SCORES of Guyanese from all walks of life braved the rainy weather yesterday, to join the celebrations organized by the Indian Religious, Cultural and Social Organisation (IRCSO) to mark the 172nd anniversary of Indian arrival to Guyana.

Among those who gathered at the Joe Viera Park on the West Bank of Demerara for the event, were Prime Minister Sam Hinds; Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) Chairman, Mr. Julius Faerber; Chairman of the Indian Commemoration Trust, Dr. Yesu Persaud; and First Secretary of the Indian High Commission in Guyana, Mr. Kedar Singh Gusain.
It was the 23rd event organised by IRCSO, and saw – despite the heavy downpour of rainfall throughout the day – a grand cultural show filled with dances by various mandirs and the Indian Cultural Centre, while the crowd also got a sample of the upcoming Nitrageet 31 by the Indira and Indrani Shaw dance troupe.
As customary, the float parade saw 16 creative floats, depicting the history of Indians and their unique culture and way of life, and also the tassa drumming competition.
Prime Minister Hinds, in addressing the gathering, extended greetings, congratulations, and best wishes to all Guyanese on ‘Arrival Day’, in particular Guyanese who are descendents of those ancestors who came from India.
He said 172 years is a long time but it is a very short time when compared to some countries where people have been together working to develop their society and country for thousands of years.
“I know that, quite often, we are somewhat impatient with our country. I know that, quite often, we could make comparisons that many places particularly North America, where things are much better there than here in Guyana; but let us remember that we are still at the early stages of building our country and building our society and making one people from us all who came from different parts of the world,” he reminded.
“As our President has been saying some days ago, we have a beautiful country here, a potentially very beautiful county and our diversity, our range – we should see it as something that is special and something that can allow us to make a special contribution to the world at large,” he insisted.
The Prime Minister urged the gathering to “let us keep our faith” noting that there have been great successes so far.
“People of Indian origin who came to Guyana, starting 172 years ago as indentured persons, it did not take long for many of their descendents to ascend to some of the greatest heights in our country and around the world,” the Prime Minister posited.
“I want to congratulate our people who have descended from our ancestors who came from India, you have a glorious history and when we commend people, we have great expectations of them,’ he said.
“We know that they can continue to make great contributions. As we look to the past and the achievements of our ancestors, we must also realise that we have a challenge to do as well as they did,” he said.
He said they have a challenge to continue the work that they did over the last century, emphasising that the world today has a number of challenges.
He alluded to the big challenge of climate change, and referred to President Bharrat Jagdeo who has taken the lead in that regard, and only recently received the award of Champion of the Earth.
“So let us go forward working to make Guyana a better country, but also making our contribution to the whole world,” the Prime Minister urged.
Dr. Yesu Persaud, in a brief address, said it is always a privilege to be in West Demerara, and recalled the first celebration in 1988, which was historic.
He observed that despite the rains, people have come out in large numbers, adding, “I want you to do your best to ensure we continue in togetherness into the future.”
He conceded that “as human beings, we are one happy family and we must make it that way” and the society must be built in terms of togetherness, unity and in diversity.
“I would like to see, in the future, participation from others so that they could appreciate what this day is all about and what religious festival is all about,” he asserted.
He urged, “Let’s learn to live in peace, harmony, and togetherness.”
“In togetherness, we shall become a better nation and a better place to live in for all the people of Guyana,” Dr. Persaud stressed.
Gosain, in extending congratulations to the organisation for its successful hosting of the event, once again, on behalf of the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, observed the harmony among the different and various religious and ethnic groups.
He commended the organisation for preserving and maintaining and further developing the Indian culture, which he insisted is the fusion of many cultures.
He said functions like this helps in promoting brotherhood and bringing together persons from all over the country.
The prize giving ceremony for the competitions is slated for May 26, 2010 at the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School with first prize for the float being $150,000, and the tassa drumming competition $50,000.