TIMES

I ndo- Caribb ean

Singer/ musician
Racquel Mahadeo Arrival story 1972:
is a veteran at age Jai Ojah-Maharaj
12 Page 19
Page 11 Vol 1. No 5 July 2007 Tel: 416-289-3898 Fax: 416-289-0528 [email protected]

Canada may face

Afghan suicide bombers bound for Canada (left) and blazing suicide bomb vehicle at Glasgow Airport (ri ght)

scary summer
Writers shine at Guyana festival
Promising Indo-Caribbean writers (from left) Janet Naidu,
Shirely Najhram and Habeeb Alli of the Pakaraima
Guyanese Canadian Writers and Artists Association pose
with Scarborough MPP Bas Balkissoon (in dark suit).

More Guyana,
By Ram Jagessar ties are under suspicion as well. charged with planning to set off massive

Trinidad terror-
The shocking arrest of three Trinidadians bombs in Toronto and to assassinate the
SUMMER of 2007 has started up with an and one Guyanese on charges of plotting to prime minister.
unprecedented surge of terrorist activity bomb JFK Airport has thrown the spotlight Canada’s firefights with Taleban fighters

ists sought by
across the world that threatens to make it on these countries as terrorist producing na- in Afghanistan has produced dozens of
one of the scariest on record. tions. More suspects are being sought, and deaths of Canadian soldiers, and hundreds

police and FBI

This time Caribbean people are very already Trinidadian and Guyanese trav- of Afghans. For the first time in many years
much involved, and face higher levels of ellers are facing security scrutiny as never Canada is engaged in a protracted and bit-
suspicion and scrutiny where they live and before. Some South Asians coming to ter war against people in their country. It’s
when they travel. South Asians and Middle Canada have noted extra scrutiny on inevitable that they would take the war to
Eastern people, as well as people of African “brown people” by Canadian immigration. our country, just as they have already done THERE is more to the plot to blow up fuel
descent coming from the Caribbean are Canada, Britain and the United States to Britain. Today’s graduated Afghanistan tanks at New York’s JFK Airport than the
likely to feel the pressure as well. have taken careful note of the publicized suicide bombers may be a public relations arrest of one Trinidadidn and three
Four events are coming together to make graduation of 300 suicide bombers in trick, but others to follow may be more se- Guyanese suspects.
this summer one to watch. The latest was Afghanistan. One group of bombers (see rious and less inclined to announce their Two officers of the Federal Bureau of In-
the two attempted car bombings in London picture above) is said to be heading for plans. vestigations (FBI) trained in counter-terror-
and the attempted suicide bombing of the Canada, and others are said to be ready to One thing is sure.The security that ism now have a list of names, addresses and
Glasgow Airport in Scotland by the British bring the war to the United States and Caribbean people thought we had in North pictures of Trinidad and Tobago, and other
based “medical terrorists.” At least one of Britain. America is no longer guaranteed. Both the Caribbean nationals, believed linked to the
the suspects is an Indian doctor and another Canadians will be reminded that we are American and Canadian authorities say at- plot and other planned terrorist activities
is a Jordanian born brain surgeon. More at- not free of terrorists when the pre-trials of tacks at home are inevitable. It’s just as in- In Guyana, authorities are widening the
tacks are expected in Britain, and already the 17 Canadian terrorists begins this evitable that people like us will be blamed search for more locals who could have
the Muslim community in Scotland has month. These young men, one of whom is and we will face consequences. helped in the plan to attack the U.S.
been feeling a backlash. Indian communi- the son of a Trinidad born doctor, are (See stories on Page 2, 6, 7 and 24) SEE PAGE 2

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CANADA AND THE WORLD Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 2
Backlash comes More Guyana, Radical Islam among GOPIO CHAPTER

against Muslims Trinidad terrorists

threats to Caribbean INITIATED IN
sought maritime security, ST. VINCENT
in Scotland (From Page 1)
says US report- A CHAPTER of Global Organization for
People of Indian Origin has been initiated
POLICE say there has been a backlash CORRUPTION and the rise of radical Is- in St. Vincent's in the Caribbean, the is-
against Glasgow's Muslims in the wake of lamic groups in the Caribbean region were land nation with a population of 118,000
the attempted airport bombing, with at least Some of the Trinidad suspects are linked to among several concerns raised in a recent of which approximately 6% are of Indian
24 attacks, ranging from graffiti on a the Jamaat Al Muslimeen. FBI sources said US Government Accountability Report, as Origin. This chapter formulation resulted
mosque to firebombings of businesses. that Interpol has been assisting in compil- possible threats to maritime security in the from initiatives made in 2006 with St.
In the row of shops, a Pakistani immigrant ing some of the information for the FBI of- Caribbean Basin. Vincent and the Grenadines Indian Her-
owns the only one that was targeted. Shafiq ficers. The list, it is said, details some of the Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago were itage Foundation (SVGIHF). That was
Ahmed says vandals rammed a car into his suspicious activities the suspects have been mentioned in the US report, which was re- followed by the visit of GOPIO Interna-
"One Stop Shop" and set it on fire — an as- involved in since last year. leased on July 6 as the home countries of tional delegation and Minister Vayalar
sault disturbingly reminiscent of the terror The information includes activities by the individuals involved in the recent JFK Ravi of Government of India Ministry of
attack just days earlier on the airport of this one man who travelled to the Middle East, International Airport terrorist plot. The re- Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) to com-
gritty but until now racially well-integrated Pakistan, Venezuela and Cuba to solicit port stated that Trinidad and Tobago is memorate the 146th anniversary of the In-
Scottish city. funds to carry out alleged terrorist acts home to the terrorist Muslim extremist dian Arrival in St. Vincent.
Soaping off soot with his family in his against the US Government. group Jamaat al-Muslimeen while other GOPIO of St. Vincent's executive is
charred convenience store, Ahmed is hop- The travel records of the man has been groups such as Hezbollah, have a presence comprised of: President: Mr. Elmore
ing that the attack on his family business documented on how many times he has in countries neighbouring the Caribbean Gaymes; Vice President: Mr. Branson
wasn't racially motivated. After 30 peace- travelled out of Trinidad, the countries he Basin, such as Venezuela and Colombia. Thomas; Secretary: Ms. Jannis Deane;
ful years in Scotland, the idea that some has visited, the people he met, and some of The JFK terror suspects were named as Treasurer: Mrs. Cheryl Rodriguez. Its ob-
may no longer welcome him and his Scot- his international connections. having possible links to the Jamaat al-Mus- jectives include researching and preserv-
tish-born children is simply too uncomfort- The bank records of the man are also in limeen. ing the Indian heritage and customs.
able. the possession of the FBI officers.
"I haven't got words to describe it. I'm Sources also revealed that the FBI offi-
hoping it's not retaliation," Ahmed said cers are not eager to share their information
Sunday, in a thick Glasgow accent. "It's a with local police officers. They however,
shame to think you can't work with people have been utilising sparingly, the services
and enjoy the company of people and in- of the TT police.
stead have to worry." Sources revealed that when Guyanese
British police are still threading together Abdul Kadir, one of the four suspects in the
the terror plot investigation, reaching out to JFK plot was arrested by Special Branch of-
India, Australia, Jordan, Iraq and to com- ficers at Piarco, none of the arresting offi-
munities here in Scotland where Muslims cers knew who he was. They were only told
and non-Muslims have long lived in peace that he was wanted by the United States for

A
together — and where the majority are de- extradition.
termined to keep it that way. In Guyana a businessman whose office
was allegedly used as a meeting room by

F
Unlike in Muslim enclaves in northern
England, Asian Muslims in Glasgow do not the JFK airport terror plot suspects is being
live in complete isolation. White customers sought by the police and agents of the US

T
are common in the curry restaurants and Federal Bureau of investigation. Reports
ethnic grocery stores. Glaswegians wearing are that the man might have fled into the

E
the colors of the local soccer team — Glas- interior where he operates a business.
gow Rangers — share the sidewalks with One week after the arrests of former
PNCR member of parliament AbdulKadir

R
Muslim community elders clad in long tu-
nics and matching baggy trousers tradition- and Trinidadian Kareem Ibrahim in Port of
ally worn in Pakistan. Spain, US agents had travelled to George-
In the former industrial towns of northern town where they met US Ambassador to
England where much of Britain's Asian di- Guyana David Robinson, President Bharrat
aspora is settled, the far right British Na- Jagdeo and Acting Commissioner of Police
Henry Greene. They also conducted an ex-

B
tional Party with its fiercely anti-Muslim
rhetoric has made inroads. But in Glasgow tensive search at Kadir's Watooka, Linden
- Scotland's most populous Muslim city - home where they seized a number of items

E
the BNP has hardly any presence despite re- and allegedlyfound a 7.62 round of ammu-
peated efforts to foment racial division. nition.
At least six other Guyanese might have

F
Problems of unemployment, poverty, and
alcohol and drug abuse are shared by the been directly involved or had knowledge of
community, not divided along racial lines. the plot to blow up pipelines and fuel stor-

O
Two Muslims allegedly rammed a Jeep age tanks at the airport, according to the US
Cherokee packed with gas cylinders and complaint. Court documents did not name

R
gasoline into the terminal building of Glas- these individuals, but authorities in George-
gow's airport on June 30. Bilal Abdullah, a town and the US knew who they were.
Jagdeo had subsequently told a media con-

E
27-year-old doctor born in Britain and
raised in Iraq, was charged on Friday. ference that other Guyanese were being
Kafeel Ahmed, from Bangalore, India, was looked at.
believed to be driving the jeep. Hospitalized In the US court document, the six per-
in critical condition with severe burns, he sons are referred to as individuals A, B, C,
has not been charged. Six others remain E, F and G. Those individuals, the US gov-
held in custody over that plot and a failed ernment informant and Russell Defreitas
car bomb attack 24 hours earlier in Lon- who is said to be the mastermind of the plot
don's theater district. met collectively and separately at other
In Glasgow, some Muslims fear that they times in Guyana around mid August last
will now face the same unwelcome year. Defreitas and the informant had stayed
scrutiny, even alienation and violence, that in Guyana for an extended period, accord-
others across the border in England have ing to the document. Individual E, who the
complained of since four British-born Mus- document suggests is a businessman with
lims blew themselves up on trains and a bus an office in Georgetown, had told the in-
in London on July 7, 2005, killing 52 peo- formant during a conversation that he
ple and injuring more than 700. helped "brothers" who had a basic knowl-
Senior officials have since urged Mus- edge of Islam to perform Jihad (holy war).
lims to better integrate. Jack Straw, the jus- "He said that he takes care of the individu-
tice secretary and lord chancellor spoke out als basic needs while they are performing
in October against the head-to-toe black their jihad duties," the document stated. It is
veils worn by some Muslim women. this individual 'E', according to reports, who
the police have been trying to track down.
COMMUNITY NEWS Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 3
Toronto couple Scarborough
Guyana is in deep
Institute for Democratic Stability says
donates books to Village Holds
trouble and must move Guyana schools Second Annual
Festival
beyond racial and
ethnic stereotypes
TWO SUMMERS ago, few people thought
Scarborough Village was a friendly and
safe place to live. The neighbourhood, lo-

towards true democracy

cated around Markham Rd and Eglinton
Ave E., had a reputation for crime and un-
employment. Residents often felt confined
to their homes, unable to enjoy the summer
months because of limited public space and
activities for children and youth. Melinda
Rooke, a businesswoman in the area, says,
“We knew we needed to begin to address
reach component to the wider society, the issues in our area and bring out all the skills
purpose of which is to invalidate the nar- TORONTO based couple Sheik Khan and and talents in the neighbourhood to make it
row focus of the racial/ethnic stereotyping his wife Neisha Khan have donated $1000 a better place.”
into one of a genuine, Guyanese social/civic US worth of textbooks to the Central Is- This summer is a different picture. With
culture. Citing examples, Persaud states lamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) for the help of the United Way of Greater
that Guyanese history has demonstrated use at its academies. They hope the books Toronto and the City of Toronto, residents
that national problems faced nationally will help the CIOG to help it meet the chal- began to organize. The Scarborough Vil-
pays great rewards to all. Perhaps some lenges of in making education accessible to lage Neighbourhood Association was
people will remember as he recalls the underprivileged children. formed. “People began to see we could do
Trade Winds ballad, ‘Not one blade of The CIOG has built schools at Anna positive things together,” says Sutha Ratna,
grass, not one cuirass…not one jamoon, not Regina, Essequibo; Meten-Meer-Zorg, manager of the local Tim Hortons. New
one sakiwinki…’, when the patriotism of a West Coast Demerara; Enmore, East Coast language classes were organized with the
socially fractured nation was on test. Demerara and New Amsterdam, Berbice. Toronto District School Board. A Cricket
For the past half century members of this Students enjoy library and computer facili- Club was formed. New clubs such as the
Organization, Institute for Democratic Sta- ties, an auditorium and canteen and a well South Asian Women’s Group and the Ben-
bility, in one form or the other, have been kept playground. The CIOG said in keep- gali Social Club got together. Money was
involved in the affairs of Guyana and have ing with its motto 'Reaching the Unreached' raised for a new playground for the chil-
witnessed the rise and fall of its fortunes. the schools are open to students from all re- dren. “We began talking to each other and
At this time, however, they feel they need to ligious persuasions. seeing we could contribute to making this
Kenneth Persaud of the IDS inject a new understanding to the nature of In the picture above, students at one of the a lively, health place to live,” says resident
Guyana’s problems and provide solutions CIOG schools display some of the books Nayla Rahman.
MODERN Guyana needs to abandon racial for the country’s advancement. donated by the Khans. On July 14, Scarborough Village will get

Trinidad novel to
stereotyping and cultivate democratic civic In this regard the Institute makes concrete together for its second annual summer fes-
structures . proposals for the civic component of the ed- tival to celebrate its successes. Held in

be made into film

Guyana is in deep trouble; it’s wobbling ucational curriculum. It includes the use of Scarborough Village Park next to Cedar
precariously along! So said Kenneth Per- stories with a moral content at the entry lev- Drive Public School, organizers expect
saud in an address to a predominantly about 3,000 people to attend. Organizers

