Rekindle the spirit of unity

“Tonight, I call on each one here to examine your consciences and rekindle and reawaken the spirit of unity as we stand together hand in hand with others in other communities as one proud community so as to secure a just and equitable society both for ourselves, our people, our nation and for generations to come,” he said.

Gopeeingh was addressing guests at an Arrival Day Dinner, hosted by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), at Radisson Hotel, Port-of-Spain.

In making the appeal, Gopeesingh wondered if enough was being done to strengthen families and communities.

“Are we being the change that we wish to see?” he asked.

“Therefore, I urge you to stand firmly behind our torch bearers, our champions, our stalwarts who continue unafraid and undaunted in the pursuit of our freedom of expression and our right to practice our cultural beliefs.” Gopeesingh told the audience that East Indians had faced much discrimination over the generations.

“Today’s young descendants and young generations can never imagine or even appreciate the outright discrimination that our ancestors had to overcome in order that we can now live in a country where one cannot be made to feel ashamed of our names and religion or of our food and culture.” The Opposition MP related a story of how his late father-inlaw, the first Hindu doctor to return to Trinidad and Tobago from the University of Chicago from 1936, had complained about the discrimination he faced when he was appointed as senator on the West Indian Federation, more than two decades later.

“He said in 1959, when he was appointed a senator on the West Indian Federation, the other one being Mrs Margaret White when the DLP had beaten the PNM in the federal election, there was an outright refusal to take a group photo of the senators and their spouses because his wife wore as a sari,” Gopeesingh recalled.

The former education minister added that after the DLP’s victory, there was a statement of “recalcitrant minority.” “Even today, some 58 years later, one has to contend with statements about racial dotishness. Our struggles are far from over,” he said in an allusion to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s recent response to those who spoke out against calls by retired TT batting star Brian Lara to have one of the stands in the Cricket Academy in Tarouba named in honour of his friend, Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar.

Gopeesingh urged the audience to resist attempts by political elements to mobilise the electorate “by referring to us as alligators in murky lagoon” or if you support a political party, “the Calcutta ship will be waiting to take over the island.” He told guests they must always remember the role of their forefathers in nation-building.

During the event, special tribute was paid to Pandit Bhadase Seetahal Maraj, First Vice-President of the SDMS and President of the Pandits’ Parishad, for his contribution to education and the development of East Indians in TT.