Our Heritage - Indian Arrival Day
This momentous day is celebrated each year on the 30th May, and commemorates the arrival of the first Indian Indentured Labourers from India to Trinidad. In May 1948, on the ship the Fatel Razack bought not only new labour force to assist in the economic development of Trinidad, but also a new people with a new culture.
This event was celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago among the East Indian Community for many years, until 1994 when it was made an official public holiday. It was called Arrival Day. In 1995 it was re-named Indian Arrival Day.
The East Indians brought to Trinidad a wide range of Festivals and Religious observances. These helped the Immigrants to hold on to their values and principles which held them together for many years , and assisted in making harsh daily lives more bearable. Eid-ul –Fitir, Phagwa, Divali and Hossay just to name a few.
The food they consumed and the way in which they were made were continued the traditional way. Most important were their spices and their curries. To this day food such as Roti, saheena, katchowrie, barah, anchar, and pholourie have become house hold names and are consumed by a wide cross-section of society.
In the period 1845 to 1917 over 140,000 Indians were transported, they disembarked at Nelson Island were they were fed and rested for several weeks after which they were taken to various estates that had requested them.
East Indians who came to the Caribbean, initially came from various parts of India, there were various language and custom however, by the late 19th century as most immigrants came from Uttar Pradesh and the inhabitants on the region spoke Bhojpuri, a Hindi dialect. This became the shared language.
Food and clothing were not the thing they brought with them but also names of places which they gave to the places they settled. For example, Fyzabad, Barrackpore and Chandernagore just to name a few . An-untold story. Punjab is the name of such a place in India which means Five Rivers. The story is in Uttar Pradesh the king there had five sons and in sharing the land among them using the rivers to divide the kingdom hence the name.
One ancient practice which has recently become a western phenomenon is the Mehndi or body tattooing.
Family and community were very important to the immigrants. The Panchayat system is the means which they used to resolve internal conflicts.
The naming of family members with Hindu and Muslim names were also very important and to this day, has continued.
Music, Dance and Fashion, play a strong part of the fabric which keep the diversity and togetherness of this great land of Trinidad unique among the rest.
This cultural background has molded itself, in the lives and hearts of all of us. It is with these words “here every creed and race find an equal place” written in the National Anthem Of Trinidad and Tobago, several generations after, a place we are proud to call home.