“Diaspora Saga”
els of schools into a critical study of democ-
Guyanese-Canadian audience at a Toronto racy, with practical internships, as students are very excited by the day’s agenda.
public meeting last week. progress through university. Incidentally, “There will be 20 acts on stage,” says
Speaking on behalf of the Institute for advanced studies of race will expose the Vathany Uthayasundaram, “as well as food
Democratic Stability (IDS) of which he is distorted babble by ‘intellectualized spin- INDO-CARIBBEAN Cultural Council of and fun activities for children and the whole
Director, Persaud said that every commen- ners’ and by selfish power brokers. Teacher New York (ICC-NY) and celebrates the family.”
tator on the Guyana reality has recognized Training, too, needs to be reoriented to meet successes and achievements of two out- “There has been tremendous co-opera-
that race/ethnic relations pose the major the new challenges fit for a forward look- standing Indo-Caribbean PIOs. Author and tion from all parts of the community pulling
problem facing the democratic stability of ing reality. screen-writer, Jang Bahadur Bhagiratee, this together,” says staff person Lara
the nation. “It’s a national problem. It af- All across the world there is a conscious born in Trinidad of Indian parents, versed McLachlan at Action for Neighbourhood
fects the nation as a whole. To solve it de- effort to involve more of civic society in the in Hindi and Philosophy, is preparing to Change. “Everyone from residents, social
mands a holistic approach. A governing process. Using practical exam- produce a film, "THE DIASPORAN agencies, the police, the City and the
comprehensive program. No piece meal ples from various countries, Persaud out- SAGA," based on his novel "Chalo School Board have been great.”
bandage will do any body any good”. But lines a comprehensive outreach project to Chinidad." According to Jang, "The Film A key feature of this year’s festival is the
while this is true, he says, no one offers a meet the needs of the wider society. “With will be a love story based, filmed within the participation of youth. “We wanted to show
realistic method to solving that ongoing the understanding that reciprocal relations settings of the lives of our ancestors. It will people we are a part of making this com-
problem. at work or play favors success, societies ad- have historical relevance to countries such munity better,” says Jacek Otreba, a youth
On the other hand, he says, research vance … people who are not merely pas- as Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, Mauritius, organizer for the celebration. “We’ve been
shows that the people at large are eager to sive observers but active players enhance Fiji, India and South Africa. The authentic- active in bringing young people together
extricate themselves from their predicament the achievement of all”, Persaud observed. ity of the history will be fully enacted but and the entertainment will have a very pos-
but cannot do so with the consistent, over- The distinguished educator, a graduate of with a blend of romance, traditional folk itive message for youth across Toronto.”
powering conditioning from the power York University here in Canada, was also a songs, and music". The July 14th Summer Festival will be
elite. Contrary to popular thinking these Lecturer at University of Guyana and for- Consultant Dr. Ashford Maharaj, writing held from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Scarbor-
power elites are found not only in the polit- mer Principal and Founder of the famous in support of the film stated that, "The ough Village Park next to Cedar Drive Pub-
ical structures but also in every other or- but now defunct Guyana Progressive Col- prospective film seeks to portray the life of lic School (21 Gatesview Ave.). For more
ganization, state and private, within lege in Georgetown. Involved in Guyana’s a successful indentured immigrant from information, contact:
society”, Persaud noted. political/social development as educator, British India who made it real big in British Lara McLachlan
To reverse this debilitating malady Per- writer and activist, Persaud is passionate in West Indies". Roopnarayan Prashad, Gen- Action for Neighbourhood Change staff
saud states, with a certain conviction, that his quest to see Guyana overcome its deep- eral Secretary of ICC-NY, will serve as an 416 261-0150
IDS is proposing a suitable framework rooted racial obscenities. Associate Producer to represent the interest
through which civil society can, with col- He visited Toronto as part of lecture se- and legacy of Indo-Caribbean PIOs. Vathany Uthayasundaram
lective vigor, organize its strength to face ries to make people aware of the solutions Dr. Taj Rajkumar continues his life-long Youthlink staff/ Festival Planning commit-
this major national problem. “And race, for Guyana’s predicament. He has pre- efforts as an advocate to improve the Indo- tee
like religion or ideology, are attributes of sented his program in New York and Caribbean community in the New York Tri- 416 967-1773 Ext. 241
strength, not weaknesses … but, an educa- Florida so far and has found a keen sense state region. He was elected as a
tional infrastructure, one directed to focus of urgency among audiences in the dias- Democratic State Committee Member for Jacek Otreba
on a new vision, a new reality within soci- pora. He is on his way to Vancouver on the District 31 in New York State in 2004, the Youth Festival Coordinator/SVNA member
ety, is necessary”, Persaud argues. West Coast where he has been invited by first Indo-Caribbean elected to this office. 416 265-3043
A successful educator himself, Persaud some of his former students. He currently is one of District 31 elected
proposes a civic stream into the curriculum district leaders.
of the educational institutions and an out-
COMMENTARY Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 4

Canada’s scary no fly list coming to get you

Indo-Caribbean Times is pub- From the editor’s desk
lished monthly in Toronto by
Indo-Caribbean Times Ltd.
Editor/Publisher: Ram Jagessar THERE are 143 people on the American list and should make it on the Canadian authorities to operate the no-
Editorial Committee: named Shaikh Mohammed the Canadian one too. Any Canadian named fly list in a more intelligent and sensitive
Reynold Ramdial, Gulcharan Mo- living in Ontario who Susan Becker is likely to be denied permis- manner than the clumsy Americans. We
going to be very unhappy sion to fly in a Canadian airplane. have to educate our security people to see
habir, Lloyd Harradan, Sandy
that Canada is introducing Owners of Hindu names like Lakhan that just throwing a name on the list is not
Kissoonsingh, Roop Misir, Deoraj an American style no-fly will have to watch themselves. Airline and enough when hundreds or thousands of in-
Narine, Jiantee Jagessar,Krishna list very soon. You see, immigration people who have been warned nocent Canadians and visitors may have the
Ram Jagessar
Nankissoor, Rudy Lochan Shaikh Mohammed is the to look out for security threats named Khan same name. Identifying the person as 63
Offi
ficce: 17 Gaiety Drive, name of a known Al Quaeda terrorist, a may not know the difference between Khan year old black man Robert Johnson, or
name that is fairly certain to be on the and Lakhan or between Karim and Karan. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed as a middle
Toronto ON Canada M1H 1B9 Canadian no-fly list. When any of those You shouldn’t have to ask what all of this aged Arab with a black moustache rotting
Tel: 416-289-3898 Shaikh Mohammeds tries to get on an air- has to do with us Indo-Caribbeans living in in Guantanamo would go a long way to-
Fax: 416-289-0528 plane he will be told he cannot fly, but no- Canada or travelling to Canada. It’s staring wards making this list workable.
E-Mail: [email protected] body will tell him why. you in the face. The majority of people on The way the Canadian authorities plan to
That alone is reason enough to fear the the Canadian no fly list are likely to be use the list is not reassuring. You will only
:www.indocaribbeantimes.com
coming no fly list, and enough evidence brown skinned, Middle Eastern or South know you are on the list when you turn up
that the list will not work as planned to ex- Asian in appearance, with names to suit. at the airport ready to fly. Then you will
Opinions given in this newspaper clude from flying persons who could be a That profile covers most of us Indo- have to convince the immigration officer
are those of the authors and do danger to the security of an airplane. What Caribbeans. Flying while brown is likely to that you are not the terrorist on the list. We
not necessarily reflect the views the list will probably do is punish a stadium become even more dangerous than it is don’t know how much information on per-
load of innocent people whose only crime now. sons on the list is available. The American
of the Indo-Caribbean Times. is sharing the same name as suspected or The recent arrests of four Trinidadians list seems to have no more than the names
convicted terrorists. and Guyanese for planning attacks on JFK of several people their monstrous list.
We welcome letters, e-mails and My old Trini friend, Hassan Mohammed Airport in New York has not done much for Wouldn’t it be better if you got the bad
comments on matters relevant to from Montreal, will be in trouble and so our reputation in North America. When the news when you bought your airline ticket?
will my former student Guyanese Mo- trials of the 18 homegrown Canadian ter- That way you could avoid embarassing and
Indo-Caribbeans. All content
hammed Rasheed and anybody named rorists begins shortly, our image is going to costly confusion at the airport. That would
must comply with the require- Abdel Karim. You guessed it- these are the take another hit. Most of those 18 accused mean letting travel agents see the list, but
ments of Canadian law names of known terrorists from Iraq, Pak- look very much like us and there is actually it’s better than throwing the traveller at the
istan or Palestine. Canada has hundreds of one with Trinidad connections. Trinidad mercy of an unknown no fly list.

LETTER TO
people with names like Khan, Ali, Hussein, and Guyana are acquiring the reputation of I have serious reservations about the
Sharif and Yusuf. I once taught in a Muslim countries that produce terrorists. The air- value of the list in keeping security risks

THE EDITOR
school in Trinidad and know for a fact that lines and the Canadian security forces are and terrorists from doing a 9-11 with one of

No reply to
these are common names of Indo- not going to be keen to have any suspicious our domestic and international flights.
Caribbean Muslims, as well as Muslims all Indo-Caribbeans on their airplanes, in ad- They know about the new security arrange-
over the world. dition to the Robert Johnsons or Susan ments and would be really foolish to at-

offers to return
The Muslim angle is not the end of the Beckers. tempt any hijacking. That’s why there have
expected confusion from the 1,000 or so We should know there is not much been so few attempts to commandeer air-

home to Guyana
names to be on the no-fly list. The name of chance of stopping the Canadian no-fly list. lines.
Robert Johnson, convicted of trying to This is coming for certain, and it is easy to Also, why would any terrorist try to travel
bomb the Vishnu Mandir in Toronto, is on see the reasoning behind it. Countries have under his own name when he knew or sus-
the American no fly list of 44,000 names, the right to protect their property, airplanes pected he was on the no-fly list? He’s a
Dear Editor,
and will likely be on the Canadian list too. and citizens from lunatics intent on blow- lawbreaker, and would have no reservations
Several American Robert Johnsons who are ing up those objects and people. If there are about getting a fake ID.
I closely follow events in Guyana via the
not 63 year old black men are still being known and named terrorists it is only sen- The only people who will blissfully go up
internet. I happen to be one of those who
harassed when they try to board an airplane. sible to keep them off our airplanes and our to the airport carrying a name on the no-fly
left Guyana many years ago for greener
Susan Becker, an alias used by a Bader soil. list will be innocent ones like my friend
northern pastures. I have worked hard, rose
Meinhof terrorist named Susan Albrecht, is We may have more luck in convincing Hassan Mohammed..
through the ranks despite the many obsta-

COMMENTARY: East Indians boycott calypso tents in Trinidad

cles we foreigners in the US are made to

Indians should demand apology before a return

face and I have achieved well. Now, in my
"middle age", the desire to "give something
back" to the country I love so much is
stronger than ever. Although I am now fully
eligible for retirement I am still employed By Clevon Raphael, Trinidad Guardian Indo-Trinis who called for boycotting of the more supportive of their own people than
in a very secure, well-paying government tents if that verbal onslaught of leading Afro-Trinis are of their kith and kin.
job which has no upper age limit and a good I read where the Trinbago Unified Calyp- members of their ethnicity did not stop. I am not saying this is so in every case but
pension which will follow me for the rest sonians Organisation (Tuco) is planning to I took a principled stand not to attend per- it is a fact that all the other ethic groups in
of my natural life wherever I choose to live. do some kind of research into why Indo- formances of those bards if they continued this country rally around their own in times
On at least three occasions I offered my Trinis were no longer patronising calypso to string together crude verses to vilify of adversity more easily than Afro-Trinis.
knowledge and skills gained through years tents in the large numbers they previously someone who did not share their political So when the East Indians saw the merci-
of extensive supervisory and managerial did. allegiance. less blows being meted out to one of their
training to certain high level Guyanese gov- Firstly, I am stunned that anyone in his or So while these politically-inspired ca- own they took copious note.
ernment officials. To this day I have not re- her right mind would need a second thought lypsonians went along their merry way It was not a question of politics here; it
ceived as much as an acknowledgement to come up with the answer as to why our pleasing their political masters, in a manner was simply rallying around someone who,
from any of those individuals. At the same East Indian brothers and sisters have de- completely out of sync with authentic po- whether or not you like his politics, has
time, I cannot forget what one letter-writer cided to make kaiso tents a no-go zone. litical commentary, the East Indians suf- done a lot for East Indians in particular and
alleged not too long ago about the cynical Tuco president Michael Leggerton (Pro- fered in silence, the majority of them. the country in general.
thinking existing in the Guyana of today. tector) doesn’t have to pay passage to find It was not surprising then that this I don’t know what made people like the
That writer said, in effect, about us over- out. Simply ask Cro Cro, Sugar Aloes and, reached the stage where they decided that above-mentioned calypsonians and tent
seas-based Guyanese, "Give us your remit- to a lesser extent, Pink Panther. enough was enough and hit the calypsoni- managers believe that they could go on and
tances but shut up! We don't need your Where were you all this time, Protector, ans where it would hurt the most - in their on with their politically-rabid tongues with-
advice". So much for encouragement for when Aloes and Cro Cro were lambasting pockets. out expecting some kind of retaliation by
those of us who still wish to return and con- Basdeo Panday (even when he was Prime And when one thinks that Indo-Trinis the aggrieved.
tribute to genuine development."It might be Minister), his wife and other UNC Indians were responsible for assisting in the devel- If Protector is really serious about get-
added that this is no less than all the rest of over the relatively recent years? opment of the art form to a very large ex- ting East Indians back to the tents he could
us want either." You mean to say, Protector, you were not tent, their pain was even more excruciating. start by knocking some commonsense into
Maybe ordinary hardworking struggling listening to the radio, you were not reading I wonder if Aloes or Cro Cro are aware of the kaisonians who allow their political
Guyanese in Guyana do indeed need our the newspapers when “those people” were the part played by East Indians in putting benefactors to cloud their sense of honesty
knowledge, skills and experience; maybe complaining about the disrespect and hurt calypso where it is today? Ungratefulness, and fairplay.
they even want us to move back home. But they were feeling, inflicted on them through they say, is worse than witchcraft. If I were an East Indian I would have de-
some in authority certainly don't. unfair and biased “political commentaries” An important fact that is forgotten by manded personal apologies from those
Yours faithfully, night after night? those calypsonians who are singing for their singers before going back to patronise their
J Fraser I read many letters to the editor from supper (politically) is that East Indians are tent.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO NEWS
Immigrants hit for abandoning Caribbean “paradise”
Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 5

The Debate: Were we other agendas beside self-enlightenment, for Rent. Pay one month rent and move in.”
Hanoomansingh
wrong to migrate to
freed of 12
makes the common mistake of confusing Two years ago you could not even get an
Dharti Mata with the plantation. Dharti apartment in Toronto. What is happening?

Canada and the USA?

Mata is India. The plantation is a strange With the “crumbs” that migrants are get-

fraud charges
and alien land to which the indentures were ting they are buying houses and moving out
tricked or enticed into coming. The inden- of over-priced, badly-maintained apart-
INDO-CARIBBEAN immigrants in ture contracts were invalid because they ments. They want big, new houses, which
Canada and the United States have come in were obtained by fraud. There should be no don’t come cheap. A few years ago when
for heavy blows from a few stay-at-home legal or theological obligation to regard the you went to a show house the salesmen
Caribbeans, on several web sites and letters plantation as Dharti Mata. Then she makes would tell migrants “You all should check
to the editor. Some have called us cowards the mistake of assuming that because there with the bank first and see if you qualify for
for “running away” from our dharti mata, are many races, ethnicities, religions and a mortgage.” Now they work with the
instead of staying to fight in Trinidad and hair textures cohabiting that the prevailing banks to get you a mortgage. I understand a
Guyana. Others say we are living here as ethos is not Negroid. Co-habiting? Did she lot of West Indian migrants in Queens,
second class citizens picking up crumbs in- mean co-existing or was that a Freudian Florida and Texas are also buying proper-
stead of real wealth, that we need to live in slip? ties. BROADCASTER Gideon Hanoomansingh
a foreign land to feel like somebody. They Peeping Tom, who writes for a Guyanese All types of businesses are trying to at- has been freed of 12 charges of corruption
believe we are living in misery here, freez- newspaper has a better grip on reality. tract the migrant dollar, but migrants have and fraud which the State alleged he com-
ing in winter and working for peanuts in “There is hardly a Guyanese family,” he already established businesses of their own. mitted while working at the Water and Sew-
menial factory jobs. Some are offended that writes, “without some interest in traveling There are so many ethnic businesses in the erage Authority (WASA).
outsiders see Trinidad as “negroid”, a place to the United States of America. Some per- Greater Toronto area that each ethnic group Hanoomansingh and his wife, Hemattie
dominated by black people. ICTimes sons live their entire lives hoping one day to has its own yellow pages. The blacks call Premattie Singh, were jointly accused of
writer Lloyd Harradan gives his usual in- be able to migrate to that great country. theirs the black pages, and even though it is one of the charges, and they were dis-
sight in his reply to our reply. Apart from America being the land of op- only about half an inch thick, compared charged when Senior Magistrate Indra
portunity, it also opens your eyes to human with two and three inches for the other Ramoo-Haynes found that the State had
possibilities. It expands your horizons and groups, it is still a good indication of their failed to make out a case against them.
INDENTURED Indian immigrants were gives you a new perspective in life. When presence in the business sector. According to the charges, the corruption
still streaming into the Caribbean when an- you are in as large a country as the US, the “Why return?” Ms Nagessar asks, “Stay. and fraud were committed between August
other migration started. Time-expired Indi- fears and prejudices that are often dominant Freeze your tails in winter, and work your 2000 and February 2001 while
ans re-migrated to Panama, Costa Rica, in small societies seem superficial… fingers to the bone in a few menial jobs that Hanoomansingh headed WASA's Commu-
Cuba, Guatemala, the USA, and Canada. A There are also strong family ties between the majority of you would not even think nications Department.
boatload left French Guiana for Brazil. In- Guyana and the United States of America twice of doing at "home". Make Money. Hanoomansingh was charged with cor-
dians in the smaller islands emigrated to … These ties mean that permanent immi- Tell yourselves that the land of milk and ruptly passing on official information about
Trinidad and Guyana. Some indentures in gration papers for thousands of locally honey made you into a better father or the need for video coverage for certain
Trinidad, seeking to escape the brutality of based nationals are being processed each mother. YOU may be forgiven just for the WASA activities in January 2000 to Pre-
the plantations fled to Venezuela. We know year. Families wish to reunite with their latter.” mier Video Production Limited in which his
that some of those in Guatemala went to loved ones and therefore there is no short- There seems to be genuine envy here, of wife was a director.
British Honduras. Today some of their de- age of Guyanese who are awaiting their emigrants who have been forced to leave Hanoomansingh was also charged with
scendants are going to the USA. sponsorship papers.” their homes because they are the targets of attempting to defraud WASA using forged
“I have been around a bit,” writes Sonah So why are those who have made this racist criminals, because they are excluded Premier Video Production invoices for
Nagessar, “and I am happiest here in my second (and in some cases third and fourth) from economic activities and because they work done on separate occasions in De-
beloved Dharti Mata, Trinidad. By the way migration being castigated? Lawrence Jit- are still regarded as strangers and interlop- cember 2000 and January 2001.
it is instructive to me that you have formed tansingh of Arouca, Trinidad writes “what ers in countries they and their ancestors res- The preliminary enquiry into the charges
the impression that Trinidad is "Negroid’. the average Caribbean migrant might refer cued and rebuilt. was conducted in the Tunapuna Magis-
Please let me correct your mistaken im- to as wealth is really crumbs; leftovers There is genuine ignorance too, of the trate's Court, and closing submissions were
pressions. There are many races, ethnicities, trickling down from where the real money enormous progress that Indo-Caribbean mi- made last February.
religions and hair textures cohabiting in this is at. Get real! And it seems that some need grants have made in one generation. But the Ramoo-Haynes ruled that the State had
land of course there are negative elements to live in a foreign land in order to feel like stay-at-homes need only visit Liberty Av- failed to lead any evidence on the corrup-
like everywhere else, and we are trying to somebody, albeit as a second class citizen.” enue in Queens to get a true picture of Indo- tion charges that Hanoomansingh had used

