Indian Arrival Day commemorative magazine 2009
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: May 28, 2009
Indian-Arrival-2009
A pictorial survey of books on indentureship in the Caribbean
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) is proud to announce the publication of its latest magazine commemorating Indian Heritage Month (May 2009) in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean). The theme of the magazine which marks the arrival of East Indians/South Asians from India to Trinidad during indentureship (1845-1917) is “A pictorial survey of books on indentureship in the Caribbean.”
This glossy magazine in full colour highlights the first book on the subject that was written by Joseph Beaumont and published in 1871. It is entitled The New Slavery: An Account of the Indian and Chinese Immigrants in British Guiana. About 80 years later, the second non-fiction book was written by Dwarka Nath and published in 1950, entitled A History of Indians in British Guiana. Since then about 83 books have been published on the subject, mainly by Indians in the Diaspora, some of them being women. Eight of these are works of fiction.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- About Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago
- Editorial: A pictorial survey of books on indentureship in the Caribbean.
- Greetings from the Minister of Community Development, Culture & Gender Affairs, The Honourable Marlene Mc Donald
- Greetings from the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Malay Mishra
- A Question of Labour: Indentured Immigration into Trinidad and British Guiana 1875-1917 by K.O. Laurence
- Autobiography of an Indian Indentured Labourer: Munshi Rahman Khan (1874-1972) by Jeevan Prakash. Book Review by Victor Van Bijlert
- Benevolent Neutrality: Indian Government Policy and Labour Migration to British Guiana 1854-1884 by Basdeo Mangru
- Bechu: ‘Bound Coolie’ Radical in British Guiana 1894 – 1901 by Clem Seecharan
- A History of East Indian Resistance on the Guyana Sugar Estates: 1869-1948 by Basdeo Mangru
- From Caste to Class: The Social Mobility of the Indo-Trinidadian Community, 1870-1917 by E.B. Rosabelle Seesaran
- Centenary Celebration of the Arrival of Indians to British Guiana (1838-1938): The British Guiana East Indian Association (BGEIA) Introductory essay by Baytoram Ramharack
- East Indians in the Caribbean: An Illustrated History by Florence Pariag
- Immigrant #99840 and Canecutter #7074: The Story of an East Indian Family in Guyana by Lal Balkaran
- Transients to Settlers: The Experience of Indians in Jamaica, 1845-1950 by Verene Shepherd
- Indentured Indians by Suresh Pillai Read the rest of this entry »
Divali festival souvenir magazine 2008
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: November 23, 2008
Education in Hindu Schools in Trinidad and Tobago
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) wishes to announce the publication of its latest Divali magazine in 2008. The theme of this edition of its annual souvenir magazine is “Education in Hindu Schools in Trinidad and Tobago.”
There are a total of 542 primary schools in Trinidad and Tobago comprising of 54 Government-assisted Hindu primary schools. These Hindu schools consist of 43 schools managed by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), nine by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha (APS/Vedic), and two by the Kabir Panth Association (KPA). There are also eight Hindu Secondary Schools in the country administered by the SDMS, SWAHA and Chinmaya Mission. There are also scores of Hindu Early Childhood Care and Education Centers.
Today, these schools are a source of pride to Hindus. The results of the SEA examination in 2008 reveal that among denominational institutions, Hindu schools performed the second best after Muslim schools. They also attained the same level of excellence as private primary schools. Hindu schools comprise just 10% of all primary schools in the country, but secured 22% of the schools that made it to the top 100 places in the SEA examination.
