ARRIVAL Day, May 5th, has emerged as a major calendar event and a national holiday in Guyana.

The day was for years initially observed as “Indian Arrival Day” by the Indo-Guyanese community to commemorate the arrival of the first batch of Indian   indentured labourers into colonial British Guiana on board the SS Whitby on May 5th, 1838.

Within recent years the meaning of the day has certainly broadened both in context and scope, to fittingly include all the ethnic groups who came as indentured labourers ostensibly to fill the void created by the exodus of ex-slaves from plantation labour following the abolition of the despicable system of slavery in 1834. After all, it was the planters’ woes of an acute labour shortage that led to the importation of indentured labourers during this crucial period of “crisis, change and experimentation” in Guyana’s history.

In the initial post-Emancipation years, a small number of European immigrants, including those of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, German and Maltese nationalities were brought, but these failed to make a significant impact on the plantations.

As early as May 1835, Portuguese indentured labourers were introduced from Madeira. This scheme persisted until 1882 by which time approximately 32,000 Portuguese immigrants had made their entry into the colony. Many of them eventually ended up in various commercial activities.

The British Government encouraged immigration of Liberated Africans and between 1841 and 1863, a total of 14,060 of them, mostly from Sierra Leone and St Helena, came to colonial Guyana.

Creole immigrants were also tried and a steady stream of Barbadians was introduced between 1835 and 1893. This type of labour had “qualitative advantages” as it provided a relatively cheap source of experienced labourers.

Chinese immigration was another experiment.  Between 1853 and 1879, the colony was the recipient of 14,002 contract labourers and a further 1,718 Chinese came as free immigrants during the 1880–1913 period.

The importation of Indian indentured labourers from the Indian sub-continent was also part of that continuing search to meet the labour needs of the powerful plantocracy. Commencing under the “Gladstone Experiment,” Indian immigration proved to be the largest and most durable and successful of the schemes, and it lasted from 1838 to 1917 during which 238,909 Indian immigrants landed in colonial Guyana.

Undoubtedly, all ethnic groups and their descendants have persisted against tremendous odds to make their unique and sterling contributions to the development of this nation over the years. Arrival Day is of great significance. It is a day when we appreciate, recognise and honour the arrival and contribution of all our ancestors from all parts of the world. In the face of numerous adversities, they were able to preserve their cultures, traditions and values.

Arrival Day embodies the richness of diversity in the context of the pluralistic and multicultural mosaic it creates. Through the struggles, trials and tribulations of our fore-parents we now live in a free, democratic society governed by the rule of law. Their unyielding sacrifice has paved the way for us to live in an age of greater enlightenment with greater tolerance, understanding and appreciation of a common history of struggle towards a unified nation and a common destiny.

Let us remember the various ways in which our ancestors collectively endured and prevailed to create joint endeavours for enhanced lifestyles and upward social mobility.

Let our Arrival Day observances be seen as providing the necessary impetus to our “One Guyana ” thrust.  Let us give true meaning to our country’s motto of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.” A happy Arrival Day to all.