Too much
deal with these.” Some strange signs are appearing in Caribbean progress in North America. his position at WASA to receive a benefit.
Ms Nagessar, who, I am informed, has Toronto now. They say simply “Apartments As for the fraud charges, she found that

PM promises new
there was no evidence that WASA's rights
Crime statistics had been prejudiced or that anyone would

serious
toll highways
have suffered from the actions of the ac-
Jan 1 to June 16 2006 2007
cused.
Hanoomansingh is a former television an-
General kidnappings .. 102.............80

crime in
A COMPLETELY new highway network chorman and once served as a MP for
in five to ten years will allow commuters to Pointe-a-Pierre on a UNC ticket. He is
Kidnappings for ransom .....5............. 5
get from one side of Trinidad to the next in one of several former UNC members
two and half hours, Prime Minister, Patrick charged after the party lost power.

Trinidad
Manning has said, Robberies
Manning linked productive levels to the 2006 2007 WOW!! 3.49% mortgage rate*
effectiveness and efficienciesof a well inte- 2,492. .......2,135
grated and improved road network and al-
luded to its development as critical to the Woundings
country moving forward. Stating just how 2006 2007 100% Financing & No Income Confirmation
Government intended to move forward TRINIDAD police have admitted that the 296 . .........274 Good / Bad Credit & Previous Bankrupt
with its comprehensive plan, he said all country continues to experience high levels
of serious crimes, but claim that homicides
No hassle commercial mortgage financing
contractors interested in tendering will be Burglaries and break-ins
notified that the job is on a concessionaire and kidnappings are down. There were 102 2006 2007
Self Employed & Bank Turndowns
basis. This, he explained, will result in con- “general kidnappings” up to June 16 this 2,322.........2,171
tractors designing, building and maintain- year, and five kidnappings for ransom. Call NOW!!

Lea Nankissoor
ing highways, by toll system. Manning said Asst Commissioner of Police in charge of Sexual offences
that the contractors will make back their Anti-Crime Operations Gilbert Reyes main- 2006 2007 .
money via the toll system. After contractual tained in a recent statement that homicide 394 ...........336
agreements expire between government figures of 131 in mid June were down 29.6 Associate Mortgage Broker
and contractors, they (contractors) will re- per cent compared to last year's total of 186
alise their investments and make profits and for the same time period.
Stolen vehicles (over 15 yrs Banking experience)
2006 2007
"in about 30 to 50 years, highways are He admitted that the level of violence
647-294-6241
651 ...........768
handed back to government for its con- pervading T&T was “unacceptable,”and
trol"."The point I'm trying to get at, is that there was an apparent increase in gang vi- Vehicles recovered
it will not cost the Government money," the olence in the North-Eastern Division that is 2006 2007
Prime Minister said. spreading. 136 ...........62 *OAC, terms and rates are subject to change without
notice and some conditions may apply
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 6
Bomb plot puts pressure on Woman brings own bed for sick
t

Trinidadians flying to New York husband in San Fernando hospital

Rape accused swami
Angry Irma Smyke sits
The news of a plot to bomb JFK Interna-
next to husband Jimmy

to return July 16
tional Airport in New York has put pressure
on the bed placed in a
on Trinidad and Tobago and Guyanese na-
hospital corridor.
tionals arriving in New York from Trinidad.
Jimmy, a heart pa-
A Trinidad newspaper reported recently
RAPE ACCUSED Swami Ram Tripati Ma- tient, had been lying on
that Trinis landing in New York were being
haraj has left Trinidad to continue his spir- a hard bench for the
asked by Immigration officials if they knew
itual tour of the world, after Deputy Chief previous night. Note
the four men held for the bomb plot.
Court Magistrate Mark Wellington returned the patient at the top
Newsday Trinidad said that soon after the
his passport. left of the picture, who
discovery of the plot last month, U.S. Im-
Maharaj was charged with the rape of a is still lying on a mat-
migration officers at JFK started meeting
22-year-old Guyanese woman and with in- tress on the floor.
the Trinis before they could reach the Im-
decently assaulting her on May 15. He was Hospital authorities
migration line. They were checking pass-
freed on $50,000 bail but his passport was blamed a temporary
ports, and asking if travellers came from
seized. overload of patients for
Trinidad.
He was allowed to leave after his lawyer the situation.
At the Immigration counter, Trinidad pas-
sengers were asked more than the usual Attorney Prakash Ramadhar said millions A frustrated wife was forced to go home an bring a bed to the San Fernando General hos-
questions, and were specifically asked if of devotees were waiting for the swami, pital so that her sick husband would not have to lie on a hard bench. Even after this, her
they knew the people associated with the and that more than $3 million had been bed was set up along a corridor and not inside the ward.
bomb plot. Several Trinidadians were spent in Canada and Europe to prepare for Irma Smyke, 51, had to exercise the "bring your own bed option" recently for her hus-
pulled out of the line and further screened the coming of the 86-year-old Jagadguru. band Jimmy, 55, a heart patient at the hospital. Jimmy had been admitted to the hospital
inside a room before they were given clear- Ramadhar said Maharaj could not hide be- suffering from chest pains, but there was a shortage of beds. Some patents were forced to
ance to move on. The situation was the cause "he is known around the world. He lie on the cold concrete floors.
same at the Customs line, where the Cus- has nowhere to hide. He will find it impos- Other patients were heard complaining about back pains as they were seen sitting on
toms officers asked the same questions. sible to be a fugitive". wheelchairs and wooden benches or lying on stretchers
One officer said because of what had un- The magistrate denied a request by the Irma said when they arrived on the ward a nurse told her there were no available beds.
folded, the heat was on Trinidad and prosecution to increase Swami Maharaj's "I stayed the night with my husband and as soon as morning broke and the doctor came
Guyana. According to the Immigration of- bail to ensure he appears in court. Maharaj on the ward I asked him if I could have brought a bed for my husband. He told me, 'Ab-
ficer, this special attention on arriving pas- was ordered to return to court on July 16. solutely,' so I called my son and we went home and got the bed. This is absolutely ridicu-

PM Manning admits
sengers from Trinidad and Guyana would lous. If a dog sick do not bring him here!"
continue indefinitely. The newspaper had Another patient Khsio Manickchand, 47, who slept on a mattress on the ground, said
also learned that aircraft coming from the terror suspect Ibrahim he had to share the narrow mattress with another patient. Manickchand said he was warded

was from PNM family

Caribbean were left on the tarmac instead at the hospital after suffering a severe virus attack.
Holding up his drips, Manickchand said: "Look at my condition and I have to share a

No opposition
of being directed right up to the terminal
building. WHEN Prime Minister Patrick Manning mattress with a stranger...imagine I am sick and I am still uncomfortable."
said that terror suspect KareemIbrahiim's After the incident the hospital authorities took steps to bring in more beds to accom-

unity says
parents are both known members of the modate the unusual number of patients, but the hospital's reputation has taken a hard hit.
PNM it would have been before Manning's Overseas based Trinidadidans have been particularly horrifed and wary of having to seek
time as a party official. medical treatment while on visits back home.

Afro Hindu
COP leader
During a walkabout in the Barataria/ San
Juan constituency Manning denied know- Hindu rituals. He said only last month, he

complains of
ing Ibrahiim but admitted that his parents conducted pujas for Mother Lakshmi and

Dookeran
were PNM members. Lord Shiva at a temple at Pasea Road, Tu-
napuna.

bias by judge
Ibrahiim's daughter, Huda also said that
her father campaigned for the PNM's Eddie Roberts said the judge asked him if his
Hart in the marginal Tunapuna seat in the parents were Hindus and he said they were
2002 general elections and said that he ap- Christians.
HOPES of unity among the Opposition par- peared on several PNM platforms as open- Although, Roberts wore a pendant on Fri-
ties have been dashed once again by an Op- ing speaker. AN AFRO-TRINIDADIAN Hindu man day, he said he was not against other reli-
position political leader. Huda also said that her father was the has complained about a High Court judge gions. He said when he goes to Japan, he
On Monday night at Navet Village, mem- PNM's Education Officer for Party Group whom he said “rolled up his eyes” and even worships in Buddhist temples.
bers of the UNC appealed to their leader- No. 7 of the Arouca North constituency and “shook his head” when the man asked to be In the courtroom, Roberts said the judge
ship for unity among Opposition parties, advised Manning to check the records of his sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita before he had asked him to which caste he belonged.
but one night later at Vistabella, political party. gave evidence in a court case. “I told him I did not understand what he
leader of the Congress of the People, Win- "Amir Kareem Ibrahiim as well has had Presley Roberts, 40, in a letter dated June meant. He looked at me with scorn on his
ston Dookeran, emphatically said that he a very long-standing relationship with the 5, wrote to Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma face. I felt very uncomfortable and hurt. I
was not for Opposition unity. Honourable Mr Eddie Hart," Huda said. as the head of the Judicial and Legal Serv- felt the judge was bias,” Roberts wrote to
"I have always said that I am not inter- "During that election campaign, on sev- ice Commission, charging bias on the part the Chief Justice.
ested in Opposition unity because I intend eral occasions, Amir Ibrahiim stood on the of the judge, also an Afro-Trinidadian. “I believe that the judge could not under-
to take the people back into the government PNM platform and campaigned for the Roberts, a foreign-used car dealer, said he stand how I, as an Afro-Trinidadian, could
of Trinidad and Tobago," Dookeran told his PNM. He did so at meetings at Wharf had a matter in the Port-of-Spain High be a Hindu and it seems as though from his
supporters at a political meeting on Tues- Trace, Maracas/St Joseph, to woo the hard Court on June 1, and when he went into the conduct and comments to me, he has a
day night. to get votes of the Bobo Shanti community witness box, the judge asked him his reli- problem with Hinduism.”
"I want to tell you something; now that and also at La Seiva, Maraval." gion. In his letter, Roberts said: “I believe that
we have been able to allow those who talk Huda said her father would open the po- “I told him I am a Hindu. He looked at from the questions that the judge asked me
about unity to have their say. We shall now litical meetings with a prayers and would me, rolled up his eyes then told the lady and from his behaviour that I would not get
be the champion of the real unity of the generally be the first speaker. She said that clerk to sit down and told me to sit down as true justice in the matter before him.”
people of this country and we now invite on election day 2002, a car was rented by he has to think about this a little while. He said he eventually gave evidence in
everyone, everywhere to come and work in the Tunapuna constituency office and given “He then told the clerk to swear me in the matter and is to be cross-examined.
this platform," Dookeran said. to Ibrahiim and his activists for election day and after I was sworn in, he again asked me Roberts has asked the Chief Justice to in-
He told his membership that they would activities. if I was a Hindu. vestigate his complaint with a view to his
see evidence of that effort shortly. "The people of Tunapuna will also re- “I again answered yes, and the judge getting justice, saying “the public should
He added that he knew the "littleness of member that we helped to take the party shook his head and then asked me whether know what the judge did because judges
the unity talk would come to an end be- faithful and not so faithful to the polling sta- I was born a Hindu” Roberts wrote. should not treat persons who come before
cause the unity itself was little." tions," Huda said. Speaking to a local newspaper at his Chin the courts in the way I was treated.”
The Congress, he pointed out, had em- Ibrahim has also been confirmed as an Chin, Cunupia, home last Friday evening, Sat Maharaj, secretary general of the
barked on a bigger challenge "to bring to- executive member of the Congress of the Roberts said he was born a Roman Catholic Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, the largest
gether all the peoples of Trinidad and People Arouca/Bon Air West constituency. and converted to Hinduism in 1976 after he Hindu organisation in the country, said any-
Tobago". It was the same line "uniting He is a registered COP member who joined had became ill and doctors were unable to one could be a Hindu once he practises the
the people of the country" used by United during the party’s recruitment drive con- find out what was wrong with him. ways of a Hindu. He said there were “quite
National Congress (UNC) chairman and ducted last year. COP has taken no action He said after his parents took him to a a number of Afro-Trinidadians who prac-
former prime minister Basdeo Panday. against Ibrahim to date. Hindu temple, he got better and since then, tise Hinduism.”
he had participated in pujas and done other
GUYANA NEWS Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 7

