.jpg)
I was headed to Dundee Village, just about four miles on the outskirts of the Central Mahaicony District.
Dundee is a village at the mouth of the Mahaicony River, about 27 miles east of Stabroek Market in Georgetown. It is nestled cozily between the villages of Airy Hall and Novar, which are slightly larger. Dundee is predominantly occupied by East Indians, whose camaraderie with other villages is very appealing.
So there I was, smiling dreamily as the bus rolled noisily along the East Coast Road, staring in fascination at the attractive foliage scenery flashing by in a lush, green blur. I planned on enjoy this visit and my intended explorations, since I had once resided in Calcutta Village, just on the outskirts of my intended destination.
My adrenaline began to pump like crazy as the bus drew closer to our destination, and there was reason. I mean, it had been ages since I had last visited this village, and I was gleefully recalling my visits there with friends as a teenager, gyrating in wild abandon at the many weddings and birthday celebrations to which I was invited.
Well, if you know me, you would agree that I love to make an impression and a royal entrance, and that was exactly what I intended to do. My plans were to stop at Airy Hall Village and walk into Dundee to shock and surprise the many past friends I had there.
Readers, I received the shock of my life as I passed the street sign that indicated one had entered Dundee Village. You see, I was looking for a smattering of houses and maybe the two grocery stores that had seemed to be the only attractive features in this village during my teenage years. I expected to see men bustling with activity, racing to fill trucks with rice and paddy at the Dundee Rice Mill. I was expecting to see many males idle in the street, even during the scorching midday sun. But this was no more. Over the years, things have changed, and Dundee Village has shed its ‘old world feathers’ and has transformed like a beautiful swan into a quite sophisticated settlement, showcasing posh buildings and businesses, well paved streets, and an infrastructure that dictated that this once little ‘yester-year village’ is now a well established location with vibrant signs of ongoing economic development.
Folks, I have to admit that I was a bit mystified and definitely blown away with the transformation of this little village. Like they say, everything surely changes with the transcending of time.
Our exploration begins
I was once employed at the Dundee Rice Mill; so, with the living memories flooding my mind, I decided to begin my trekking from this point. Lo and behold, there was yet another shock awaiting me!
When we came to the gates of the rice mill, I was appalled at its apparent ‘run down state’, and even more stirred up that almost the entire complex was in a state of decay. Nonetheless, we entered the compound of the facility, amidst curious stares from nearby residents, having every intention to take photos that would later come in useful.
Noting a blur of movement from the rear of the mill, we approached cautiously for fear of being jumped upon by vagrants that may be using the old mill for shelter and solace. It turned out that we met a resident, Satrohan Singh, who was administering repairs to two trucks parked in the compound.
On our enquiring, he noted that the mill gradually began to cease operating in the late 1990s, since a much larger one was being built at Champayne Village by popular businessman ‘Mr. Mankad’, and that mill would have served or provided on a larger scale the services provided by the mill at Dundee, which was much smaller.
Sadly, as he indicated, the completion of the intended spanking new rice complex never happened, because of ‘building problems’ and ‘and other issues’; and the structure was left to stand as a ‘ghost structure’. And although security guards were placed at the mill when construction was halted, vagrants and outsiders came in the still of the night and stole much very valuable equipment, machinery, and other items.
According to Mr. Singh, the now deteriorating mill at Dundee is used as a storage area for trucks and other vehicles by some residents.
An historical location
And Dundee Village has its own little historical origins in that ‘”Raaju”, the eldest of four brothers who arrived from India as indentured servants, and settled there.
Relating this historical tale was Mangru Persaud who, for some strange reason, vehemently avoided our cameras and demanded that his photo should not be taken or published. His story is as follows: “The labour contracts under which our forefathers worked varied, but as a rule, they were ‘bound’ to work on a designated estate for five years in return for a wage, housing, clothing, food, and medical care. After five years, they could choose between owning ten acres of land or ten pounds sterling, or they could, after a further five or ten years of ‘industrial residence’, get a free passage back to India.
After completing his indentureship in Guyana, Raaju opted for the ownership of land in compensation for the five years he worked at Vryheid’s Lust sugar estate. It was known that Raaju took up farming, and later on saved up enough money to purchase more land at Mahaicony. He also owned cattle and horses.
