President Jagdeo advises
President Bharrat Jagdeo has urged Guyanese to use the strength and resilience of their indentured forebears to address the problems of today’s society.

He issued the challenge Sunday to thousands gathered at the National Park at the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) mela to observe the 171st anniversary of the arrival of indentured Indians in Guyana.

Addressing the crowd, Mr. Jagdeo emphasised that dealing with problems such as suicide and domestic violence which are prevalent among East Indians requires the support of all.

“It can’t only be government, it can’t only be religious leaders, ever single one of us has to play a part in this quest to improve our country every single day so that when we leave it, we leave it a better place for those who follow,” he contended.

“Those who come 100 years from now would celebrate this generation, the people who are sitting here or standing around, that they too will understand your struggle for the better life they would have enjoyed,” the President declared.

He told the crowd that the awareness of their ancestors’ struggle and hardship to educate their children should serve as enlightenment to them in understanding their role in preserving and expanding the culture and achievements of their fore-parents.

The Guyanese Head of State said too that today Guyanese have demonstrated that they can co-exist in a mosaic culture that is more sustainable in the long run as opposed to a melting pot culture promulgated by policy makers years ago when freedom was eroded.

“Each of the people who live in this land that we call our home has a major contribution to make to this mosaic, and the mosaic is richer and the country is better off, because we have sought to preserve and embrace the cultural forms of all the people who came here,” he said.

Mr. Jagdeo added: “Today I see the Indian culture, the one that was brought from India to us by our ancestors, as an integral part of the Guyanese culture, it belongs to every Guyanese of all races, of religions”.

Similarly, he stressed that the cultures of the Amerindian and Africa peoples must be embraced as an integral part of the culture of this country.

The President also pointed out that the East Indians, apart from their rich cultural heritage, brought with them the outstanding trait of tolerance, a quality which is imperative for the harmonious functioning of society.

“When we celebrate these events, I hope we can take the deeper significance and understand the struggle of our ancestors, and also our current struggle to not only improve the economic lifestyle of our people, but their well-being overall,” he urged.

He also lauded the Indian government through their High Commissioner in Guyana for supporting, organising and exposing the local populace to rich Indian culture.

Mr. Jagdeo expressed heartfelt gratitude to the IAC for its efforts to mark the 171 anniversary of East Indian arrival here, more so for its work in raising awareness of their lives and their struggles to ensure the generation today enjoy a better life.

During the fair which featured diverse aspects of the rich Indian culture, Mrs. Bhanmattie Shaw, Mr. Yesu Persaud and Mr. Imaam Mohamed Majeed were honoured for their sterling contribution to Indian culture in Guyana.