The Trouble With Stabroek News Guyana not so poor Sugar industry
debtor nation today
vital to economy
would realize that someone else wrote this GUYANA is no longer a Highly Indebted
letter. I bet if we get to see the original GUYSUCO sees training as an investment
Poor Country, following a just concluded The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUY-
Green’s thumbprint would be at the bottom. initiative between government and the
Leonard Wright responded that “George- SUCO) says it does not see spending on
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). training as expenditure, but, rather as an in-
town's Mayor, Hamilton Green, in my hum- According to an IDB press release, in
ble opinion should not be writing at all vestment as it seeks to confront the chal-
2007, Guyana will save about US$9M in lenges that face the local sugar industry.
By Lloyd Harradan about democracy. Why? He was part of the IDB debt service, rising to over $22 million
PNC which was known to be a dictatorial Human Resources Director of GUY-
per annum by 2013. "These amounts will SUCO, Jairam Petam, speaking at a recent
DESPITE its torrid confrontation with the regime, a regime where democracy did not be available for the country to use in con-
exist, where freedoms were thwarted!” management trainee programme at the
government and the presidency, the cordance with national priorities in order to
More than that we recall that it was Green Ocean View International Hotel, Liliendaal,
Stabroek News behaves in the most arro- achieve the Millennium Development
who said, while in the PNC “we duh have said the corporation views training as part
gant manner telling this nation that it is a Goals," the IDB said.
time fu Parliament.” of its strategy to improve efficiency and
special institution that does not have to be As part of a package reducing debt by
Clarence Ellis, a long-time PNC sup- productivity.
accountable to any of its readers or the peo- about US$4B for Bolivia, Guyana,Haiti,
porter, is one of those calling for executive He also noted that the corporation, like
ple of Guyana. Honduras and Nicaragua, the beneficiary
power sharing. “Power sharing (separation many other local companies, suffers from
That, according to Freddie Kissoon in his countries agreed to cancel a total of
of powers) of the branches of government attrition through migration and therefore it
latest column, is the trouble with Stabroek US$210M in loans that had already been
would democratise governance in a way we is necessary to have continuous training in
News. Freddie gave a few historical details, approved but not completely disbursed. Of
have never had the good fortune to experi- order to ensure that the industry has an ad-
and talked about how the Portuguese con- that total, Guyana has cancelled US$35M,
ence,” he writes in a letter dated 12th May, equate complement of skilled and appro-
sidered themselves a cut above everyone which was made up of partial amounts from
2007. “Executive power sharing would priately trained personnel.
else. He suggested that either a Jagan Gov- various projects. These were: the George-
bring about cohesion of the two pre-nations Emphasising the importance of the sugar
ernment or a Burnham administration town Water Supply and Sewerage Pro-
and maximize the contributions of our tal- industry to the economy and national de-
would have minimised the influence of the gramme, US$12.2M; the Unserved Areas
ents, instead of the present wasting of tal- velopment, Petam described it as the “back-
Portuguese in the country because of the so- Electrification Programme, US$6.2M; the
ent from the exclusion of well qualified bone of sustenance” which employs about
ciological urgency to elevate into positions Agriculture Support Services Programme,
people.” One has to wonder, How come he 10% of the working population, employing
of influence the locals, namely the East In- US$5.1M; the Fiscal and Financial Man-
never shared this revelation with Burnham? some 20,000 persons directly and creating
dians and Africans. agement Programme, US$4.9M; SIMAP,
Eric Phillips goes further and asserts that indirect employment for another 100,000
The Portuguese, through their political US$2.4M; the Mahaica-Rosignol Road,
1) Shared governance is a "fundamental persons, as well as 5,000 cane farmers
party the United Force, in the early 1960s US$1.8M; the Public Management and
human right:" 2) It is for "Africans" of across the sugar belt.
allied themselves with Burnham, who was Modernization Programme, US$2.0M and
Guyana: and 3) If "Africans" do not have In addition, the sugar industry accounts
able to get into power with their help. Once Low Income Settlements, US$0.5M. The
this right then no culture should have "any" for 18% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
in power, Burnham found that he could rig total portfolio of IDB-funded project re-
human rights in Guyana. Tacuma Ogunseye and 58% of agricultural output, Petam said.
the elections, and retain power on his own. mains at $416M, with $246 million undis-
adds “The African struggle is for Executive Touching on the impact of the European
There was a bitter break with the United bursed.
Power Sharing and we will win this strug- Union price cut and global competitiveness
Force, and the Portuguese left Guyana. The IDB said retroactive to January 1 this
gle.” According to Tacuma, Eric Phillips is on sugar, Petam indicated that the corpora-
Only about 200 remained. year, it had provided debt relief to the coun-
the leader of the African community in tion has a high degree of optimism and
Stabroek News is allegedly a Portuguese try to the tune of US$356.6M reducing the
Guyana. Now we know why Corbin is so treats the situation as an opportunity to
newspaper. Its Letters to the Editor page net present value of Guyana's total external
quiet. He has been supplanted! reposition itself to meet the challenge.
have become a haven for some PNC mem- debt from 122% of the gross domestic prod-
Green, the PNC and the African fringe He stressed that the sugar industry, which
bers and other fringe elements like Tacuma uct (GDP) at the end of 2002 to only 38%.
element seem to think that democratic in- is over 300 years year old, has a strong tra-
Ogunseye who don’t seem to be represent- The country will also benefit from an addi-
stitutions and behaviour can be acquired dition and culture in Guyana, and GUY-
ing anybody. In the internet version of the tional $119M in savings from cancelled in-
overnight. Guyana has had no experience SUCO is proud of its contribution to the
paper(available at www.stabroeknews.com) terest payments.
with democracy. It moved straight from well-being of the nation and is confident
there are 30 letters from readers today June
that as in the past, through the resilience,
NADIA MISIR
30th, 2007. Some of these are repeats from colonialism to Burnhamism.. The free and
fair election of 1992 was its first experience determination, and dedication of its 20,000
past issues, and a closer check reveals that
RECOGNIZED FOR
with democracy. A democratic, Westminster odd workforce, it will overcome the chal-
there are 10-12 letters per day.
lenges and ensure its viability and sustain-
ACHIEVEMENT
Stabroek News seems to be more of a style of government presupposes an impar-
tial, non-political Public Service, Police ability.
post office than a newspaper. Maybe this is
Service and Military Service. All three serv- Although the industry is state-owned,
the editor’s way of getting free copy. The
ices in Guyana are almost wholly staffed by GUYSUCO operates as an independent,
PPP government alleges that the newspaper
blacks. It presupposes a loyal Opposition, profitable commercial organisation, with
circulation is falling and has withdrawn all IN RECOGNITION of her outstanding
not one that would consort with criminals policy determined by the Board of Direc-
government ads. The newspaper cries foul, scholastic achievement in New York. Ms.
to try to overthrow the Government. It pre- tors.
and speaks of democracy and freedom of Nadia Misir is scheduled to travel to Aus-
supposes a free and fair Press, that would Since 1990, the corporation has been
the press – which, Guyana only got when tralia in the summer of 2007 as member of
report all the news accurately. managed on contract by Booker Tate Ltd,
the PPP came into power. Meanwhile those the People to People Student Ambassador
Given the above, what is the hidden and operates five sugar estates and eight
black/PNC letter-writers who are not in de- Program. Ms. Misir's trip is expected to en-
agenda of the PNC? If they are given a 50 factories, four each in Demerara and
nial bleat about shared government. hance her knowledge culturally, exhibit her
per cent share in the Government, given the Berbice.
“The Madrassi rumal,” writes Barrington leadership skills as a young ambassador and
fact that they control the Public Service, the Sugar production went through a period
Braithwaite, “is Afro-Creole in origin, and gain world awareness in Australia. She has
Police, the army and certain undesirable el- of decline in the 1980s and by 1990 pro-
is popular in several elaborate designs in also received a congratulatory message
ements in the society – who will really be duction plummeted to 130,000 tonnes com-
the Caribbean cultural belt, and was absent from US President George Bush for her ac-
Governing Guyana? pared with a peak of 369,000 tones in the
among the Indo-Indentured population be- complishments. Ms. Misir is the Nadia is
early 1970s.
fore the 1920s.”(3/06/2007) Ramnauth the daughter of Mahendra and Angela Misir
The 1990s witnessed a recovery in pro-

Israel ready to
Sookraj has refuted this nonsense. But this and niece of Dr. Prem Misir Pro-Chancellor
duction to 320,000 tonnes in 1999 and
is typical of the nonsense that Braithwaite of the University of Guyana
330,000 tonnes in 2002.

set up crime lab

writes. Braithwaite writes articles for Among her achievements were the Edi-
However, the floods of 2006 were major
Stabroek News, so he is presumably an em- tor's Choice Award from Poetry.com and
setbacks for the industry, and for this year
ployee. It is very strange for a reporter to be the International library of Poetry for her
already some US$6M has been lost because
writing in the Letters to the Editor page. outstanding achievement in Poetry in May
of excessive rainfall.
Something is fishy here. THE ISRAELI Government is willing to 2004, and September 2005. Her scholastic
The EU price cuts will begin to take ef-
Hamilton Green, the PNC reject, claims assist Guyana in the establishment of a Achievement portfolio is acknowledged
fect with a 5% reduction after next month.
in his letter of June 19th “The public rela- forensic crime laboratory, as well as in the and merited and nomination to Who's Who
Guyana’s approach towards sugar is the
tions experts operating out of Freedom field of water management. Among American High School Students for
polar opposite of neighbouring Trinidad,
House and NCN deserve nothing but the Eldad Golan, Charge d'Affaires of the the academic year 2006/2007. This award
which has closed down its sugar estates and
highest national award for deceiving our Embassy of Israel in Caracas, Venezuela is bestowed upon the highest-achieving stu-
laid off its sugar workers. Trinidad has also
people here and overseas so effectively to who was in Guyana for the recent com- dents in High School and qualifies her
decided to end the cane farming industry
believe that we now enjoy a democracy.” memoration of Israel's 59th Independence among the 61 scholarships amounting to in
that employs over 6,000 cane farmers and
Green is now the Mayor of Georgetown. He Anniversary at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, excess of US$100,000. She was selected as
thousands of workers. The current cane
has failed miserably in his job and now ac- has said that his country was willing to a semi finalist for her poem "One strong
farming crop is said to be the last, after
cuses the Government of “micro-manag- share its expertise in health, agriculture and Nation" in the International Open Poetry
which no more farmer’s cane will be pur-
ing” the city. Micro-managing? Those technology, particularly, the development Contest in 2003; and has been awarded the
chased by the state. Government has de-
familiar with Green’s level of literacy of infrastructure for information communi- prestigious Editor's Choice Award.
clined to help cane farmers diversify.
cation technology.
 Page 8
Violent armed robbers a major threat to security
GUYANA NEWS Indo-Caribbean Times JULy 2007

Muslims have no
Food hikes-
By Ram Jagessar fired off his gun in the air.

drive up cost
separatist agenda,
Brazenly ignoring the nearby police sta-
THE INDIAN Arrival Committee (IAC) is tion, three men armed with handguns de-

says local educator

worried about the recent upsurge in crime, scended on the East La Penitence Post

of living
and specially the number of violent armed Office at about 10 a.m., grabbing $1 mil-
robberies inflicted on members of the Indo- lion before making good their escape. The
IN THE wake of three Guyanese Muslims
Guyanese business class. Private property post office is located two doors away from
being among four persons charged with
has been vandalized and innocent citizens the police station.
plotting to blow up fuel storage tanks and
brutalized. A pandit and his wife last Sunday night
pipelines at JFK International airport, local
They have good reason for their fears. A were beaten and robbed of more than half a A FOUR percent jump in food prices has
Muslims insist they have no separatist
rash of vicious armed robberies, some of million dollars in cash and jewellery, by caused a sharp increase in the consumer
agenda.
them in military style, is in progress today. two armed men who invaded their home at price index for the month of May.
Educator and Historian Haseeb Yusuf,
The bandits and robbers, who seem to be Middle Street, Rose Hall, Corentyne. Po- The Bureau of Statistics has reported a
who heads the Ibn Sina Academy in East
mostly African, have gone on a rampage lice said the 28-year old Pandit, Ramesh further increase of 2.3% in the overall price
Street, South Cummingsburg said that the
against victims who appear to be mostly In- Samsundar, and his wife were in their yard level of consumer items monitored in the
allegations came as a huge surprise to him
dian. No matter how you look at it, this when, around 8:30 pm, the two men, one Urban (Georgetown) Consumer Price Index
and more so that Guyanese Muslims would
seems to be “African on Indian” crime in armed with a hand gun and another a cut- (CPI) basket of goods and services for the
be part of any terrorist activity.
most cases. The poor performance of the lass, held them up and forced them into month of May 2007.
police (mostly African by race) in handling their house.The men tied up the couple, In its monthly update the bureau said this
crime is particularly worrying. Overseas gun-butted them, and proceeded to ransack was the second highest monthly increase so
Indo-Guyanese are noting the trend with in- the house.Police said they took away about far for this year, following the slowdown in
creased concern, and some are re-consid- $500,000 worth of jewellery and $60,000 the rate of price increases observed during
ering their plans to visit Guyana or return cash. the months of February to April.
permanently. Four armed men on Friday night robbed As a result, it said the cumulative price
A quick review of some of the recent Pertab Singh’s liquor restaurant of cash index for the year (from December 2006 to
crimes shows what is happening. and jewellery at Number 66 Village Coren- May 2007) has increased by 10.8 per cent,
Two Guyanese women staying with rel- tyne. They came in around 8.30 pm and while on an annual basis (comparing May
atives at Race Course, Springlands said forced the workers and customers to lie on 2006 to May 2007), the Urban (George-
they would never return to Guyana after the floor while they robbed them of their town) index rose by 12.7 per cent.
being violently robbed by bandits on the money and cellphones, valued over According to the bureau, the overall in-
same day they arrived. Four armed gunmen $85,000. crease in prices of 2.3 per cent in May was
robbed Judy Bhagwandin, 40, of $257,000 Just as brazen was the way three armed primarily influenced by respective in-
in jewellery; US$4,000 and $15,000. They bandits invaded the City Mall at the corner creases in price in the sub-categories of
also robbed her aunt, 66-year-old Agnes of Camp and Regent Streets early one Food (4.0 %), Housing (2.6 %), both
Narine of her US passport,$75,000 in gold morning, attacking three unarmed security Habeeb Yusuf Footwear repairs and Furniture (0.2 %) and
jewellery and US$1,400. guards on duty, taking their keys and rob- Educational, Recreational and Cultural
The allegations have spurred speculation
"I used to visit Guyana every year but bing two business places of cell phones. Services (0.4 %).
about the local Muslim population, raising
after what happened, I'm never coming Naval bandits are operating in the same It said the overall increase of 4.0 per cent
questions about the possible spread of Mus-
back. My life was saved for God knows manner. For example, a pirate boat sailed in the Food group resulted from upward
lim extremism to this country.
what reason but I don't know what would up with seven masked individuals carrying price movements in the sub-categories Veg-
This has been compounded too by spec-
happen next time," Judy said. She said her guns and held up Wayne Bovell, of West etables and Vegetables Products by 25.2 %;
ulative media reports, which are in sharp
aunt did not plan to return either. Bank Demerara, and his three-man crew Alcohol Beverages by 8.9 %; Fruits and
contrast to what the average Guyanese
What was scary about this robbery was just off the Mahaica Foreshore. They stole Fruit Products by 5.5 %; Condiments and
would say about Muslims here.
that the bandits had targeted them as visi- the boat and all the equipment valued at Spices by 4.4 %; Pulses and Pulse Products
"We are part of interfaith services, part of
tors and came asking for the US money. close to $3 million. by 2.8 per cent; Milk and Milk Products by
dialogue on many occasions and we have
They threatened to shoot family members The same gang robbed another boat off 2.4 %; non-alcoholic beverages by 1.5 %;
always been part of any religious activity
if they did not get the money, and at one 53 Village of its engine, fish and gasolene. Oils and Fats both by 1.4 %; Meat, fish and
calling for peace and ethnic integration to
stage started ripping off Judy's clothes Over in West Coast Berbice an armed gang Eggs by 1.0 per cent and both Sugar, Honey
end poverty in our country," Yusuf said.
when she said she had no more money. robbed fishermen of all their equipment and related products and Tobacco and To-
"Anything that has to do with morals we
When the police arrived they did not bother and off 77 Village on the Corentyne four bacco Products by 0.30 %.
have pitched in and did our part because we
to take any fingerprints, even though the masked and armed men pillaged yet another It also reported that the increases in the
are concerned about moral degradation," he
bandits did not wear gloves. unfortunate fishing boat. At least eight prices of sub-categories of other goods and
added.
In a letter to the editor of a local news- robberies at sea have occurred this year, all services resulted from the increased cost of
He acknowledged that the community
paper, R.Khan warned of the existence of at the hands of organized and heavily Rent and Maintenance by 3.8 % as a result
was also concerned about anything hap-
an armed gang perpetrating robberies on armed bandits. of increases in the prices of Steel, Stone,
pening around the world and the way in
the Essequibo Coast. Seven men armed This is just a small sample of the armed Cement, Zinc Sheets and Nails; and Fuel
which some western media portrayed Mus-
with guns, hammers and cutlasses invaded robberies that have taken place in the last and Power by 0.7 % as a result of increases
lims in a negative light, since according to
a business residence in Richmond recently month, but a pattern is quite clear. These are in domestic gas prices.
him that scrutiny was not extended to other
and the same number of villains invaded not the familiar burglars of the past, the in-
Ex-cops in Canada give
religions.
another business home - this time at Jo- dividual or pair of thieves who would
Yusuf, who belongs to the Sunni sect, em-