“Raaju reputedly settled at Lot 2, Dundee, Mahaicony. He and his wife (name unknown) had five children. Since we have little or no knowledge of their children except for Juman, we will assume for the time being that Juman was the eldest son until we resolve the details of Raaju’s other children (research is needed in this respect).
“At the moment, we are not sure whether or not Raaju was married before he arrived in Guyana. We know that Juman was born in 1883 during Raju’s indentureship between 1880 and 1890. It could very well be that Juman may have been born in Grenada, or Raaju’s family (wife + children) could have arrived in Guyana earlier than 1886, as originally thought.
“Raaju, being the eldest son, is of tremendous importance from a genealogical perspective, in that, based on a few key assumptions: (a) He was the eldest of the siblings (he was the eldest brother, but, were there any older sisters?)
(b) “Most males in our family in the 1800s were married at age 18 and got their first born when aged 19 or 20. With this in mind, we can deduce some important dates in the history of this family; i.e. Raaju was born around 1864, and died around 1929. His father, whose name is currently not known, was born around 1845, and died around 1910, assuming he lived an average age of 65 years in those days.”
Transformation
We were quite curious to learn the tale of Dundee’s transformation, and on hand to tell us was the Neighbouring Democratic Council’s (NDC) Chairman, Deonarine Singh, a/ka Papso, who had lived in the village almost all his life. He was very cheery and endearing; and after offering us fresh fruit juice, jubilantly declared that, just two days ago, the village had conducted its Bursary Awards for students excelling at various primary schools en route to a secondary education.
According to the chairman, this initiative started in the village twelve years ago, when the NDC initiated the drive to award those from the village who had excelled at the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (SSEE)at various academic institutions within the NDC district. Schools that would customarily benefit from this drive are the Novar and Calcutta Primary Schools, Ausburg Primary, Esau & Jacob Primary, and the Caramauth Primary School. The gesture included a monetary donation, a trophy and meal for the recipients.
Prominent business individuals, kind-hearted residents and the NDC body would normally join forces to make the annual project possible.
Ten recipients were awarded this year, and the gesture was made possible by the NDC, business officials Derrick Ramroop, Joe Bacchus, Mankad Persaud, the Ramesh Family, Seedat Singh, Mr. Ezzie Inniss of Calcutta Village, and Mr. Pardat (only name supplied).
While resident Parsuram Ramnarace provide meals for the awardees, the NDC provide the cash presentations.
According to the chairman, Dundee was a very under-developed settlement in the early 1980s, and it was not until after the 1992 election and after the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) came to office that things began to change for good in the village.
Before that era, according to the NDC Chairman, the village was lacking established businesses, and access roads and small streets were unpaved. The village at that time had featured muddy dams, which created a problem for farmers in the rainy season, as they tried to access their rice and cash crop cultivations in the backlands.
“Before the 1992 elections, Dundee was not the village it is today. Everything was small…. From houses to the few businesses we had, everything was just small. There was no street light, or much scope for entertainment or employment in the village. Today, with new Government intervention, residents are enjoying street lights, paved roads, good drainage, and there is a certain economic boom that will one day grow to its entirety in this village.
“Long ago there was no television in the homes of residents; neither could everyone be able to purchase chicken and such luxuries, because of the high cost of living. Today, even the poorest of families in Dundee can afford to have these necessities and live comfortably.
“In times gone by, there were just about two grocery outlets in this village, and most residents would make their larger household purchases at Central Mahaicony. Today there is a distinct economic growth in this village, and it’s evident in the many impressive homes and businesses that have sprung up.
“With the intervention of well paved streets, and street light, Dundee Village takes on an aura of sophistication by night, and an exciting bustle of modern activity by day, as residents rush about, tending to their varying concerns, which in most cases has to do with making a quick dollar.
Today, Dundee is abuzz with daily activity, made possible by the presence of businesses like the Igloo Ice-Cream outlet, Amelia’s Grocery and Lumber Yard, Vishal Pawn Shop, a DOCOL Tex Gas franchise, Curie’s General Store and Internet Café, BM Soat Auto Sales, and of course the Sisson’s Paint supplier.
