Dear Editor,

SORRY to be late. In 1983, when I was at the University of Guyana, I did a research paper on an aspect of Indian immigrants in British Guiana.  I posted it on my Facebook page today (May 5).  At page three of my research paper, I mentioned the Calcutta firm Gillanders, Arbuthnot, which played a key role in the early transfer of Indian labour to British Guiana, from 1838 onwards. Since writing that paper, I did not give a second thought to Gillanders; but, if I had, I would have assumed that the company had long ago disappeared into the mists of history. Imagine my surprise – astonishment really – when I encountered the company in the heart of commercial New Delhi during a trip to India in March of 2000!

While walking in New Delhi’s Connaught Place (sometimes called Connaught Circle) I glanced upward and saw a sign which read “Gillanders Arbuthnot and Co Ltd”. I immediately took the three photos attached here. The first photo shows the exterior of the building, badly in need of a face lift. The second one is of a board affixed to the wall of Gillanders’ office, within the building. The board lists the activities of the company. The interior of the office is shown in the third photo. Inquiries to Gillanders staffers confirmed that it was one and the same company. Serendipity was in play. As it happened, Gillanders was soon to leave the Connaught Place location, to relocate to a less central and expensive area of New Delhi. Had my India trip been made a month later, the encounter would not have happened, these photos would not have been taken and this treasured piece of history would have been lost. I guess, a higher power orchestrated what happened so that the memory could be preserved and shared with others.

I hope you can publish the photos.

Yours faithfully,

Sieyf Shahabuddeen