FORMER Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Isahack Basir wants the anniversary of the Devonshire Castle Sugar Workers uprising in Essequibo, which took place on September 29, 1872, to be observed nationally.

He made the call while speaking at the 140th wreath-laying ceremony at Cabbage Dam, Devonshire Castle, Essequibo Coast, last Saturday.
Basir said the history of the revolt is very important to the nation as well as the site and the village.
He also advocated that the history be protected and the monument site upgraded.
Talking about the 1872 protest at Cabbage Dam, Basir said the workers, who came from India as indentured immigrants, lived and worked in poor conditions on Devonshire Castle Estate.
They lived in logies, were paid poor wages and prevented from catching fish in the estate trenches, he said.
Basir said the workers were also forced to use water from the punt trench to cook, wash and drink. Their living conditions were hard and they could not endure it any longer.
According to him, the white colonial masters had promised the indentured immigrants to take them back to India but never did so, although money was deducted from their wages.

WERE FOOLED
He said the workers were fooled and ill-treated with no proper medicine for the sick.
Basir said, between 500 and 600 protested at Cabbage Dam on September 29, armed only with sticks but the colonial Police shot into the crowd and killed five workers and injured many others.
The five who died were Beccaroo, Kaulica, Auckloo, Baldeo and Maxidally.
Chairman of Region Two (Pomeroon/Suppenaam), Mr. Parmanand Persaud also addressed  the gathering and spoke about the significance of the event.
The commemoration service also featured hymns by Ms. Jenny Prabhulall and members of the Voice of Faith Miracle Ministries Church and bajans by members of Devonshire Castle Mandir.
Wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument by Basir, Persaud and schoolchildren.
The Devonshire Castle revolt was the first to have taken place in the history of Guyana and others present at the commemoration were Vice-Chairman, Mr. Vishnu Samaroo, Regional Democratic Council (RDC0 Member, Ms. Wazeeda  Bacchus and Regional Development Officer, Mr. Dhaneshwar Gangoo.