To accentuate the success of the village, there is also a Western Union/Bill Express branch, a Health Centre, and of course the Mahaicony/Abary NDC Office.
So you see, folks, this village will certainly enthrall you and keep you wanting to know about it.
Yes, the village is small indeed, but it’s the uniformity of the business and the strategic layout that tells the story of Dundee, slowly catapulting into becoming a small town. I mean, with all the business there, residents are able to satisfy their every need.
Room for development
NDC Chairman Deonarine Singh agrees that there is still room for development in the village. And to continue in that direction, the NDC body is presently energizing its efforts as it continues to undertake works using up the town’s $3M Subvention Initiative made possible by the Ministry of Local Government.
Monies from this project are used to conduct repairs to streets and infrastructure, grading and shaping of ‘agricultural dams’, and for repairs to kokers, making them new HDPE tubes.
The Regional Administration also assists, and at present, streets are being targeted at Calcutta Community Centre and Primary School, even as works are being undertaken to repair the Burma Road, even as similar projects are ongoing at Champayne, Hyde Park, Esau & Jacob, and at Abary Fishing Road.
Other areas include the Novar Secondary and Primary Schools, at which rehabilitation work will be done. The Dundee Health Centre and the Calcutta Primary School are also earmarked for similar works. The Ministry of Local Government has also done rehabilitation works to the top flat of the NDC office at Dundee.
The Chairman noted that he is very appreciative of the Local Government Ministry and donor entities, which aid in effective functioning of the NDC. However, he is pleading with defaulters who owe the NDC large sums to pay up their dues so that the body can function effectively, and use such founds in their drive to develop and upgrade their district.
Employment scope and leisure time opportunities
This village is packed with all the necessities of life, save for a proper nightclub for villagers to unleash their ‘party desires’. But do you think this bothers them? Certainly not!!
Villagers are content with the leisure time festivities offered by Tuss’s Restaurant & Bar which operates on a 24-hour basis. Situated just opposite the NDC Office, this joint is always bustling with activity as villagers converse almost all day, soaking up the delectable cutters and varying beverages offered by the establishment.
Deemed as the ’cutters specialist’, Tuss, as the owner prefers to be called, boasts of his ability to serve up the most delicious dishes of steaming cutters in minutes.
“It took hard work to arrive at where I am at today, and since I had always possessed excellent culinary skills, I decided to put them to the test several years ago, and business just boomed after. I always have my meats marinated, ready and waiting, so as soon as the orders come in, I am able to prepare them in an a matter of minutes. The trick to my special flavor that keeps customers coming back for more I will not divulge, but I will, however, say that to get the best out of your meats, one must use the right spices and seasonings, make sure the meat is always tender, and try never to overcook the orders”.
Tuss prepares all the orders himself, and has two male waiting staff working with him. The work is hard and sometimes he is seen nodding at tables, but he springs to attention when an order for rum or cutters is shouted out by the bellowing customers.
His little joint has become an ‘energy cauldron’ for travellers, especially those going to the city and the airport in the wee hours of the night or mornings. Vehicles pull up one after the other, quite assured that they would receive hot meals at any time of the night or day.
“A few years ago, I had just small shop selling liquor to the few that came. The crowds built rapidly, since there is really no other business like mine in Dundee, and I was forced to expand the business. And here I am today, serving the best in meals and cutters”.
Even though it was about 11:00 hrs, the crowd was already building, inclusive of car drivers, those coming from their farms, and others whom Tuss said would bang on his doors since early in the mornings. Their bellowing laughter and ‘rum riddled’ jokes would certainly raise your eyebrows as they slap each other on the shoulders to drive home a point in their countless ‘rum shop arguments’.
And almost everyone seems to be employed in this village, either functioning as carpenters, rice and cash crop farmers, fishermen or shop owners. Of course there are poultry farmers, and residents in Dundee are proud to declare that a fleet of fifty fishing boats that operate from the Abary Sluice is owned by villagers.
Residents always wear jovial smiles as if nothing in the world bothers them, and this is enough reason to want their company.
From its well paved streets, to its appealing scenery, from its rapidly transcending modern sophistication, to its economic possibilities, Dundee Village is really headed for ultimate economic evolution.
