Indian museum opens, sugar to follow

The minister was addressing the formal opening ceremony of the Indian Caribbean Museum at Waterloo (at the old Waterloo Hindu School), Carapichaima on Sunday.

The museum, which is one of the events to mark Indian Arrival Day, is being undertaken by Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. The project has received the support of TSTT, the Ministry of Culture and several other groups.

Yuille-Williams said that Government had acknowledged, and was at all times celebrating, “our unique cultural identity by way of preserving our national heritage as one means of engendering national consciousness.”

She said the continued “development of museums and art galleries is integral to this process and is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs.”

She noted with pleasure that her ministry was proudly able to partner with the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha in the establishment of this Waterloo Museum. This is in keeping with her ministry’s mission to “to join with communities to enrich the lives of citizens, through the process of community empowerment, gender sensitive initiatives, and cultural preservation and development.

“We see this collaborative approach as an important strategy in the growth of strong vibrant community life, and in the appreciation of cultural diversity and nationality,” she said. The minister also noted an increase in museum undertakings in the country and in that regard she pointed out that a Sugar museum in Caroni would be on stream shortly. She called for donations of relevant artefacts or oral historical contributions to support the Sugar Museum project.

The Lion House in Chaguanas and the ancestral home of the Capildeo family, is an important monument to be preserved as part of the development of the Waterloo Museum, Yuille-Williams said.

The house was later bequeathed to the museum by a member of the Capildeo family later in the evening.

Yuille-Williams assured the gathering of her ministry’s continued support and co-operation and urged “the promotion of ethical practices and to foster inter-cultural dialogue and tolerance.”

Senator Christine Sahadeo, minister in the ministry of finance, said that she was excited when the museum proposal was outlined by Sat Maharaj of the Maha Sabha.

“What better way can we pay homage to our ancestors than by preserving the culture and rich history of our forefathers,” she said. Sahadeo said Indo-Trinidadians “have played a significant role in shaping the cultural, historical, political and socio-economic landscape of Trinidad and Tobago.”

She said museums “anchor a nation’s history, heritage and culture in a sea of global changes.” She urged the guests to reflect on where they are today and “the future we must forge together as one people.”