-Minister Persaud says the past is important to the future

THE Dharmic Rama Krishna School tarmac came alive on Sunday evening with beautiful artistic and cultural displays in celebration of the 186th anniversary of the arrival on East Indians to Guyana.

The event, which was hosted by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, was titled, ‘Sanskriti’ as part of a passionate cultural showcase celebrating one of Guyana’s many peoples.

Persons turned out in their numbers to be a part of the exhilarating programme. Talented performers took the crowd on a trip through history with music, dance, and much more.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Vindhya Persaud, was present at the momentous occasion.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, she shed light on the significance of the event, stating, “This is Sanskriti and we are celebrating our heritage, our culture, our traditions. The Hindu Dharmic Sabha has been holding events every year to commemorate Indian Arrival Day. This is 186 years this year and we thought that we should do this in addition to what we do in Berbice in Region Six. All of our various branches will come together to host one at Palmyra, which will be on Monday.”

A unique event, the minister underscored the fact that Sanskriti seeks to create an experience.

As she stated, “We are hosting a little fair for the first time and so it is creating an environment that is history because there is an educational experience. People can understand both the Logie concept, getting the photos of back in the day and then taking the walkthrough, seeing the various fashions and getting a chance to be draped in a sari and a dhoti.”

Experiencing heritage is at the forefront of this Sanskriti and every event of its kind.
As the minister shared, the stalls and displays put together help recreate certain historical events of Guyana’s first Indians in their true form.

“People here can move all the way around to various arts, crafts, artifacts, jewellery, all of those things that people brought with them when they came those years. And food is a big part of it. We have a big food festival and it is traditional food, roti, samosa, and it’s really a lived experience. It is about acknowledging their accomplishments, their achievements, and overall, the big contributions they have made in so many important sectors, especially agriculture, to Guyana over the years and their descendants,” she added.

She further emphasised the bigger Guyanese aspect of the celebration as she spoke of the cultural cohesion of the country.

“We are celebrating the fact that as a people of Guyana, we can really share traditions, culture, heritage, and celebrate in this way in diversity where we add to the tapestry of our country. And I feel very proud as a Guyanese because we can do this. And I feel if we have more and more groups doing this, we will have a better appreciation of each other, and understand more in a very historical way of where we came from and where we are going. And I think that’s important.”