Once again, Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College occupied pride of place among prestigious secondary schools in Trinidad. It secured an impressive 15 National Scholarships in the 2008 CAPE/GCE A’ Level Examinations. Lakshmi Girls’ is now ranked third in performance in A’ Levels among all seven-year schools in North Trinidad. Shiva Boys’ Hindu College in Penal made history by winning two National (Open) Scholarships. The Maha Sabha-managed Hindu college won these awards for the first time with its first batch of A’ Level graduates.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- About Divali in Trinidad and Tobago
- Education in Hindu Schools in Trinidad and Tobago: Editorial
- Greetings from Prime Minister: The Honourable Patrick Manning
- Greetings from the Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs: The Honourable Marlene Mc Donald
- Names of students among the top 100 in the 2008 SEA exam
- Map showing all Hindu schools in Trinidad and Tobago
- Graph showing number of students from all types of schools among the top 100 in the 2008 SEA examination
- Graph showing percentage of school-types represented among the top 100 in the 2008 SEA examination
- Graph showing number is scholarships won by schools in the 2008 CAPE/GCE A’ Level examinations
- Aranguez Hindu (SDMS) Primary School: Producers of a DVD highlighting its achievements
- Arima Hindu (SDMS) Primary School: A school with an exceptional history
- Clarke Road Hindu (SDMS) Primary School: A school that produced an Open Scholarship winner
- Don Miguel Hindu (SDMS) Primary School: Nurturing a culture of excellence Read the rest of this entry »
Indian Arrival Day commemorative magazine 2008
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: June 20, 2008
Heritage Tourism: Indian heritage and sacred sites in Trinidad
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) is proud to announce the publication of its latest magazine commemorating Indian Heritage Month (May 2008) in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean). The theme of the magazine which marks the arrival of East Indians/South Asians from India to Trinidad during indentureship (1845-1917) is “Heritage Tourism: Indian heritage and sacred sites in Trinidad.”
This glossy magazine in full colour highlights significant places, built structures and land formations that Indians consider to be particularly historical or sacred to them in multi-ethnic Trinidad. These sites include three temples, three secular buildings, a mosque, a church, a cave, a rock, a volcano, a river, a beach, a massacre site, a cremation ground, and Nelson Island. Though these designated sites and architectural monuments bear special meaning to Indians, they exhibit outstanding values that are universal to all mankind. These sites have become popular destinations to local visitors and can be marketed to attract tourists.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- About Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago
- Editorial: Indian heritage and sacred sites in Trinidad
- Greetings from Prime Minister Patrick Manning
- The Light House in Port of Spain
- Nelson Island Read the rest of this entry »
Divali festival souvenir magazine 2007
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: November 20, 2007
Steps of the Hindu Marriage Ceremony
Marriage is one of the most-important of the sixteen sanskars [sacraments] in the life of a Hindu. It is no wonder, therefore, that so many relatives, friends and well-wishers are invited to witness the ceremony. Deities are also invited to witness and bless the marriage. They are invoked by the presiding pandits through the chanting of verses in Sanskrit from the ancient Vedas. The marriage does not only establish a bond between two individuals but also between two families. It is an elaborate and lavish affair with numerous rites and rituals lasting three to four days. The main ceremony takes place at the bride’s place under a mandap or maro [canopy] beautifully decorated with electric bulbs, colourful fabrics and flower petals. Each step has its own function and significance.
Table of Contents
- Steps of the Hindu Marriage Ceremony [Editorial]
- Greetings from his the High Commissioner of India
- By His Excellency Jagjit Singh Sapra
- Chey-Kai – The Engagement Ceremony
- Mehendi – The Dulahin’s Seductive Body Art Read the rest of this entry »
Indian Arrival Day commemorative magazine 2007
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: June 15, 2007
Indian indentureship on cocoa, coconut and rubber plantations in Trinidad
It is not well known today that South Asian/East Indian immigrants were indentured on estates other than sugarcane plantations. When the price of sugar in the world market fell in the mid-1880s, cocoa, coconut and rubber became alternative crops cultivated for export. Cocoa surpassed sugar as the most valuable export crop in Trinidad during, and just after Indentureship, and Indians were at the forefront of this agricultural enterprise. Indians worked in cocoa estates in Diego Martin, Lopinot, Sangre Grande, Grand Couva, Oropouche, Siparia, Fyzabad and Avocat. In 1920, cocoa beans made up about 43 percent of the British colony’s total export.
