Georgetown: Saturday was one of historic conversation and forward projections when Guyanese gathered for the Indian Action Committee (IAC) hosted a one-day symposium at the Umana Yana. As part of the year of activities to commemorate the centenary of the Abolition of Indentureship it focused primarily on the Status of Indians in Guyana '100 years after the end of indentureship: where are we now and where are we heading. Minister Nicolette Henry was among those who gathered for the day of deliberations, history sharing and projections. Addressing the forum and declaring open Minister Henry dubbed the Centenary of Indian Indentureship "…a significant milestone that represents a change in Guyana's history." Noting that being away from one's motherland could have caused severe depression, demoralisation and disintegration, Minister Henry said that, "the Indentured Indians used the brutal, cruel and debilitating conditions and circumstances…to their advantage". The Minister also hailed the resilience, perseverance and indomitable will of the Indentured labourers and attributed same to the dynamic culture and a rich legacy that the present generation now enjoys "…one for which all Guyanese should be proud of." The Minister with responsibility for Culture posited that "East Indians have left a rich legacy in art, dance, literature and music." She also noted that it is through the East Indians that we now enjoy traditional cuisine that is widely consumed." Minister Henry did not fail to allude to the way Guyanese welcome and participate in the many festivals and national holidays such as Holi, Diwali, Youman Nabi, et al. "Indian indentureship reshaped the economic landscape of our country by making an indelible mark in the fishing, cattle, rice, coconut and sugar industries," Minister Henry recognised. While the presentations were many, Minister Henry hailed the very visible Indian input into the arts, business, education, diplomatic, engineering, law, media, politics, and public service and trade unionism sectors. There is a lot to shout about in Sports Minister Henry with specific reference to the likes of "…Joe Soloman, Rohan Khanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and others." Most notable among the Minister’s remarks was her position that the celebration of the Centenary of the Abolition of Indian Indentureship is "a timely reminder and recognition of the long struggles of the fore-parents of Indo-Guyanese ancestry and a firm foundation for building a cohesive society." The Minister's conviction is that there are many important lessons for all to learn from the circumstances under which the Indentured Indians had to work such as "…what emerged from the lives of the forefathers such as the will to endure, to make sacrifices and the need to be frugal; all of which led to economic development." Before wrapping up her presentation at the Symposium, Minister Henry expressed Government's commitment to continuously support "…you in your quest to help develop Guyana and fostering Social Cohesion." She was adamant that "Guyana is our home and we all need to work together to preserve the rich legacy which our fore-parents have sacrificed for us to enjoy. We must protect and preserve that rich legacy." Among the other presenters was Professor Wazir Mohammed of the Indian University while presentations included Glimpses of Indo-Guyanese history, Identity in perspective, Texila Contribution to the higher level of Education in Guyana and the present state of the sugar and rice industry in Guyana.
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