Minister Persaud urges Indian Gov’t to give more support to its Diaspora for cultural preservation – at launch of IAC 2013 events
Georgetown, GINA, February 2, 2013, Source
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud has urged the Indian Government to play a much more substantial role in supporting the preservation of the Indian culture in the Indian Diasporas.
The Minister was at the time speaking at an Evening of Music hosted on Friday by the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Bel Air, Georgetown. Also in attendance were Minister in the Ministry of Finance Juan Edghill, Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) Executive Member Neaz Subhan and Mr Tirath Singh Indian High Commisioner (ag).
“We do hope that we will see a greater contribution from the Indian Government in terms of supporting Indian culture in much more meaningful way and supporting activities such as the 175th anniversary,” Minister Persaud said. This year will mark 175 years since the first batch of Indian nationals arrived to work as indentured immigrants in Guyana.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Juan Edghill, Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) Executive Member Neaz Subhan and Acting Indian High Commissioner Mr Tirath Singh at an Evening of Music hosted by the IAC at the Indian Cultural Centre
Minister Persaud said that the time is now right for the Indian Government to learn from other countries such as China and Israel, in terms of how they mobilise their Diasporas.
“What we need is a very tangible, very substantive participation of the Indian Government ; support for the Indian Diaspora,” he said.
Meanwhile, during the evening, Executive Member, IAC, Neaz Subhan formally launched the organisation’s 2013 calendar of events to commemorate the 175 years on Indian arrival. Significant among the proposed plans is the opening of an Indian Heritage Centre to showcase the Indian arts and the proposed unveiling of a monument befitting the celebration of Indian arrival to Guyana. The IAC is seeking the support of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on the latter and is considering Berbice as the location for the said monument, Subhan said.
Much effort will also be placed on having Huis’t Dieren, on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two declared a heritage site.
Patrons at the Evening of Music hosted by the Indian Arrival Committee at the Indian Cultural Centre
The endeavour to realise the Indian Heritage Centre is part of the IAC’s agenda of chronicling and preserving the history of Indian Indentureship and the contribution of Indo-Guyanese to the continuous development of Guyana, Subhan said.
The Heritage Centre is located in Cummings Lodge and the building is currently being outfitted with all the relevant materials including arts, photography and artifacts. The venue will also serve to foster the various aspects of the arts including music, dance and classes.
The IAC began its year of activities with the inter-faith service to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Lusignan Massacre on January 25.
Other activities scheduled for the year include a series of public lecturers, an essay competition for children, and a fan-out exercise to engage communities and groups in dialogue on the Indian tradition and its development.
A Dholak drumming performance at the at an Evening of Music hosted by the IAC at the Indian Cultural Centre
There will also be a village competition which has the intention of encouraging competition in an attempt to showcase aspects of the village traditions. This competition will be launched this month and is expected to include exhibitions in the various art forms showcasing the struggle and evolution of the villages. It is in this line that IAC will work with those involved to bring focus on the community of Huis’t Dieren and will also work on the possibility of having the village declared a heritage site, Subhan said.
There will also be the hosting of the events that the organisation has been annually facilitating including the Phagwah Day and Indian Arrival melas and the Mega Concert, which is slated for April at the National Stadium, Providence. Subhan revealed that the organisation is at present finalising arrangements with two popular Indian soap stars and a leading Bollywood singer for this event.
Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) Executive Member Neaz Subhan outlines the organisation’s 2013 calendar of events
The Cultural Awareness walk which was introduced last year in Essequibo is to be staged this year in Berbice and a tribute event for the three late great Indian singers; Mohamed Rafi, Mukesh Chand Mathur and Kishore Kumar is proposed, as well as the staging of an arrival play.
Other activities being considered include a food fair in October for the lawns of the ICC, an Eid Fest, following the end of Ramadan, and a fashion show for November to depict the transition of the Indian wear over the decades.