From World War 1 (1914-1918) until 1921, copra [from coconut] prices rose rapidly and production doubled with the additional labour of Indians. They worked on coconut estates in Cocal and Ortoire along the Manzanilla-Mayaro Road, and Cedros and Icacos in the south-west peninsula of the island. A few hundred Indians were also indentured on rubber estates in Trinidad, and perhaps Guyana. As early as 1910, about 3000 acres of land were grown with Castilloa rubber mainly in Rio Claro. Later, the Para [Hevea Brasiliensis] variety was cultivated in Talparo, Ecclesville, Phoenix, Guayabe, Vessigny, Biche, Matura and Sangre Grande.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Indian indentureship on Cocoa, Rubber and Coconut Plantations: Editorial Dr Kumar Mahabir
- Greetings from the High Commissioner of India: His Excellency Jagit Singh Sapra
- Greetings from the High Commissioner of Britain: His Excellency Eric Jenkinson
- Indians absconded to work in cocoa plantations: Cocoa and Indian Indentured labourer
- Indians were the pioneers in this agricultural enterprise: Cocoa and Indian Indentured labourer
- The rate of squatting on Crown lands was increasing: Cocoa and Indian Indentured labourer
- Indians from the first immigrant ship were indentured in Lopinot: Cocoa and Indian Indentured labourer Read the rest of this entry »
Divali festival souvenir magazine 2006
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: October 29, 2006
The Splendour of Divali: Highlights of the Festival
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) wishes to announce the publication of its latest magazine – Divali 2006, Trinidad and Tobago. The theme of this edition of its annual souvenir magazine is “The Splendour of Divali: Highlights of the Festival.”
Trinidad and Tobago, the famed island of Carnival, is the same country that gives the world its unique brand of Divali. Where else would non-Hindus and non-Indians actively take part in lighting over ten million deyas on an auspicious night? It is perhaps only in Trinidad that one can find split bamboo tubes transformed into magnificent works of art on which the deyas are placed. Strings of twinkling lights – clear and coloured – are also strung high on buildings, trees, and even across streets. Divali provides a perfect forum for showcasing the talent of both foreign and local performers in the field of Indian song, music, dance and drama. Divali also boasts of Ram Leela which is perhaps the oldest living form of free outdoor folk theatre in the Caribbean. The hub of all Divali celebrations in the island is the Divali Nagar in central Trinidad. The grand display of fireworks in the air at the Nagar is complemented by the thunder of bamboo cannons, the explosions of firecrackers, and the sparkle of “star-lights” in villages across the country.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- The Splendour of Divali: Highlights of the Festival [Editorial]
- Greetings from the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs By the Honourable Joan Yuille-Williams
- Greetings from his the High Commission of India By Excellency Jagjit Singh Sapra
- Lord Rama – the God King who walked the Earth: He became king of the solar race and reigned over Ayodhya Read the rest of this entry »
Indian Arrival Day commemorative magazine 2006
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: June 29, 2006
Caribbean Indians in Cinema
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) is proud to announce the publication of its latest magazine commemorating Indian Heritage Month (May 2005) in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean). The theme of the magazine which marks the arrival of East Indians/South Asians from India to Trinidad during indentureship (1845-1917) is Caribbean Indian actors in cinematic movies
The magazine presents still pictures from cinematic movies in which Indian actors and actresses have starred. It highlights Indians in movies made in the Caribbean, England and Hollywood from 1964 to the present time. The magazine begins with the young Basdeo Panday in three British-produced movies: Nine Hours to Rama (1963), Man in the Middle (1964), and The Brigand of Kandahar (1965). It also captures shots of Ralph Maraj in The Right and the Wrong (1970), The Caribbean Fox (1970) and Bim (1974). It features Errol Sitahal in three Hollywood films: A Little Princess (1995), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) and Tommy Boy (1995). And it takes snapshots of a host of other performers, most of whom have appeared in The Mystic Masseur (2001). It is important to celebrate these individuals because they have struggled against tremendous odds as ethnic minorities to achieve visibility and stardom on the sliver screen.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- About Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago
