The PNCR yesterday called for the May 5th arrival observances to be designated as Indian Arrival Day.
The PNCR’s announcement in a message yesterday is seen as a major development and one that will put further pressure on the PPP/C government.
Indian rights activists here and a variety of groups have called over the years for May 5th, the day in 1838 when the first Indian indentured labourers arrived here, to be designated as Indian Arrival Day.
The PPP/C has traditionally balked at this and when deliberations were ongoing via parliament on the designation of May 5th as a national holiday in recognition of indentureship, the then PPP/C government settled for the day to be described as Arrival Day to recognise all groups that came.
In its message yesterday, the PNCR noted that to strengthen national integration and social cohesion by according due respect and recognition to the various ethnic groups in the multicultural society, the former Leader of the PNCR and President of Guyana, David Granger had issued two public notices: (i) on February 27, 2017, he designated May 3rd each year as Portuguese Arrival Day; and (ii) on January 6, 2017, he designated January 12th each year as Chinese Arrival Day.
“Given these changed circumstances surrounding the original purpose of Arrival Day – coupled with the fact that Guyanese of African and Amerindian origin have designated days or months to celebrate their distinct heritages – the PNCR hereby joins the call for the May 5th observances to be officially recognized henceforth as Indian Arrival Day”, the party said.
The party said that designating May 5th as Indian Arrival Day also respects the historic fact that the date specifically marks the arrival of the first Indian Indentured labourers to these shores. May 5th therefore should be wholly devoted to celebrating the valuable contribution that our East Indian brothers and sisters have made to the development of our country and the shaping of its rich cultural tapestry.
Separate Arrival Days for Guyanese of Indian, Portuguese, and Chinese descent; a Heritage Month for Guyanese of Amerindian descent; and Emancipation Day for Guyanese of African descent should all be seen as occasions to celebrate our distinct ethnic identities and cultural expressions, the PNCR said.
