By Dr. Vishnu Bisram
ON Monday, India celebrates her 75th anniversary since independence in 1947. Our ties are deep-rooted. India has been a longtime friend of Guyana who rendered continued developmental support for Guyana. And Guyana has been very supportive of India’s causes and concerns. Culture, international politics, financing, and trade were instrumental in strengthening our relations.

India-Guyana relations are not based on regional geo-polity but has a foundation in strong cultural (ethnic) bonds, historical experience and traditions, shared heritage, sports, democracy (1992 onwards), freedom struggle, economics, and international political bonding. India-Guyana relations were officially established in 1966. But India has maintained contacts with Guyana while both were colonies and before Guyana obtained independence. May 5 marks the day when the ships Hesperus and Whitby carrying the first batch of Indian indentured labourers docked in Guyana’s territory. This day is now observed in Guyana as Arrival Day. Cultural relations that started from the mid-1800s with imported labour from India have continually deepened. The presence of Indians, descendants of some 240,000 indentured labourers (between 1838 and 1917), today some 40 per cent of the population that was 55 per cent during the mid-1970s, has led to close cultural, political, economic, and technical relations between India and Guyana. Indentured labourers brought their language, customs, traditions, cuisine, religious beliefs to their new abode that has led to cultural diffusion among the ethnically diverse population. India was a founding member of the non-alignment movement to which Guyana was leading member and champion. The bust of India’s first Prime Minister and initiator of the Non-Align Movement, Jawaharlal Nehru, is at a garden in Georgetown.  Successive Guyanese leaders since independence have treated India with a position of significance and importance in our foreign policy, especially at international platforms. And the diaspora linkage between Guyana and India has been growing. Our economic relationship has also been very strong and growing over the years. It is a matter of satisfaction that trade between the two countries is growing.

Since 1966 when Guyana gained independence, there has been diverse areas of cooperation. The rich bilateral relations could be seen from our wide range of agreements and MoUs which include so much assistance to Guyana in science and technology, medicine, agriculture, environment, education, sports, cultural exchange and loans, among others. India has been very generous in foreign aid and lines of credit. India has established the Swami Vivekanand Cultural Centre in Georgetown and has increased scholarships to Guyanese to study technical and science subjects in India.

The result is that India enjoys love, affection, and support from the population and the Government of Guyana, regardless of party. The economic and political feeling in India for Guyana is mutual also cutting across government and opposition. Thus, the presence of the 9,000 miles distance does not really separate us.

While our relations are close, they can be deepened. I am sure India and Guyana can explore the possibilities of working together in a variety of other areas besides those mentioned above. Guyana is a resource bountiful country – recently found oil and a variety of rare earth minerals. Guyana should look at how India can help our country in telecommunication, the blue economy (oceanic resources and coastlands), energy (hydrocarbons and renewable), mining, tourism, investment, financing of projects, manufacturing, canning of agro products, health care, transportation, defence, and security, etc.

President Ali administration should consider strengthening ties that will lead to further growth, greater prosperity, modernity, and all-round development under his able and dynamic leadership. President Ali should consider tendering an invitation to India’s government for a State visit by her President or Prime Minister and vice versa.
(Dr Bisram is a specialist in Indian Affairs and the Indian Diaspora)