Rowley: TT grateful to Indian diaspora

Speaking about the perils of slavery and indentureship, Rowley asked his audience to spare a thought for the people of Syria who are on the move in some of the worst human conditions, with families torn apart and being treated as if their lives do not matter. He went on to say that TT must acknowledge that with India’s independence, its own independence was paved.

“It is by what India said to the colonial government and by what India accomplished on our behalf,” the Prime Minister said.

Rowley was loudly applauded for his address at the opening ceremony of the Indian Diaspora conference at the Divali Nagar in Chaguanas on Friday night. Addressing the gathering of local and international delegates, Rowley said, “As descendants of slaves, the scholars of the Indian diaspora should reflect on a condition worse than indentureship which ended in 1834 and triggered indentureship as a replacement which was hardly better.” He noted that indentureship was based largely on human relationships and that history will record it as man’s inhumanity to man. He went on to say that while it was economically driven, the minute a group of people left India and began the journey across the seas it was similar to what the slaves endured.

“But the one good thing about it is that when indentureship ended in 1917, most chose to remain in Trinidad and Tobago.

And for that, this nation is eternally grateful, “ he told the packed gathering at the Nagar site.

The Indian Diaspora Council, based in New York, in the United States joined with the Indian Diaspora Council of TT and the global affiliates of Indian Diaspora Council, the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), the Maha Sabha, and other stakeholders for a four-day conference in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the abolition of Indian indentureship. It came to an end by the British Parliament’s Defence of India Act in March 1917.

Rowley said this nation is built largely from the people who migrated from other parts of the world. “No country described as a sub-continent with hundreds of millions of people could have been part of the world of moving humans and not be part of history,” he said adding that people move across territories for various reasons whether it is to escape the force of their neighbours military might or in their own search for a better life.

Rowley said he wondered what India was like in the early part of the 20th century that caused the indentures to travel to a land unknown for contracted labour and to work and maintain their culture.

“When we look at our history, would we look back and ask, are we not proud of our ancestors and would we let them down? We are lucky that we do not have to undergo what they have undergone but instead we are to enjoy what they worked for and what they aspired to.” He said the diasporic conference was not only an important academic exercise but about “reaching back into history to connect with those who made us as the people who we are today.” People listened attentively when he said, “This is why when we strive to build our nation and one that is still very young we hold on to what India represents to TT and to the Caribbean, a big sister in a very turbulent world.” He reminded that TT shares a seat in the Commonwealth of nations as well as on the United Nations. “We recognise our history, we recognise our people as one and the same,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said he looks forward to the outcome of the contributions of the scholars and the work they will do to assist TT to continue to learn more and to be more prepared to treat with the world that has not always been kind to the people of the diaspora.

“Thankfully technology has shortened our differences, three months it took the first set of Indians to travel from India and it took a year to communicate and get answers. Today technology allows us to be in contact within hours and to send messages through our laptops, and cell phones virtually instantaneously,” he said, adding there is no excuse to not strengthen the bonds.

TT, he said, thanks the Indian government for continuing to maintain that relationship in diplomacy, in trade, and in every aspect of human development.