The beginning of Indian Arrival

Indian Arrival Day remains the most battered public holiday on the national calendar. This battering stems from the inclusion of the prefix ‘Indian’ to Arrival Day. The term ‘Indian’ has so repulsed some that an annual lobby to remove it is now commonplace. It is as if that ‘Indian’ represents something that is so repugnant to the non-Indian society that a holiday to celebrate the arrival of the Indian civilizational presence in Trinidad & Tobago should not be entertained.

Detractors to ‘Indian’ Arrival Day fail to note that Indians were not “given” a holiday by anyone. The Indian Arrival Day was an observance that germinated from within the Indian community with observances taking place long before the day was officially declared a public holiday. Even if there was no holiday the Indian community will still observe Indian Arrival Day celebrations. This contrasts sharply to those who are lobbying to merely have an ‘Arrival Day’ celebration so as to include the Chinese, Syrian, and other immigrants who also arrived. Where are the arrival observances of these groups now?  Or are they waiting for a holiday to be declared then to celebrate their arrival to Trinidad?

The first major Indian Arrival Day celebration was held on May 30th 1945 at Skinner Park, San Fernando — the centenary of the arrival of Indians to Trinidad. The Acting Governor representing the Government of the United Kingdom attended, indicting the significance of the observance. Other local dignitaries who addressed the large crowd included Timothy Roodal, George Fitzpatrick, Adrian Cola Rienzi, and Murli J. Kirpalani. Greetings were also read from Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Wavell, and Colonel Stanley, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Indian Emigration Day, as it was called then, had been celebrated by various organisations after 1945 with limited success. By 1973 the latest was organised by the Divine Life Society, which had organised small annual processions in Chaguanas for Indian Emigration Day. By the late seventies even that small remembrance was dwindling. In 1976 the Indian Revival and Reform Association (IRRA) was formed. They were concerned about racism against Indians and were interested in developing ideas, writing pamphlets to bring about an Indian revival and renewed pride in Indian heritage and Indian culture. The IRRA wanted to preserve the good things about Indian heritage and reform the ones that were no longer useful or relevant.

The anniversary of the coming of Indians to Trinidad was one of the good things that came to the IRRA notice. In 1977 IRRA formed committee was established to revive the memory of the coming of Indians to Trinidad on May 30, 1845 - Indian Emigration Day.  The initial historic Committee comprised Anand Singh, Khalik Khan, Ramdath Jagessar, Rajiv Sieunarine, Azamudeen “Danny” Jang, Michael Sankar, Rajesh Harricharan, Rajnie Ramlakhan, Anand Maharaj and Ashok Gobin. The first active step was taken in early 1978, when we produced and distributed a one page pamphlet with the title “Indian Emigration Day May 30, 1978”. It gave a brief account of the coming of Indians in 1845, and the importance of the event. The names of the first pioneers on the Fath-al Razack were listed, and there was a short description of the achievements of Indians in Trinidad since 1845.

There were press reports and an article by Kusha Haracksingh on the voyage of the Fath-al Razack. Mastana Bahar dedicated a show to Indian Emigration Day. San Fernando Secondary School organised a celebration. A major turning point occurred in 1979 when the group expanded by approaching the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. The SDMS Secretary General Satnarayan Maharaj receptive to the idea, agreed to organise a major celebration at Lakshmi Girls College on May 27, 1979. IRRA and the SDMS in discussions agreed that Indians were no longer emigrants to Trinidad, but citizens who had arrived 134 years before. Coming out of this discussion the name was then changed to Indian Arrival Day. 

The 1979 celebration was a great success and included the presence of some of the original immigrants born in India. Government ministers Sham and Kamal Mohammed were there, as was the Indian High Commissioner and Presbyterian Church moderator Idris Hamid. The event was widely covered by the local media and citizens immediately knew about the event.  In fact it took just two years and an idea to revive the memory of the Arrival of Indians in Trinidad and to awaken the entire Indian community in Trinidad. Subsequent years the Hindu Seva Sangh and other smaller groups approached the IRRA for guidance in developing in various communities throughout Trinidad. By 1980 Indian Arrival Day celebrations were held at the Spring Village, Cedros, Penal, San Juan, Chaguanas, and many other parts of the country. The National Joint Action Committee, the Catholic Church, libraries, mosques, mandirs and schools at this point joined in the observances. In a remarkably short time, Indian Arrival Day was sweeping through the country. By 1985 there were more than 10 significant Indian Arrival Day celebrations taking place. The Hindu community took the lead in the development of the celebrations.

In 1991 Members of Parliament Trevor Sudama and Raymond Pallackdarrysingh first introduced to the House of Representatives the concept that Indian Arrival Day should be made a national public holiday.  This call to make Indian Arrival Day a public holiday continued to be unheeded until 1995 Prime Minister Patrick Manning declared that the 150th Anniversary would be a public holiday called Indian Arrival Day, but thereafter the holiday will be called Arrival Day. The 1995 celebrations surpassed the 1945 celebrations with the Maha Sabha having major celebrations in Trinidad. In 1995 Prime Minister Basdeo Panday declared that 30th May would be known as Indian Arrival Day and not Arrival Day. Indian Arrival Day celebrations now has spread internationally to over a dozen countries, including Guyana, Jamaica, Britain, the United States, Canada, and as far away as Australia. Ironically in the birthplace of Indian Arrival Day — Trinidad — there is a lobby to remove Indian from the name.