bursaries to children of
hanna Cecilia. On both occasions these sneak into your home when you were
phasized that many Guyanese, not just
crimes were committed relatively close to asleep or when the house was empty. These
Muslims, would relish an opportunity to go
police in Guyana
the two major police stations on the Esse- are not the thieves who would sneak into
to the United States.
quibo Coast - the Anna Regina Police Sta- the boat shed and rip off the engine.
He was particularly concerned, however,
tion and the Suddie Police Station. These are bold face, daylight robbers, act- THE Guyana Ex-Police Association of
about the media's role in the whole sce-
Five bandits, four armed with guns, in- ing in sizeable gangs, wearing masks and Canada has initiated a bursary award
nario, noting that it was important for them
vaded a Betsy Ground, East Canje home operating fearlessly in daylight. They are scheme for children of serving ranks back
to discriminate properly and understand
one Thursday evening at 7 p.m., demand- organized and deliberate, and incredibly home in Guyana.
that Guyanese Muslims were not reac-
ing money and jewellery. It was a "wild ruthless, not afraid to use their weapons. The gesture, which is effective from Sep-
tionary.
west" kind of robbery, as three of the men They seem to have no fear of the police tember, is in support of academic excel-
"We are not isolationists. We are part of
three masked men burst into the the home catching them, and appear to know the po- lence among the offspring of cops with
mainstream society and we integrate fully
of Sevi Bovell firing their guns into the air lice will be slow to respond in most cases. ranks between Constable and Sergeant, a
into this society and work together with
followed by two more. They forced Bevi On their side, the police appear to be very release said. The release said two awards
others for common goals," he added.
upstairs at gunpoint and tied her up, ran- casual about responding to reports of will be made annually to help cover the cost
He pointed to the Muslim party which
sacked the house and cut the telephone armed robbery, and downright careless of text books.
had contested the elections but didn't even
wires before fleeing. about collecting evidence. To qualify for the grants, the family in-
win much support from the Muslim com-
Three armed bandits terrorized a Zeelugt, Something very bad is going down in come of a prospective applicant will be
munity.
East Bank woman Shameeza Seepersaud Guyana with armed robberies. Business taken into consideration and the child must
"This is because even in this area we sup-
and her two children, rampaging through people and the ordinary citizen have no have obtained at least 80 per cent marks at
port mainstream society and we support the
the house while the family hid in a locked guarantees for their safety, and Indians have the National Grade Six Secondary Schools
majority parties," he explained.
room. Leonora police did not answer the reason to believe they are being profiled Assessment Examination.
"If anyone wants to carry out terrorist ac-
phone when the family called for help, and and targeted. There's nothing like lack of The process is to be coordinated by the
tivities then they should be dealt with ac-
calls had to be made to the Brickdam sta- security to drive Guyanese out of the coun- Guyana Police Force Bursary Awards Com-
cording to the law ... We have to allow the
tion. The bandits only left after a neighbour try, scare off returning citizens or visiting mittee, the statement said.
rule of law and justice at every level.".
Guyanese living abroad.
Planning for your Caribbean business
BUSINESS Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 9

retirement a new may suffer from

skill needed 'plot' stupidity
by Caribbean
immigrants
By Sir Ronald Sanders Trinidad.
(The writer is a business consultant and And, there is no pretending that there is
former Caribbean diplomat) not profiling of this kind by immigration
and security authorities. There is. Now, it
I HAVE no idea whether the group of four will get worse.
Guyanese and Trinidad nationals who are Beyond the effect on all Guyanese and
under arrest for allegedly plotting to blow Trinidadian travellers but Muslim busi-
up a fuel pipe line serving JFK Airport in nessmen especially, there is also the effect
New York are guilty or not. that this much publicised “plot to blow up
My ignorance is the same as everyone JFK Airport by a terrorist group” will have
in a warmer climate. That two or three thou- else’s bar none. And, like every other per- on Caribbean tourism.
sand dollars may not reach far enough. It son in the world, they should be presumed The headlines in newspapers and the pic-
may have trouble covering some of the to be innocent unless proven guilty. tures on worldwide television by media that
medical bills that are not covered by OHIP, The group of men are guilty of some- enjoyed a feeding frenzy certainly put a
not to mention items like travel, repairs on thing, and that something is crass stupidity. beating on Caribbean tourism. Unfortu-
the family home, replacing used appliances, Judging from the snippets of recordings nately, there will be tourists who will think
property taxes and so many other bills. Liv- that have been publicised, some of them ob- twice now about holidaying in the
ing in Canada is expensive, and likely to get viously fantasised about creating an awful Caribbean.
By Ijaz Hosein more expensive in time. incident at JFK if it worked. That fantasis- The situation was not helped by state-
But what about having the children take ing was downright stupid. And unfortu- ments such as the one reportedly made by
ADULT Caribbean people living in Canada care of their parents? That Caribbean plan nately, Guyanese, Trinidadians and others New York Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly
don't usually do much planning for retire- doesn't always work in Canada. The chil- from the Caribbean will pay the price when that referred to “a potential Caribbean
ment and old age, for a simple reason. dren are not guaranteed to remain living visiting the US and elsewhere. threat”. Fuel was added to the fire when a
While growing up in the Caribbean they near their parents, and sometimes move The people who will pay the highest price former CIA terrorism expert, Mike Acker-
didn't see their parents doing any such plan- hundreds of miles away in Canada, or fur- are genuine business people, particularly man, said that “Caribbean natives” have
ning. ther abroad. With both children and their those who are Muslims, or have Muslim- been linked to terrorism. There were two
In the Caribbean parents didn't worry spouses working outside the home, it is sounding names, or just look as if they persons of Caribbean origin linked to inci-
about retirement.They would try to save often difficult for them to take care of aging could be Muslim. dents in the UK. The number would rise to
some money. They would live on whatever parents. If the parent gets ill and needs 24 It is left to be seen whether the fantasis- three if the so-called “shoe bomber” is
work pension they could get, and the gov- hour medical care, the children simply can- ing by the four was promoted by over use of added to the list. But, now all of a sudden,
ernment pension. Family would help. One not handle it, and the nursing home is the hallucinatory drugs, the crazy notion that the Caribbean becomes some sort of incu-
of the children would take care of them only solution. Nursing homes cost a lot of their half-baked ideas could be marketed to bator for terrorism.
when they became old and sick. There was money, often more than the retirement in- a real terrorist group, or some real intent. The truth is that no one regrets this de-
no retirement home available, so there was come of the parent. Two things are perfectly clear: First, these velopment more than the people of the
no need to save for that. In any event, most We Caribbeans need a Canadian plan to guys are not wild-eyed, young bombers Caribbean, particularly Trinidad and
parents didn't live long enough for retire- cater for life, retirement and old age in motivated by the prospect of dying for a Guyana. The last thing the region wants is
ment and old age to become a problem. Canada. We have to consolidate all our cause. They are all close to their sixties. to be seen as anything but a stable, peaceful
Today many of the Caribbean people who debts and eliminate the high interest ones Second, they were in the words of the area spiced up by interesting local politics,
migrated to Canada are reaching middle like mortgage, car payments and credit card Trinidad parlance “scrunting”. In other regional rivalry, and vibrant intellectual ca-
age, but they have the same beliefs about debt. We have to go beyond the small or words, they had little money and were in- pacity. Certainly, Caribbean people prefer a
retirement and old age as their parents back non-existent savings of the average Cana- capable of financing an operation such as fete to a fight, and a “jump up” to a blow
in the Caribbean. And that is a problem, be- dian family and the tiny annual RRSP con- the one allegedly contemplated for JFK Air- up.
cause Canada is different and different tributions, and head to a system of port in New York. It is left to be seen whether this small
strategies are needed. accumulating higher savings for retirement. It stands to reason that they would have group of Trinidadians and Guyanese had
For a start, they can expect to live longer We have to use all our assets to plan for had to be the pawns of a bigger, well-re- any real intent to blow up fuel pipelines to
after retiring, because the average life ex- retirement years down the line. Wishful sourced group such as al Qaeda. But, the JFK Airport. What is certain is that they
pectancy in Canada is well into the seven- thinking and hoping something would work US experts say they were not. And, at- were stupid to even hallucinate about it, and
ties. Quite a few people are retiring in their out are not acceptable approaches. tempts to tie them to the one so-called Mus- Caribbean business and tourism may pay a
fifties, so they have to get money for at least The good news is that there are solutions lim group in the Caribbean with a link to price for their stupidity unless the media
15 to 20 years of retirement. to the problems of living comfortably today terror, the Jamaat al Muslimeen, has so far and those in authority in the US and the
Many people do not have a clear finan- while planning for retirement tomorrow. A lacked credibility. Certainly the leader of Caribbean make it crystal clear that the re-
cial plan to secure this money for their re- good financial planner can show how you this controversial group has denied any gion should not be judged by it.
tirement. They think that any company how to set it up today, using your major connection to them.

It pays to
pension plan, plus Canada Pension Plan and asset and investment, your house, as the en- They have done a severe disservice to
old age security, and some RRSP's will give gine to secure your future. Do it now, when Guyana, Trinidad and the wider Caribbean.

advertise in the
them a couple of thousand dollars a month, you have time to make it work. But, more especially, they have hurt Mus-
and that should be enough. lim businessmen who seek to do business

Indo-Caribbean
Two or three thousand dollars a month Ijaz Hosein is a financial adviser with in the US and other places. Those persons
might sound good today, but in 30 years it Boosterlink Financial Inc. and the above will be checked and double checked and

Times
could well be a poverty level income. As description is their Wealth Booster Plan. may even be denied visitor?s visas to the
you get older you find the Canadian win- He can be reached at 647-401-1608 or US, Canada, the UK and elsewhere because
ters too large to handle, and want to winter [email protected] they are Muslim and from Guyana and
Las Lomas boy comes to Winnipeg in 1955
iNDO-CARIBBEAN ARRIVAL IN CANADA Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 10

Trinidad’s Harnam Singh one of earliest arrivals in Western Canada

EARLY DAYS versity, and he was accepted at the Univer-
sity of British Columbia as a mature student
to study for a BSc degree in Economics
HARNAM A. Singh was born in Trindad,
and Mathematics. There were about 30
Las Lomas in September 21. 1929, the son
other Indo-Caribbean students in BC at the
of indentured immigrant Hoolas Singh
time, but no residents as far as he knew.
who had come from Indian in 1875 , and
Rodhan Gopaulsingh, Lloyd George Ed-
Rookmin Singh, the daughter of an inden-
wards, Reggie Beebhakee, Sam Haqq,
tured immigrant.
Chick Siew were among the Caribbean stu-
He went to the only schools available, the
dents, and there was the Trini neuro phar-
Las Lomas Roman Catholic School and the
macologist Dr. George A. Ling who helped
St. Helena Canadian Mission School, both
tremendously in getting Hari accepted at Hari and friend Eartha Kitt in Hollyood
primary schools. His father got 25 cents a
the UBC. Some Indians from India
day first at the Centeno agricultural station,
worked as lecturers in BC, and the major- In 1995, with a group of Indo-Trinidadi-
so there was no money for the further edu-
ity of Indians were Punjabis working as ans Hari helped organize the first Indian
cation he wanted.
businessmen or in the lumber trade. One Arrival Day function in B.C., with Dr.
Hari started working at 16, spraying Harnam Singh today
of the Indians was the distinguished Dura Pal Pandia as one of the guests and
mosquitoes in the Malaria Division and including his friend Siew Ramlogan, lawyer Dr. Durai Pal Pandia, who had guest speaker. Dr. Pandia, a champion of
later became a messenger, the highest rank Moonie Beebhakee, Solomon Mohammed, helped organize the centenary celebration minority rights, passed a way in 2004 at
possible for him. He became the founder his sister, Florence and brother Horace, an of Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad in 1945. the age of 91.
and secretary of the Las Lomas Community Indian named MacDonald from British Three years later, Hari went out job hunt- In 1988 Hari was invited by Basdeo
Council, and helped bring a government Guiana, and a Dookeran from Trinidad. ing with his BSc degree in hand. He Panday, then foreign minister in the NAR
primary school to the area in 1950. He You couldn't find any curry in Winnipeg couldn't get any jobs in his field. Job dis- government, to come back to Trinidad, but
also helped set up the Las Lomas Com- for love or money. There was no Hindu crimination was rampant in those days. He by then he was reluctant to leave his life
munity Cooperative Society in 1948 on temple, no Caribbean group, no Caribbean started driving a bus while getting more and his benefits in Canada. He knew Pan-
land donated by his parents. restaurant or grocery. They were strangers qualifications. After completing a day from the seventies when Panday had
Hari went into Hindu organizing as ex- in a strange land, and most were lonely and Diploma in Adult Education and a Bache- visited Vancouver with Kamal Mo-
ecutive member of the Sanatam Dharam homesick. They had to learn to cook their lor of Education degree, he applied for a hammed at a Commonwealth Parliamen-
Association. He was a member of the spe- own food, something the men had not done job as an adult education educator. His pro- tary Conference.
cial group which united the Association in Trinidad or British Guiana. Luckily, the fessor recommended him highly but the He is one of the founders of the Indo
and the Maha Sabha into the Sanatan Friends of Overseas Students group in Win- superintendent of the school board
Dharma Maha Sabha, Trinidad’s largest nipeg was available to get the students in- changed his mind when he was informed
Hindu organization since that time. vited to Winnipeg homes every weekend, that Hari was of Asian origin. He contin-
He was part of the Hindu school building and that eased some of the pain. ued his service as one of the most educa-
program that started soon afterwards and Hari stayed in a tiny eight by eight flat in tionally qualified bus drivers with BC
delivered education for Hindus all over the a rooming house on Portage near the Bay Transport.
country. that first winter, which was bitterly cold In 1966 Hari visited Trinidad and applied
But our man from Las Lomas was not with temperatures as low as 30 degrees for a job with the bus company. He was
a lazy man. Hari became Las Lomas below zero. He would come close to freez- interviewed by the general manager
Guardian Correspondent and covered both ing up as he went back and forth to the George De La Grenade but did not get the
political, social, religious and cultural campus, where he studied animal hus- job. He was not a a card carrying member
events even in areas where he was not ac- bandry, repairing small engines and all it of the PNM. He met government minister
credited. He was also a free lance photog- took to be a farmer. Even so, he needed Kamal Mohammed, who offered him a
rapher and had many of his photographs money, and had to work part time in the teaching job that was paying $300 to $400
published in the Trinidad Guardian, Some post office. per month. Hari turned down the job, as he
of his gurus in the newspaper business were After the course finished in April, Hari ap- was making more than that as a bus driver
Len Chong Sing, Therese Mills and Charie plied for a summer job and got one working in British Columbia. He returned to Van-
Vishnu Ramsumair. One had to be a good in a logging camp as a chokerman. He couver . Caribbean Canadian Cultural Society of
writer to be a penny liner, who was paid a would run down the slopes and tie the Ten years later Hari tried again, taking a British Columbia in 2000, and served as
penny for each line published in the news- felled logs so they could be winched up to two year course in industrial education secretary and director until 2006. He is still
paper. the road. It was hard work, the hardest work studying woodworking and electronics. a member of the Society. He is also a mem-
It was not enough for him to be a jour- he had ever done. “I would feel my bones The principal did not want to recommend ber of the Trinidad and Tobago Cultural So-
nalist, community organizer and Hindu cracking,” he remembers. After two weeks him for a job as an industrial education ciety of British Columbia where he served
leader, as well as a messenger. In those days the foreman told him he couldn't cut it as a teacher, and nothing came of this upgrad- as director.
an ambitious boy without a secondary edu- chokerman, and he moved to Vancouver ing. Hari remained as a bus driver until he Hari was married in Canada under Sikh
cation had very little room to advance. His where he worked for a time as as a grounds- retired. rites to a woman from Trinidad . He is per-
father could not help him with the fees man. Later that summer he picked up a job That was not the end of his story, as Hari haps the first Trini of Hindu Origin to be-
needed to go to a private secondary school. on the trains as a sleeping car porter, one of was not the kind of man to sit quietly on come a member of the Sikh Community.
the few jobs open for minority workers. He the sidelines. He went into union organiz- He has three sons and they are doing quite
COMING TO CANADA
travelled back and forth from Vancouver to ing in the Transit Union and became a well with good jobs.
Hari was not satisfied with post primary
Winnipeg, which was as far as the train member of the executive. He joined the He has no regrets for remaining in
education and reaching the highest rank of
went. credit union, and was the first Trini to be a Canada. “Canada has been very good to me,
messenger in the government service. He
While in Winnipeg, he applied for leave vice president and director of a credit union and I owe a great deal of gratitude to the
wanted badly to get a higher education, but
of absence from the Colonial Secretary in in B.C. He became a grassroots worker for people, “ he says.
that was not possible in Trinidad at the time.
Trinidad. But the Secretary denied him, the New Democratic Party of B.C., and Even after 52 years, Hari has not forgot-
Canada seemed like the way out.
saying he could get the same training at moved up to become president of the Point ten Trinidad. He is a regular visitor to
From his friends Mohammed and Siew
the Caribbean Institute for Agriculture at Grey Constituency of the NDP, and a mem- Trinidad and is also a Trinidad citizen. He
Ramlogan he realized he might be able to
Centeno. Students without the Senior ber of the NDP's Provincial Council. had given an annual scholarship for three
enter the University of Manitoba to pursue
Cambridge did not get much respect at the In the 70's Hari was a founder member of poor students of the Las Lomas Govern-
a Diploma in Agriculture program. His
time. the first Hindu organization in British Co- ment School who had passed the exami-
boss Dr. Horace Gillette gave him a great
His student visa expired and he told the lumbia, The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of nations to go to the secondary schools.
recommendation, and so did trade unionist
Winnipeg immigration officer the truth British Columbia. Here he served as a di- This programme was continued for many
Adrian Cola Rienzi (Krishna Deonarine
about his situation. Hari's brother in law, rector with people from the Caribbean, years but he stopped it recently because
Tewari), a friend and and founding mem-
who had had stood his security, had died India , and Fiji .This organization still exists of lack of interest by the school adminis-
ber of the SMDS. Hari applied to the Uni-
in an accident in Trinidad, and he had no today. trators.
versity of Manitoba and was accepted as a
funds to continue university . The sympa- In 1995, with a group of Indo-Trinidadians Now retired, Hari lives in Vancouver,
mature student, using his own money, and
thetic office renewed his visa, and he took Hari helped organize the first Indian Ar- British Columbia, full of memories of his
some savings from newspaper work. He
a year off from the university. Working rival Day function in B.C., with Dr. Dura life as a pioneer in Trinidad and in Canada.
arrived in Canada in September 1955 at
part time, he finished his Grade 12 by cor- Pal Pandia as one of the guests and guest He would love to tell you more, if you con-
age 25 to take up the one year program.
respondence and attended a private second- speaker. Dr. Pandia, a champion of minor- tact him at [email protected] or by phone
At the time there were less than 20
ary school. ity rights, passed a way in 2004 at the at 604-731-4354.
Caribbean people in Winnipeg at the time,
Hari now had qualifications to enter uni- age of 91.
Racquel Mahadeo Girls top the lists in
YOUNG ACHIEVERS Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 11