- Caribbean Indian actors in cinematic movies [editorial] By Dr. Kumar Mahabir
- Greetings from the Prime Minister By the Honourable Patrick Manning
- Nine Hours to Rama – Basdeo Panday as a laundryman
- Man in the Middle – Basdeo Panday as an Indian journalist
- Man in the Middle – Basdeo Panday’s career as an actor Read the rest of this entry »
Divali festival souvenir magazine 2005
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: October 29, 2005
Temples and Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) wishes to announce the publication of its latest souvenir magazine – Divali 2005, Trinidad and Tobago. The theme of this edition of its annual magazine is “Temples and Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The concept of spiritual tourism has become the new buzzword in the travel-and-tours circuit all over the world. This brand of tourism has remained untapped so far in the southern Caribbean, but has been exploited in the U.K. by groups like North Yorkshire Tourism Initiative. Spiritual tourism has the greatest potential for attracting foreign visitors outside of the busy Carnival season. One tourist destination can be the temple in Waterloo which has a gigantic Hanuman murti [statue] towering 85 feet (25 metres) high. In the same area is the monumental Temple-in-the-Sea, known world-wide for its exceptional history, design and location. The target market for this brand of tourism would be Hindus and Indians in the United States. They comprise a total of over two million people, and are reported to be the fastest-growing and wealthiest ethnic community in that country.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Temples and Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago [Editorial]
- Greetings from the Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs By the Honourable Joan Yuille-Williams
- Greetings from his the High Commissioner of India By His Excellency Jagjit Singh Sapra
- The excellence of sacred art in an altar: The Hare Krishna Temple in Longdenville Read the rest of this entry »
Indian Arrival Day commemorative magazine 2005
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: June 28, 2005
East Indian/South Asian Artifacts in the Caribbean
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) wishes to announce the publication of its latest magazine commemorating Indian Heritage Month (May 2005) in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean). The theme of the magazine which marks the arrival of East Indians/South Asians from India to Trinidad during indentureship (1845-1917) is Indian artifacts in the Caribbean.
Artifacts are old, broken or discarded objects such as musical instruments, cooking utensils, household items, ritual paraphernalia, old tools, etc. that have been used by past generations. The magazine carries photographs of these recovered material remains, and describes and analyses them in relation to their uses. The objective of selecting this theme is to illustrate how non-textual sources of information can also be used to re-construct the history of Indian immigrants in the Caribbean.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Artifacts as sources of history [editorial] By Dr. Kumar Mahabir
- Greetings from the Prime Minister By the Honourable Patrick Manning
- Greetings from the Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs By the Honourable Joan Yuille-Williams
- Greetings from his the High Commissioner of India By Excellency Virendra Gupta
- The material culture of indentured Indians in Trinidad Read the rest of this entry »
Carnival magazine 2005
Posted by: Kumar Mahabir on: February 27, 2005
Re-defining Trinidad Carnival
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) wishes to announce the publication of its Chutney & Carnival magazine, 2005. The theme of this Special Edition of its souvenir magazine is “Re-defining Trinidad Carnival.”
Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is hailed as the most colourful street parade on earth. Ever since the French aristocrats introduced the festival in the 1780s in the island, the face, form and rhythm of the festival has been constantly changing. In recent years, people of South Asian/East Indian descent have contributed to this change to the extent that Carnival has now to be re-defined to include Chutney Monarch, Chutney Brass, Chutney Soca, Chutney Calypso, Chutney Glow, and now Chutney Mardi Gras. This new change is being hailed as a welcome addition to the Carnival potpourri in multi-ethnic Trinidad and Tobago, and a colourful contribution to what has become a truly national festival.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Chutney re-defines Carnival [editorial]
- Greetings from the Prime Minister: The Honourable Patrick Manning
- Is Carnival a religious festival? Sacred or secular?
- The rise of chutney soca in Trinidad By Amelia Ingram Read the rest of this entry »
