Dear Editor,
The Indo-Caribbean Federation (ICF) will be celebrating its 29th Annual East Indian Arrival Day on June 8, 2014, at Smokey Park in Queens, New York. This year will commemorate 176 years since the foreparents of Indo-Guyanese first left the shores of India to seek a better life in the Caribbean.
The festivities will pay tribute to the rich culture and heritage that the Indian ancestors brought over many years ago.
Scholars noted that they faced unimaginable hardships, but took comfort in the traditions and morals that were imparted to them.
Many faced oppression, but they held on to their faith and beliefs with steadfastness. Nothing could stop them from passing on the rich heritage and culture to their children and descendants. This process continued for generations and has survived through time and modernization of the Indo-Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean communities.
Indian Arrival is a day of reflection for Indians and the community at large.
Indo-Caribbeans are an integral part of America’s rich cultural diversity and the community contributes to the economic, cultural and social life of the metro area.
In a release, the ICF says it is celebrating the arrival our ancestors to the West Indies to recognize the sacrifices and suffering they endured to make certain that the culture continued to thrive. “Once a year we observe a day of commemoration to honour the triumph and survival of our foreparents.
We can see their victory when the children take part in Indian dance, singing, and wearing of traditional clothing.
“This annual congregation represents many things, but most importantly it teaches us how rich and beautiful the culture really is. From the hard work ethic, to the respect of [the] elderly, our ancestors have instilled great values that have lasted throughout time.
One thing that is recognizable within the West Indian community is that we hold our culture in high regard.”
The organization has announced that prominent artistes will display their talent at the cultural show. The celebration will begin at 1pm and conclude at 7 pm. The public is urged to come out and cheer the artistes and show their appreciation for them and the organizers for celebrating the contributions made by the ancestors. “We will once again be able to share in our pride as Indians, as the public gets to enjoy the dancing, singing, music, fashion show and a special appearance by the Nirvana Humanitarian Foundation doing a skit about our foreparents’ living conditions in the Caribbean.”
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