Trinidad, Guyana exams

at 12 has performed
for half her life
Batman and Robin, Superman and Lois Meet Racquel Mahadeo
Lane, Randy and Racquel Mahadeo, dy-
namic duos all. But Randy and Racquel Age: 12 years
exist in real time, not in comic books. The First public performance: Age 6
brother and sister pair always manage to Where do you perform: Fund raising at con-
steal the show and your hearts whenever certs and satsanghs at home
they perform, as they sing and play music, Started singing: Age 6
serenading the crowds at concerts and sat- Grade: 6
sanghs. School: Albion Heights Junior Middle
We featured Randy in a previous issue School
(Indo-Caribbean Times May 2007), and Fave subject: Science (not music!)
now we continue our story feature on young Fave teacher: Homeroom teacher Miss
role model Racquel Mahadeo. Overland (She is very funny and treats us
nice. She gives us chocolates and sweets
when we do good things.)
Fave sport: Basketball
Fave sport person: I don't have one
Fave food: Pizza with cheese, red onions
and green pepper toppings
Fave colour: Blue
Fave clothes: Casual. Jeans and top (but In- Meagan de la Bastide (left) of St Monica's Private School, Sushma Karim (centre) of San
dian clothes for functions) Fernando TML Primary School and Eshanaa Maharaj(right) of El Dorado North Hindu
Fave actor: Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2 School, tied for first place in this year's Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam in
(good music and songs) Trinidad. Six other students from the Hindu school placed in the top 100 list.
Fave actress: Aishwarya Rai in Umrao Jaan
(good music and songs. It made me sad be-
cause after she was kidnapped and came
back home her parents didn't want her.)
When I grow up: I would work in a small
job and then become a policewoman. When
I was small, I used to play “lock-up”
Fave book: Harry Potter
Fave instrument: Harmonium and saxo-
phone
Summer plans: Go to Canada's Wonderland
(I love roller coaster rides.)
Racquel not only plays harmonium. She
also sings Bollywood Hindi film songs and
bhajans (Hindu religious “hymns”). She
knows about 20 film songs and 10 bhajans
that she can select from memory when she
is called on to perform, and many others in
her song book.
“Racquel is only 12 years old. She is still “At public functions, I feel nervous or
young, very shy and quiet but very intelli- scared at first but knowing my Mom and
gent,” says her mom, Mrs. Mahadeo. “ He brother are there helps. I quickly overcome
Dad left us when she was quite young and my nervousness and later people comment
I am a single mother brining up these chil- on how good I did.”
dren without their father, who doesn't even “ I go to music lessons every Tuesday
visit them. I try my best and they are won- from 5.00 to 7.00 pm. Guruji Dev Bansraj
derful chidren. I follow my religion and encourages me to sing more, continue
pray a lot and Randy and Racquel follow playing music and do better in life. We Jessica Anthony (left) of Mae's Primary School was the best student in Guyana in this
the religious teachings also. They play their have many opportunities to perform in the year's inaugural National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), in which results were compa-
music together and support each other. We community. But I also play a western in- rable to the old Secondary School Entrance Examination (SSEE. At right is her mother Dr
sacrifice for them, as their father was never strument, the saxophone and perform in Shanti Singh and her younger sister. She gained 565 marks out of a possible 582.

S&H Global Travel Inc

there for them, but he does support them school at Albion Heights Junior Mid School
now.” during the fall and also at Christmas time.
Like Randy, Racquel started her music “My friends at school don't know that I
career at the tender age of six years and make public performances in our commu-
gave her first performance also at six years, nity. I haven't had any reason to tell them

We know the Caribbean BEST

the same year she began learning music yet, but if I did they would say you're doing

Call: Shobha Maharaj

from Guruji Dave Bansraj at the Saaz O a good job, keep it up.
Awaaz School of Music in Brampton. “Mom encourages me, my brother Randy
Dave Bansraj does a phenomenal job of too. My mom is part of what we do and that

416-245-3022
training our South Asian youth in music is a good thing.
and vocals. Indeed, his training goes be- All that is exactly what Racquel's mom
yond the musical field; the discipline he in- wants for her and brother Randy. “I don't
stills reaches far into his students' personal want them to get too big or famous, any-
lives. Their training in his school often in- thing like that. I want them to remain hum-
fluences how they approach homework and ble and stay and serve in the community in Offering a variety of air only rates, packages and cruises
their relationship with their parents and whatever way they can. Money is not the to the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the U.S.A.
family. question, but living a good life and helping
people,” says Mrs. Mahadeo. 2530 Keele Street, Toronto E-mail: [email protected]
SAY IT IN PICTURES Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 12

It was cricket, lovely cricket in Scarborough where we saw it. The action was at the an- There’s nothing like a ripping tassa group to set the feet a-dancing, and this one at the
nual cricket match between an invitation team from Guyana against locals from Canada. Guyana Festival did not disappoint. They were given some rhythmic support from
during the Guyana Festival held at the L’Amoreaux Community Centre. African drummers who also performed at the festival.

Now this here is the sill and that is the lorha that we used to grind our This is what a Berbice chair is for, says this happy woma as Radio host Richard Aziz was on hand
masala in the old days, explains the Guyanese lady to a Canadian visi- she snatches a moment to remember. She tried to get one to broadcasting his show from the site of the
tor at the heritage display of the Guyana Festival. take home, but without luck. . Guyana Festival.

Who’s this Guyanese pioneer in North America?

He’s Prince Randian (real name unknown), probably the first Indo-Guyanese to move to
the United States, the most famous Guyanese of the late 19th century and early 20th cen-
tury, and the first movie actor as well. Randian was born without arms or legs in De-
marara in 1871, the son of indentured Indian immigrants. He was brought from British
Guiana to the U.S. by circus operatpr P.T. Barnum in 1889, and entertained audiences pri-
marily at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York, but also in other parts of the United States
at circuses, carnivals and museums. for over 40 years. He was known as “The Living
Torso” or “The Armless and Legless Wonder” or “The Caterpillar Man”, and amazed audi- Knock me down if you can, is the dare these youngsters are taking up. Hundreds of young
ences by shaving, writing, painting, rolling cigarettes, and moving around without arms people turned up to sample the entertainment and connect with their fellow Caribbean
or legs. He was featured in the 1932 movie “Freaks”. Randian spoke English, German and people. Guyanese and New Yorkers try a little street tassa during the Phagwa Parade in
French in addition to Hindi, his native language. He married early in life to a Hindu February this year.
woman known only as Princess Sarah, who remained devoted to him throughout his long
show career. The couple had four children together and the family eventually settled in Pa-
terson, New Jersey. Randian died at the age of sixty-three on December 19, 1934.
 Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 13

Graduates of the Brampton based Saaz-O-Aawaaz (Academy of Indian Music) line up The Canadian Caribbean Business Association recently held a gala event, with the key
proudly for their graduation picture, along with teacher Guruji Dev Bansraj, table note speaker being the Honourable Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty. At the event
teacher Dev Bansraj Jr (left front ) and Mrs Ramkissoon (right front). the premier had a chance to meet with prominent community business leaders. Here
premier McGuinty (left) meets with Avaiya Financing president Rudy Lochan (right).

Valene Maharaj is the new Miss World Trinidad and Tobago. A house at Gordon Table in the Mahaicony Creek region of Guyana is surrounded by flood waters for the last
Valene, from St Margaret’s, Claxton Bay, will go to China for six weeks. Residents are now asking to be relocated as they can no longer endure the constant flooding.
the December 1 Miss World Pageant. The Mahaicony Creek has been inundated for over six weeks and just when the water had started to recede and
residents thought their problems were over, they were hit again by flooding at an even higher level.
Sunita Williams
sets space record
INDIAN AMERICAN NASA Astronaut
Sunita Williams has set a new record for
the longest duration spaceflight by a
woman. Williams, who has lived at the
space station since last December,
ramined in space for 195 days, surpassing
the record of 188 days set by astronaut
Shannon Lucid at the Mir space station in
1996. Sunita began her record-setting
flight when she launched with the crew of
STS-116 in December 2006. The Massa-
chusetts native remained onboard the sta-
tion as a member of the Expedition 14
crew and then joined the Expedition 15
crew in April. Her spaceflight came to a
close when she returned to Earth aboard
Space Shuttle Atlantis with the STS-117 First Hindu mandir in Tobago coming soon
crew. Although this is only her first space- The island of Tobago will be getting its first ever Hindu Mandir or Temple (see artist’s
flight, Sunita also became the record- sketch above) with $250,000 grant from the National Commission for Self Help Limited
holder for most hours outside a spacecraft (NCSH). The project which is being undertaken by the Tobago Hindu Society (THS), a
by a female by completing four space- member organisation of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of Trinidad and Tobago. It will
walks during Expedition 14 with a total be located at a site e at Carnbee, on the western outskirts of Scarborough.
time of 29 hours, 17 minutes.
COMMUNITY Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 14
ANNOUNCEMENTS ZEEBURG Secondary School Reunion CANADA
Book celebrates
Guyanese
Dinner and Dance on Saturday July 14, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton
2007, at 6.30pm. Venue is SWAGAT Ramnarine Sahadeo 905 671 9233 e-mail
TRINIDAD and Tobago 50 plus & Seniors BANQUET HALL at 415 Hood Road, [email protected], Omesh Sharma

