'Arrival' greetings flow in Senate Wednesday, May 25 2011
TRINIDAD EXPRESS - By Julien Neaves - INDO-Trinidadians have made much progress since they first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago as indentured labourers from India in 1845 and have played their part in governing this country, Independent Senator Basharat Ali said yesterday.
"My forefathers came as indentured labourers and here am I sitting in this honourable house,'' he added.
He was speaking in the Senate yesterday at the Red House, Port of Spain, as the various benches brought greetings for Indian Arrival Day to be celebrated next Monday.
Ali said the Indian community has done a "remarkable job'' of development of this country and has been doing its part in its administration. He pointed out that successive governments have had people of different ethnic origins and the Senate's Independent bench was a "mixed bag''.
"Trinidad and Tobago is getting more and more to that situation where we recognise each other, join with each other to celebrate and still recognise our difference in terms of religion and everything else,'' he added.
He said his religion, Islam, says that God created us all different "so that we would recognise each other''. Ali noted that Indian culture has been strong, with music and the creation of chutney music. He added that the food was "pretty well the same'' since the first arrival and "we all look forward to Indian delicacies.''
Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, also spoke on the diversity of this country as she wished her "Indian brothers and sisters'' happy Indian Arrival Day.
"We know that in Trinidad and Tobago there are several celebrations that are held that clearly demonstrate that we have a very diverse society, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and that the Constitution continues to recognise people's rights and the freedom of religion and the freedom to worship and the freedom to associate,'' she said.
As she brought greetings on behalf of the Opposition she wished the Indo-Trinidadian community "all success'' on Monday, and a very peaceful and holy holiday.
"(We) will continue to reflect on the contribution of our brothers and sisters that came from India and contributed towards the development of Trinidad and Tobago,'' Beckles-Robinson added.
Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Subhas Panday, in a brief greeting wished citizens a Happy Indian Arrival Day, noting their "contribution to the development of our society has not gone unnoticed and we hope and pray that they would continue in that light''.
Senate President Timothy Hamel-Smith also brought greetings to the Indo-Trinidadian community and noted the importance of Indian Arrival Day.
"Certainly I think it an opportunity when praise and thanks may be given for arriving here in Trinidad and Tobago. So we wish to offer them all the blessings that might come with that day, may it be a holy day,'' he said.
Hamel-Smith added: "No doubt they have introduced a rich diversity to the culture of Trinidad and Tobago and we are all the better for it. So we have much to thank our Indian brothers and sisters in terms of what they have contributed to Trinidad and Tobago.''
