Celebrating Indian Arrival Day, but how?

THE EDITOR: Indian Arrival Day is fast approaching and I would like to applaud the fact of an anniversary. Indians are rah-rahing the fact that they have been here for over a hundred and fifty years.

As a fellow Indian I am severely disappointed in the way the average Indian has evolved. Some can boast of having an education and are in medical and legal fields to name but two. Some say they have migrated and done well and I agree that is so. But can we say the same about the bulk of Trinidadians of Indian descent? I say no. Caroni Limited has provided employment for a large number of the descendants of indentured immigrants and while there are again the exceptions, the majority of them are uneducated. This is especially noteworthy in the rural areas. Some say that the system of education is not geared to conversation and social graces and some say they have to study by themselves with little or no support from teachers or mentors. All that may be so, but the average person has a television set and barring the violent and other contents of the TV, there is speech that can be emulated. There are books to read and if time is spent in reading, eventually the proper construction of sentences stick in one’s head. So really there is no excuse for being underdeveloped and worse yet to be proud of being such. Since speech is the best form of communication, proper speaking can go a long way in improving mentality and actions.

To get back to what we really are celebrating, is it ignorance? Or the fact that we have taken over the dub culture from the Jamaicans? Or the fact that we criticise the crude Carnival mentality of some of our fellow Trinis, but have created a parallel in even cruder chutney singing, replete with wining and jamming? Let us get back to our forefathers who came on the ships from India. Of what types were they? Crude, poor, layabouts with no means of income, some having pending litigations or some coveting others’ spouses. They were glad to come abroad where no one knew them and settle as anything they left like claiming they were. This is our reality and we are only going true to form. No amount of education can change your bloodline and this is being proven over and over again. We can change only by recognising this fact and looking at ourselves in the form of our offspring. Look at our children, there are not enough ‘restaurants and bars’ for them to frequent. They curse and are some of the worst drivers if you look at the accident statistics. Our Indian betis are now seeing themselves as American entertainers and dressing most immodestly, to put it mildly. Is that what we are  proud of?

Indians covet money, land and property. They rant and rave about inequality and racial discrimination, or any subject that takes their fancy, but offer their eyes to be dug out by anyone without protesting. When it is crucial to stand up and be counted as having a meaningful contribution to make on real issues they can be found ‘socialising’ at the bar as if they are all lawyers. That is where some of their most creative ideas are spawned and swallowed with the next glass of booze. Then we have the one who had a few passes in the CXC and pick up a foreign accent to go with that. You can find them announcing on radio and television and really waxing warm on words like ‘lorst’ when they really want to say ‘last’ and ‘pork’ when they want to say ‘park’, to name a few. Some of us are seeing a few dollars in our pockets these days so no one can tell us what to do. We spoil our children rotten, buying cars for them at an early age and feeling proud when they speed out of control on the nation’s roads. We even buy them their drivers’ licences if you know what I mean. So fellow Indians, celebrate by all means if you think you have something to celebrate. Meanwhile I shall go to the beach and marvel at the nature that gives and never asks for anything. I shall also wonder at the sheer stupidity at some people who say they are mature adults and who are really overgrown juveniles instead.

SUE SANKAR
Chaguanas