Achievers UK
Association of Canada ( Ontario Chapter) Markham. Tickets are $30.00 per person, [email protected], Chandan
presents a Luncheon Cruise and Casino and dinner is buffet style.. For info call 416- Persaud at 416-754-2382, Gulcharan at
Trip Sunday 15th July. Included is a trip 671-9948 416 481-5777 [email protected],
to Casino Rama (with a buffet lunch) and Ram Jagessar at 416 289 9088 or She is the best known Guyanese in Britain,
a Cruise aboard the Serendipity Princess ANNUAL UITVLUGT Picnic is on July [email protected] if not the world: Baroness Valerie Amos the
Boat where a delicious buffet dinner will 15 at Milne Dam, Markham (McCowan, present Leader of the British House of
be served. Activities start at 9.00 am from north of Highway 407) from 12 p.m. RICHMOND HILL Lords. But the field of the 'Guyanese
York Mills Subway (North East Corner of Omo Persaud at omo@globalspectru- achievers' is getting very crowded. The
Yonge St. & York Mills Rd. ), and cost is INDO-CARIBBEAN TIMES and Indo- minc.com 905-886-1724 "GuyaneseMafia' is gaining more and more
$40 per person. For info call Indra at 416- Trinidad Canadian Association invite you members by the day. Many are celebrated
493-1047. to a summer picnic August 11, at Centen- WINNIPEG: in a new book just published in Britain and
nial Park, (opposite the go-cart area), start- Ajodhya Mahadeo 204-661-6643 Canada Guyanese Achievers UK by Vidur
50 PLUS & SENIORS ANNUAL PICNIC ing at 11. 30 am. For info call Dindayal
is on Sunday July 8th, 2007 from 10.00 416-289-3898 or 416-540-0192. BRITISH COLUMBIA Valerie Amos launched it at a glittering
a.m. to 7.00 p.m., at Earl Bales Park at Chameli Seegobin 604-945-9510, e-mail ceremony at the London High Commission
Sheppard & Bathurst . For info call Yvonne VISHNU MANDIR holds a Bhagwat address [email protected], and . Lady Amos in her remarks highlighted
Barrow 416-256-5203, Claudette Wilson Katha from July 22nd - July 29th, at 8640, Naraine Mohabir at 604-274-8938 two factors in her and others' success -- the
416-747-6446, Diana Greaves 41-546- Yonge Street, Richmond Hill Ontario. importance of education and the signifi-
4654 or Harold Ali 905-420-1702 Please call temple 905-886-1724 for more GUYANA cance of role models. The former provided
information. Saraswati Vidya Niketan ph. 2760013/14 in Guyana and later the UK, by her mother
THE TORONTO ARYA SAMAJ along [email protected] and father; both teachers. The latter pro-
with other samaj in the GTA will be host- DHAMAN KISSOON Annual Charity vided to her by publishers Jessica and Eric
ing the 19th Annual Arya Veer Dal Train- Golf Tournament comes off on Wednesday TRINIDAD Huntley who were present at the event.
ing Camp from Thursday, July 12, 2007 to July at the Royal Woodbine Golf Club, 195 Hindu Students Council: Baroness Amos fondly recalled the ad-
Sunday, July 15, 2007. These camps have Galaxy Blvd. Toronto (Highway 27 & [email protected] monition from her father when on bringing
always served as an important forum Dixon Road), teeing off at 1.00 p.m. For home a school report with 96% in History
through which our youths can dip into the info call 416-234-1446 or 416-984-8625 BHARAT TEERATH YATRA she was asked "What happened to the other
richness of Vaidik Satya Sanataan Dharma.
4%?'Achievement was drummed in from an
Arya/Hindu Youths of today seldom have SCOTTS & MENDEZ Overseas United Discover Mother India in 22 days under early age.
an opportunity where they can be with each and the Brampton Masters Cricket team the giudance of Swami Askharananda, Her presence was the icing on a very rich
other under a common banner.Religious hold their 4th Annual Boat Cruise on the principal of Saraswati Vidya Niketan, cake that evening. The book celebrates the
and cultural are interspersed with recre- Enterprise 2000 on Saturday 14 July. Guyana , from Sept. 14 to October 5, life and times of over 30 sons of the soil of
ational activities. Any effort to spiritually Boarding at Pier 35 on Cherry Street and 2007. Viisit historical sites including El Dorado who have made a splash in the
educate the children is a noble one. The Commissioner St, Lakeshore from 6.30 Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Benares, UK. They range from the highest ranking
Samaj strongly encourages you to enroll p.m. and departure at 7.30 p.m. Music by Agra, Brindavan, Agra, Haridwar, black man in the British armed forces --
your child in these sessions.For additional DJ Riyad and D. Rhythm Crew Tassa Rishikesh, and the famous Kurusrhetra lo- David Case to the head of Wrigley's UK --
information, please contact Vidyarthi Sri- Band, and tickets are $40, which includes cation of discourse between Lord Krishna Gharry Eccles; to Professors David Daby-
ram @416-754-3448, Pt. Naresh @ 905- dinner. For info call 905-458-7992. and Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita. deen and Clem Seecharran. To say nothing
790-1397, Dave Ramoutar @416-663-4037
of the other already prominent 'Mafia'
Or visit us @ aryaveerdal.net BHAGVAD GITA FOR EACH HOME There are a few seats remaining. To reserve members such as Trevor Phillips, David
Bulk distribution centres. your place or for more infocall Kishoree Lammy MP and Lord Waheed Alli. Each of
TORONTO ARYA SAMAJ’S Friends of The Gita can be available in bulk at the fol- Prashad at 905-794-4952. Dindayal's pen portraits is complemented
Charity Annual Golf Day at Deer Creek lowing contacts: Donations are expected to with published material.
Golf Club on Sunday 29th July, 2007. For fund further copies; any individual or or- Dindayal, for whom this has been a labour

Saaz-O-Aawaaz marks 16th

info call Adit Kumar 416-292-1952, Amar ganization wishing to assist in this project of love for three years, pointed out in his re-
Umadas 905-471-5168 or Vinita Singh can contact us. marks that he had written it to create role
416-265-7778
models for the second and third generation
of Guyanese descent in the UK diaspora for

year of teaching Indian music

them to learn of, and gain pride from the
rich legacy of excellence demonstrated by
the Guyanese in the UK. This book was but
a small beginning.
Accomplished Guyanese flautist, Keith
Waite performed several pieces, including
one for which he had just been commis-
THE SAAZ-O-AAWAAZ Academy of In- name a few. Each student performed their arship by the Indian Council for Cultural sioned for a concert in New Delhi. He cap-
dian Music recently celebrated their 16th assigned raagas, such as Raaga Brindavani Relations Ministry of External Affairs Gov- tivated his country folk with a rendition of
Annual Graduation Ceremony at the Holi- Saarang, Raaga Bheempalassi, Raaga ernment of India in 1968, to study Vocal this piece in progress, blending Indian,
day Inn Select, Brampton. Puriya Dhanashri, Raaga Darbari Kaanhra, and Instrumental Music at the Bharatiya African and Caribbean rhythms. Several
Guruji Dev Bansraj, Director/Teacher of Raaga Bageshri & Tarana, Raaga Shaam Kala Kendra, New Delhi, India. He had the read poems from their native land includ-
the Saaz-O-Aawaaz, and his team once Kalyan, Raaga Shudh Saarang & Thumri. good fortune to study under the guidance of ing the popular actor and 'achiever',
again held a mesmerizing three hour grad- A thundering Tabla Recital echoed the late Pt. Dilip Chander Vedi (vocal), and Ramjohn 'Pork Pie' Holder.
uation concert with the students of the through the audience, performed by two 5th world famous sitarist Padma Bhushan Pt. Among the other 'achievers' present for
Academy performing various raagas to a Year Senior Level students, Michael Debabrata (Debu) Chaudhuri. Guruji Dev the launch were Deo Ramprakash, father of
packed auditorium. Raykha and Vishal Ramawad. Close by, Bansraj performed raaga Rageshri which the former England and Surrey cricketer
As the evening proceeded along, the their teacher Dave Bansraj Jr. smiled in ad- was followed by a geet and a ghazal, leav- and 'Strictly Come Dancing' winner, Mark
Chief Guest, the honourable Gurbax Singh miration at his students’ successful execu- ing the audience in awe and amazement. Ramprakash; Dr Peter Fraser the 1966
Malhi, M.P of of Bramalea – Gore – Malton tion of his tabla composition. Many sponsors, well wishers and spiri- Guyana Scholar; Professor Clem Seecharan
was amazed by the level of the students’ A Harmonium Recital captured the tual leaders attended the ceremony, includ- of London's Metropolitan Uni-versity; Dr
performance and stagecraft. In his speech crowd. Performed by Pt. Rakesh Kumar ing Pt. Kirit Trivedi, Swami Bhajananda, Martin Boodhoo, and the widow of the late
he said, “I feel honoured and happy to be Sharma – Musicologist, Gurubhai of Guruji Pt. Sat Sukul, Dhaman Kisson, Terry Sawh Dr Frank Chandra, the 1944 Guyana
invited to such an event, to see and listen to Dev Bansraj, Music Composer and Director and others. Scholar.
the students”. Following his congratulations from All India Radio, Delhi, India, and Ho- Over 40 students received certificates of
to the Academy, he commended the teach- noured Guest, was accompanied on tabla by achievement, and trophies and plaques of Dindayal was and is to be congratulated
ers, Guruji Dev Bansraj and Dave Bansraj Tabla Nawaaz Dave Bansraj Jr. – ICCR recognition, which were presented to them on becoming the voluntary
Jr. and presented them with certificates of Scholar who studied at the Shri Ram by Guruji Dev Bansraj. “The People’s Boswell for the widened 'Guyanese Mafia'
recognition from the government of Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi, India, Choice Award” for Vocal Music was in the UK. They are to be
Canada. and disciple of Ustad Rashid Mustafa Thi- awarded to Ashley Devi Debysingh, and congratulated for their achievements in a
Amongst the performing students were: rakwa. Together, they both had the audience “The People’s Choice Award” for Instru- sometimes very cold climate.
Robbie Rai, Arun Kamat, Randy Ramawad, on the edge of their seats. mental Music went to Michael Raykha.
Randall Mahadeo Allan, Indra Natasha Crowning off the evening’s program was “Student of the Year” at a Junior Level went Guyanese Achievers UK by Vidur Din-
Doobay, Ashley Devi Debysingh, Purendra Guruji Dev Bansraj himself – Musician, to Nickey Ramcharan, and “Student of the dayal (Trafford Publishing ISBN-10:
Ronald Doobay, and Christina Raykha, to Composer and Singer of international re- Year” at a Senior Level went to Vishal Ra-
1425167411)
pute. He was awarded a Government Schol- mawad..
Keep a careful eye on door-to-door salespeople
CONSUMER WATCH Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 15

