‘Heritage Day’ will spawn confusion


THE EDITOR: A call has gone out by certain elements in the society to scrap Emancipation and Indian Arrival Day holidays in favour of a Heritage Day holiday when all the ethnicities will celebrate their arrivals. This because the Chinese have suddenly realised after almost two hundred years that their arrival is also significant. Good for them.


The rationale for that thinking is that Heritage Day will bring about unity of the races. Let’s examine this. It is Heritage Day and the Chinese community is celebrating their arrival in the vicinity of the Chinese Association, complete with parade, music, dancing, ethnic food, craft and speeches.


The Chinese community converges in that area.


Africans are celebrating Emancipation around the Savannah with parades, drumming, calypsoes, steelband, carnival, craft, fashions, creole foods, speeches etc. Afro-Trinis gather there. Indians are celebrating their arrival somewhere in Central with parades, depictions, conferences, tassa, chutney, fashions, Indian dishes, craft, artifacts display, speeches, etc. Indians gather at that venue.


Syrian/Lebanese and French Creole societies have separate celebrations at different venues around the city showing their art, talents, culture and intellect. Members of their communities gather around them. So tell me again how that is going to bring about unity?


Just a small note. Indians fought long and hard since 1945 for Indian Arrival Day. I dare say they will fight even longer and harder to keep it. Imagine Afro-Trinis would put up their own defence of Emancipation Day. So let the debate begin.


T SOOKDEO


Arima

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"‘Heritage Day’ will spawn confusion"

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