “Arrival Day applies to every Guyanese. As we struggled to build this country, we had to fight against slavery; fight for independence from colonialism…”

President Donald Ramotar interacting with patrons at the IAC 'Hamara Guyana concert' at the Albion Community Centre Ground yesterday
President Donald Ramotar interacting with patrons at the IAC ‘Hamara Guyana concert’ at the Albion Community Centre Ground yesterday

Noting that independence and democracy are two of the gains all Guyanese enjoy today, and that they should not be taken for granted, President Ramotar said: .
“We had to fight against a dictatorship; and freedom only came after 1992. And since then, we have been able to live in freedom to transform our country.”
President Ramotar alluded to the fact that Guyana has been transformed from a Highly Indebted Poor Country to a middle income developing country and that in itself is cause to celebrate.
“Today,” he said, “we are a middle-income developing country, and we could have gone much further. The people in opposition are doing their best to hold back the country, but we have been growing by 5% every year, and even in an economically challenging environment.”
Going forward on May 11 when Guyana is set to hold general and regional elections, the Head of State said the citizens of Guyana have in their hands the power to decide how fast Guyana will grow.
“Our future lies in building a strong and modern economy. I know what we went through for the fight for freedom.” He highlighted the importance of a modern state, and a growing economy, for which the foundations have already been set.
“While we celebrate Arrival Day, we must be proud of who we are, and the culture we brought here. We are not ashamed of who we are, we must be proud of who we are.”
Pledging his government’s commitment to the sugar industry, which the indentured labourers helped to build, President Ramotar said that once re-elected, his government will, over the next five years, invest $20B to support the industry.
“I will see the sugar industry meet better days. Once more, this is an occasion for celebration, and we must commemorate the sacrifices of our foreparents. We would have never met this stage, so we have to reflect on that and not forget history.”
The event was a part of three major “Hamara Guyana Concerts” which coincided with activities to commemorate the 177th anniversary of Indian arrival in Guyana.
Trinidadians KI, Artie Butkoon and Satnarine Raghu, along with International Guyanese artiste Terry Gajraj and Marissa Deodat, put on a splendid show for the large crowd at Albion. The first concert was held on Friday, May 1 at the National Stadium, Providence; and the second on May 2, at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground.
Also later in the evening, the President joined the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha for their Arrival Day celebration and concert at the Uitvlugt Mandir ground.
There, the President echoed similar messages as he called for Guyanese to unite and to celebrate the sacrifices and protect the gains fought for by their ancestors. He noted that when the ancestors came they all made a significant contribution to the rich and diverse culture all Guyanese enjoy today.
East Indians first came to then British Guiana in 1838 as indentured labourers to work on the sugar plantations. (GINA)

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