Dealing with a
MANY consumers may find themselves entitled to deduct reasonable compensation telephone call announcing that she had won
caught off guard, or pressured to buy a from the refund amount. The exception is
collection agency
a prize for responding to a survey. A sales-
product or service they don’t want or need, intended to cover such things as emergency person then rushed over to the woman’s
by aggressive, unsolicited sales agents. home repairs. home with a vacuum cleaner. He entered
* If your agreement contains an estimate, her home and gave a quick demonstration
Quick Tips under law, the final price cannot be more of the machine. What Is a Collection Agency?
than 10 per cent above it, unless you agree.
* Be careful when allowing strangers into * Consumer agreements must disclose She insisted that that she didn’t need a new When you owe money to a business and
your home. Let them in only if you’ve important details. If a company isn’t deliv- vacuum, nor could she afford one, but the have not made payments recently, the busi-
asked the company to send someone to your ering on the contract, or if you encounter an salesman remained in her home until she ness may turn your account over to a col-
house for a product or service demonstra- aspect that wasn’t disclosed but was re- gave him her credit card. The consumer, lection agency. A collection agency is a
tion. Make sure the seller has identification. quired to be by law as part of the deal, e.g. who lives alone, felt intimidated and just business that obtains or arranges for pay-
Ask for local references – and check them. an annual renewal fee, you have the right to wanted to get the salesman out of her home. ment of money owed to either a person or a
* Ask yourself if you really need the cancel within one year. company.
product or service right now. Don’t buy on * If the company does not make delivery The former Ministry of Consumer and How Do I Deal With Collection Agen-
impulse. or begin performing services within 30 days Business Services charged the salesperson cies?
* Never give out personal or financial in- of the date stated in the agreement, you can and his employer with making an uncon- In most provinces you must be notified in
formation, including your credit card or cancel the agreement at any time before de- scionable consumer representation relative writing that an account has been turned
bank account number, unless you know the livery or commencement of performance. to the sale of a vacuum cleaner. over to a collection agency. The agency will
selling company’s reputation. You lose the right to cancel if you agree to contact you to attempt to collect the money
* Be suspicious of companies that use accept delivery or allow the company to He was convicted and sentenced to 30 days you owe to its client.
P.O. Box addresses. It could mean they perform its obligations after the 30-day pe- in prison and six months’ probation. The When possible, pay the money you owe.
don’t want to be found. riod. If the agreement does not state a date, corporation was ordered to pay a $5,000 You won't have to deal with the agency
* Never sign a contract without reading the 30 days run from the date the agreement fine. The consumer was entitled to a reim- once the account has been cleared.
and fully understanding it. Don’t sign any- was entered into. Again, you lose that right bursement in the amount of $2,178.70. When it's impossible for you to pay the
thing with blank spaces. if you accept delivery or allow the company full amount at once, explain why.
* Don’t allow yourself to be pressured or to perform services after the 30 days. The case of the man who wouldn't leave Offer some alternative method of repay-
rushed into a purchase. Common high-pres- * Under law, there is a minimum war- (part two) ment, either in a lump sum or a series of
sure tactics include setting time limits (“buy ranty on the quality of services. In short, the monthly payments.
today and save 50 per cent – the price will services must be of reasonably acceptable Two vacuum salespeople knocked on the Never send cash. Always make payments
change tomorrow”) and forcing customers quality. If they are not, you should consider door of an elderly widow to offer a 20- in such a way that you have a receipt - ei-
to make hasty decisions – often with the filing a complaint. minute demonstration of a “new product”. ther a cancelled cheque from your own
promise of a “special” offer. You can al- The woman agreed. The demonstration in- bank or a receipt from the agency.
ways take the information and ask the seller Consumers are also protected against unfair cluded high-pressure sales techniques that Once the account has been officially
to come back when you’ve had time to con- business practices such as deceptive pro- lasted two hours, after which she agreed to turned over to a collection agency, you'll be
sider the purchase. If it’s a great deal, it will motion and sales tactics. If an unfair prac- buy the vacuum cleaner. Consequent at- dealing only with that agency when making
still be there tomorrow. tice has ocurred, you can rescind the tempts by family members to cancel the arrangements for payment. It may be best
* Don’t feel embarrassed about protect- agreement within one year. One way to do contract were unsuccessful. not to contact the original business - this
ing yourself. If you feel threatened in any this is to send the seller a registered letter. If just creates confusion - unless there's an
way, ask the seller to leave. If you are at all that doesn’t produce results, see our Need The Ministry of Government Services error in the account. When this is the case,
suspicious, call the police. Help section. charged the salespeople, and the company advise both the business and the collection
* If you decide to buy at the door, ask they work for, with making an uncon- agency.
about the refund and exchange policy. Find From our Consumer Files scionable consumer representation relative When making payments to a collection
out about guarantees and warranties and to the sale of a vacuum cleaner. agency, be sure not to write a cheque if you
what to do if there is a problem with a pur- The case of the long four hours have insufficient funds in your account or
chase. Make sure you get it in writing. One man pleaded guilty for the company to miss payments. When your financial cir-
A man and the corporation he works for and a fine of $5,000 was imposed. The cumstances change, contact the collection
Your Rights were charged under the Business Practices company also made restitution to the con- agency immediately and explain your cur-
Act for using high-pressure sales tactics to sumer in the amount of $1,000, and the con- rent status.
Under the Ontario Consumer Protection sell a vacuum cleaner to an elderly couple sumer was allowed to keep the vacuum Follow up in writing. Debts should not be
Act, 2002: in Ontario. The frail couple allowed the cleaner. treated lightly. They can result in court ac-
salesman into their home because they had tion, which could lead to money being
* If you purchase something in your been promised a prize for answering a tele- The same salesman had been convicted taken from your pay cheque or seizure of
home that costs more than $50, there must phone survey. about eight months earlier of the same of- your assets.
be a written contract. fence and sentenced to 30 days in jail. If Check out the section “Debt” in this
* In addition to the name and address of The sales pitch and demonstration lasted convicted again, he faces maximum penal- Handbook for more information or contact
the buyer and seller, the contract must four hours, during which time the con- ties of $25,000 and/or up to a year in jail. your provincial or territorial consumer af-
clearly describe the item and state the price, sumers agreed to purchase the machine, de- The maximum penalty for the corporation fairs office.
delivery dates, delivery charges and the spite the fact that they already had a central is $100,000.
date on which services are to be performed vacuum system in their home.
and completed. If it doesn’t, you can can-
cel the contract within one year of signing, The corporation entered a guilty plea to one
and the company must provide a full re- count of having committed an unfair prac-
fund. tice and was fined $1,000. The elderly cou-
* If you sign a contract in your home ple received $1,617 in restitution.
worth more than $50, you can cancel within
10 days by giving notice of cancellation. The case of the man who wouldn't leave
It’s best to provide this notice by e-mail, fax One day, an elderly consumer received a
or registered letter. A notice to cancel may
be hand-delivered (it’s wise to obtain a sig-
nature on a delivery receipt and keep it).
However you deliver the cancellation, be
sure to keep a copy. The company has 15
days to return your money and is responsi-
ble for picking up the product or paying for
the cost of sending it back if the company
wants its product returned.
* The only exception for the company to
provide a full refund is if the consumer
asked for the goods or services from the
company and asked that the company pro-
vide them within 10 days of entering into
the agreement. In this case, the supplier is
Turning vegetarian Face masks
HEALTH AND FASHION Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 16
Choose a flatter-
made fresh
can be easy today
ing bathing suit
this summer
THOSE considering a vegetarian diet gen- of the vitamin. Good sources include all
with herbs
erally worry about getting enough nutrients, common multiple vitamins (including veg-
since the belief that meat is a necessary part etarian vitamins), fortified cereals and soy
of keeping strong and healthy is still ex- By Karen Robock
milk."
tremely widespread. 3. During pregnancy nutritional needs in-
Recently a group of eminent doctors MAKING your own facemask is a fun way
crease. The American Dietetic Association
called the Physicians Committee for Re- to benefit from the healing and beautifying
has found vegan diets adequate for fulfill-
sponsible Medicine (PCRM), themselves properties of herbs.
ing nutritional needs during pregnancy, but
members of the American Medical Associ- Be it the anti-inflammatory nature of
pregnant women and nursing mothers
ation, have decided to change the US con- chamomile or the antiseptic ability of sage,
should supplement their diets with vitamins
sciousness on human nutrition, particularly fresh herbs can help to renew and rejuve-
B12 and D.
among the medical community. nate your skin," says Susan Vuyanovich of
4. Vegetarian children also have high nutri-
The PCRM is a nonprofit organization Sattva Biodynamics, an expert on naturally
tional needs, but these, too, are met with a
based in Washington, D.C., consisting of therapeutic skincare products.
vegetarian diet. A vegetarian menu is "life-
doctors and laypersons working together Check out Vuyanovich's recipes and se-
extending." As children, vegetarians may
for compassionate and effective medical lect the one that suits your skin type. Clip
grow more gradually, reach puberty some-
practice, research and health promotion. the required fresh herbs from your garden,
what later, and live substantially longer than Step One
Founded in 1985, the PCRM is supported then head to your nearest natural grocer or
meat-eaters. Be sure to include a reliable Use blocks of color to divert attention
by over 3,000 physicians and 50,000 health food store to pick up the remaining
source of vitamin B12. Besides the fortified from wide hips or a belly bulge. Wear one-
laypersons. ingredients.
cereals and soy milk mentioned above, vi- piece suits with a dark-colored, solid lower
PCRM president (and vegetarian) Neal tamin B12 is widely available in multiple half and a lighter-colored or printed bodice.
D. Barnard, M.D., is a popular speaker and For oily or combination skin:
vitamins, brewers yeast and other potent di-
the author of “The Power of Your Plate”. 1Tbsp French green clay
etary supplements.Those interested in sup- Step Two
Armed with decades of nutritional research 1Tbsp fresh lemon balm
porting or learning more about the work of Choose suits with at least 15 percent
data, PCRM addresses these dietary con- 1Tbsp fresh thyme
the Physicians Committee for Responsible spandex to minimize flabby areas. If you
cerns head-on:"The fact is, it is very easy to 1-2 Tbsp aloe vera juice
Medicine should visit: www.pcrm.org. have wide hips, opt for styles that cut across
have a well-balanced diet with vegetarian 1Tsp honey
the hips rather than hanging below them.
foods. Vegetarian foods provide plenty of Converting to Vegetarianism
protein. For dry skin:
Making the transition from carnivore to Step Three
Careful combining of foods is not neces- 1 Tbsp calendula flowers
herbivore is not as hard as you might think. Enhance a small chest with a lightly
sary. Any normal variety of plant foods pro- 1 Tbsp chamomile flowers
According to the book,”The New Vegetar- padded halter top or a demi cut with an un-
vides more than enough protein for the 1 Tbsp plain organic yogurt
ians”, by Sonia Partridge and Paul Amato, derwire; the demi cut resembles a bra, but
body's needs. Although there is somewhat 1 Tsp wheatgerm or flax oil
73% of vegetarian converts stated that the it's not a full cup. Also look for suits that
less protein in a vegetarian diet than a meat- transition was not difficult. It is easier for offer texture, like ruffles or smocking, and
eater's diet, this is actually an advantage. Crush herbs, mix in remaining ingredients
people who do some homework on the sub- material with a small print. These are guar-
Excess protein has been linked to kidney and apply to clean skin, avoiding the eye
ject and have a bit of cooking skill. anteed to deflect attention from your bust.
stones, osteoporosis, and possibly heart dis- and mouth areas. Let sit for 10-20 minutes
The time it takes for people to totally con-
ease and some cancers. A diet focused on and rinse with tepid water.
vert varies greatly. About 70% of people Step Four
beans, whole grains and vegetables con- make the transition gradually, while 30% Minimize a full chest with a dark, mono-
tains adequate amounts of protein without A good Ayurvedic daily routine
stop all at once. A year is the most transi- chromatic bodice that has a high or square-
the 'overdose' most meat-eaters get." tion time to stop with red meat, which is al- cut neck. Make sure the suit offers your
Other concerns are allayed by the PCRM Nine suggestions for a good daily routine
most always the first flesh to go, followed bust ample support to resist drooping or
as follows: are: 1. Wake up early, before sunrise. The
more slowly by fowl and fish.One recom- sagging, and choose a wider-cut bottom to
1. Calcium is easy to find in a vegetarian sun activates the pineal gland to send mas-
mended method for the transition is to set a balance your overall look.
diet. Many dark, green leafy vegetables and sages to the pituitary gland, which in turn
series of goals for yourself. Start simply
beans are loaded with calcium, and some messages the adrenal glands to release ad-
with getting through one day without meat. Step Five
orange juices and cereals are calcium-forti- renal cortisol, which wakes us from deep
Then, try one weekend, then one week. Elongate a petite frame with a one-piece
fied. Iron is plentiful in whole grains, beans sleep. 2. Drink one to three glasses of warm
Make a realistic timetable for reaching suit that has thin vertical stripes. Lend short
and fruits. water in the morning. This encourages peri-
them. Two to three months might be rea- legs length with a suit cut high on the hip.
2. Vitamin B12 There is a misconception stalsis to begin and helps bowel evacuation.
sonable for some people while six months
that without eating meat one cannot obtain 3. Oral and physical hygiene is of utmost
to a year might be better for others. Re- Step Six
sufficient vitamin B12, which is an essen- importance. A daily shower encourages di-
wards can also help. Give a square or boyish figure the ap-
tial nutrient. This is simply not true. The gestive health and a healthy heart in addi-
For a major accomplishment such as a pearance of a waist with a one-piece or
PCRM advises: "Although cases of B12 de- tion to general cleanliness. Brushing and
week without meat, treat yourself to a nice tankini (a bikini with a top shaped like a
ficiency are very uncommon, it is important flossing is important for healthy teeth and
vegetarian meal out. tank top) that has a darker color from the
to make sure that one has a reliable source gums. 4. Get in touch with your senses by
crotch to the middle ribs and a lighter color
massaging your body with oil customized
over the chest. Consider a skort'a combina-
for your body type. To sharpen your sense
tion short and skirt'to conceal and divert at-
of smell, put a few drops in your nose.
tention away from a too-round bottom.
Wash your eyes with trifala water. To make
trifala water, open one capsule in one cup
Step Seven
distilled water, boil for ten minutes, then
If you have toned legs and sexy shoul-
strain through a coffee filter. You can use
ders, flaunt them in a string bikini or cutout
an eye cup available at drug stores. Care for
one-piece swimsuit.
your ears by putting a couple of drops of
olive oil in each, or dip a Q-tip in olive oil
Tips & Warnings
and lubricate your ears. 5. Walk daily for
30-45 minutes, depending upon your sched-
Nowadays, you can essentially create
ule, and meditate regularly. 6. Eat a healthy
your own two-piece suit. Look for compa-
breakfast according to your constitution,
nies that offer a variety of mix-and-match,
adjusted as needed to correct any imbal-
coordinated tops and bottoms.
ances. 7. Fried, processed and artificially
Wear your swimsuit with a long sleeve-
sweetened foods should be avoided at all
less blouse, print sarong or wraparound
times. 8. Sexual activity is considered sa-
skirt if the thought of walking around in
cred in ayurveda, which advises frequent
your swimsuit makes you uncomfortable.
sexual activity in winter, and at intervals of
You generally can't return bathing suits.
3-4 days during other seasons. 9. Finish
Check restrictions prior to purchase.
your day by calming your mind with med-
itation and pranayama, breathing exercises.
 US
RELIGION Page 17
Toronto Arya Samaj stages
Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007
Is Hinduism First Canadian
relevant in the
21st century?
annual multi-kund havan Hindu postage
stamp
By Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
THE CANADIAN Postal Service allows
Some months back in Australia, a group of anyone to apply for an officially approved
Hindu teens asked me what relevance Hin- stamp, the printing of which is paid for by
duism and temples have to modern life. the applicant. Applicants are carefully scru-
They said it as though the answer were ob- tinized, and many are rejected if their back-
vious: None. But they were callow and yet ground check fails or objections are raised.
to be schooled in the noble religion they It is to the credit of the Montreal Murugan
had been born into. Temple and devotee Ravi Suntharamoorthy
After our session, their question echoed that they got a stamp carrying a design of
in my mind for days. It is a question on the temple's Kumbhabhishekam approved.
many minds, deserving a complete answer. The stamp has the value of one ounce of
I would like to share with our readers the postage, currently 51 cents. Even if postage
four major virtues that I singled out for rates go up, the stamp will be accepted to
those students, virtues which make Hin- cover one ounce of postage in years to
duism profoundly relevant in today's come. Ravi designed the stamp and donated
world: nonviolence, tolerance, worship the cost of printing 1,000. For each $5.00
and life's four noble goals. donation to the temple, supporters get one
stamp. It was a novel fund-raising and com-
THE VIRTUE OF NONVIOLENCE: On munity awareness initiative and the first
November 13, 2006, we watched with in- time in North America that a Hindu temple
terest a television report on the ground- The Toronto Arya Samaj held its 10th Annual Multi Kunda Havan Yajna on June 10, 2007 has appeared on a public postage stamp.
breaking ceremony inaugurating a under the big tents in the lawns adjacent to the mandir at 4345-14th Avenue, Markham.
memorial to American civil rights hero Dr. Over 300 persons attended the annual event which is one of the most anticipated events Hindu temples in every corner of the
Martin Luther King, Jr., in Washington's organized by the organization. The theme of the program has always been: The family world offer Hindus an achievable way to
front yard, the National Mall. President that prays together stays together and Dr Satish Prakash once again led the families in experience God's sacred presence. Divin-
Bush said he was proud to dedicate the me- communal prayer. Chanting the Vedic Scriptures and offering Ahuti" they symbolically ity's presence uplifts those attending the
morial in its "rightful place, " between burned away all evil thoughts and actions and prayed asking God to bless their intellects temple, inspiring them to bring forth and
monuments to Thomas Jefferson, who "de- with good and benevolent thoughts so that their thoughts and actions can be in the right perpetuate traditional Hindu culture in the
clared the promise of America, " and Abra- direction. One of the highlights of the program was the ordainig of three young priests form of sacred music, art and dance. As
ham Lincoln, "who defended the promise of the organzation who were charged with carrying out the tenets of the organization. Pan- such, the temple becomes the hub of reli-
of America." Dr. King, Bush offered, "re- dits Amar Umadas, Devendra Ramotar and Vidyarthi Sriram were conferred the presti- gious life in the surrounding Hindu com-
deemed the promise of America." gious status of priests of the organization. The congregation wished them well. munity and thus is undeniably relevant to
Dr. King came from a staunch Christian modern life.
family. His grandfather was a Baptist THE WISDOM OF TOLERANCE: The build big temples to worship Him. The cost FOUR NOBLE PURSUITS: Hinduism's
preacher. His father was pastor of Atlanta's Hindu value that compliments and under- of construction is quite large; plus after it is relevance to modern life is perhaps most
Ebenezer Baptist Church. King earned his lies the principle of nonviolence is that of built you have the ongoing cost of monthly personally important in the sphere of spir-
own Bachelor of Divinity degree from tolerance. The Hindu belief that gives rise maintenance. Couldn't all that money be itual fulfillments and worldly attain-
Crozier Theological Seminary in 1951 and to tolerance of differences in race, religion spent in a better way?" ments. Each Hindu seeks the highest and
his Doctor of Philosophy from Boston and nationality is that all of mankind is I asked them a question in response: best for self and family, including close-
University in 1955. While at the seminary, good; we are all divine beings, souls cre- "Since God is omnipresent, shouldn't we ness to God and blessings in every arena
King became acquainted with Mohandas ated by God. Hindus do not accept the con- able to experience Him equally every- of experience. Hinduism has tools, maps
Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent social cept that some individuals are evil and where? For example, God permeates this and guidelines for reaching those very
protest. On a trip to India in 1959, King others are good. Hindus believe that each room. By looking intently at the room human goals.
met with followers of Gandhi. During individual is a soul, a divine being, who is shouldn't you be able to experience God? In Consider the concept of the pu-
these intimate discussions, he became inherently good. The Upanishads tell us that theory you should." I then asked, "How rusharthas, Hinduism's four traditional
more convinced than ever that nonviolent each soul is emanated from God, as a spark many of you can see God permeating this pursuits. The first two are wealth and
resistance is the most potent weapon avail- from a fire, and thence begins a spiritual room?" All present had to admit that they love, known in Sanskrit as artha and
able to oppressed people in their struggle journey which eventually leads back to could not. kama. Common to all mankind, these em-
for freedom. God. Practically speaking, God's omnipresence brace the pursuit of love, family, children,
Dr. King went on to effectively utilize All human beings are on this journey, is a marvelously subtle form of conscious- career and financial abundance. The third
the Gandhian principles of nonviolent so- whether they realize it or not. The Upan- ness, too subtle for most of us to experience is dharma, which provides direction and
cial protest to bring to the world's attention ishadic mahavakyam, or great saying, that unless we are skilled in meditation. I con- balance to the first two. Dharma is piety,
the unjustness of US racial discrimination expresses this is Ayam atma brahma, "the tinued by giving the following series of virtue and right living. It includes the
laws, which were subsequently changed. soul is God." The Hindu practice of greet- analogies with other objects that are diffi- ideals of seeking wealth and love in an
Dr. King and all the millions he impacted ing one another with namaskara, worship- cult to see. If we want to see a distant ethical manner, being honest in business
would certainly affirm the relevance of the ing God within the other person, is a way galaxy, we must go to an observatory and and loyal to one's spouse.
key Hindu principle of nonviolence in this philosophical truth is practiced on a use a powerful telescope. To look into the The fourth noble pursuit is moksha,
modern society. daily basis. nucleus of a cell, we go to a laboratory and spiritual illumination and liberation from
The world has changed significantly in This is taken one step further in the Vedic use an electron microscope. rebirth on Earth. Liberation comes when
the aftermath of September 11, 2001. verse Vasudhaiva kutumbakam, "The whole Similarly, to see God, we go to the tem- all our karmas are resolved, dharma has
Everyone has become more aware, and in- world is one family." Everyone is family ple and experience God through the sancti- been fulfilled and God has been realized.
creasingly appalled, by the rampant inci- oriented. All that we do is for the purpose of fied murti, or statue, of the Deity. Hindus know that dharma, artha and
dents of brutality occurring worldwide benefitting our family. We want them all to Temples--and particularly the murtis within kama are not ends in themselves.
every month. A great deal of violence is be happy, successful and religiously ful- them--can connect us with the Divine be- They provide the necessary surround-
based upon the concept of the strategic ne- filled. And when family is defined as the cause they are especially sacred. There are ings, relationships and experiences which
cessity of retaliation-- "An eye for an eye." whole world, then it is clear that we wish three reasons for this: construction, conse- help the embodied soul mature over many
"If they kill one of us, we must kill one of everyone in the world to be happy, success- cration and continuous daily worship. lives and attain an ever-deepening God
them." Contrarily, Hindus view retaliation ful and religiously fulfilled. The Vedic verse A temple is designed and built according consciousness.
as unwise. Gandhi made an insightful that captures this sentiment is Sarve janah to strict rules laid down in scripture. This This maturing process eventually cul-
statement to counterpoint the call for re- sukhino bhavantu, "May all people be governs what shrines are included in the minates in moksha, at which point the
venge. He warned: "An eye for an eye happy." Certainly the key principle of tol- temple, the shrines' location and the over- soul has outgrown the need to continue
makes the whole world blind." He also de- erance is a major demonstration of the rel- all dimensions of the temple. Consecration its cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
clared, "I object to violence because when evance of Hindu teachings to our modern occurs through the powerful ceremony The goal of moksha, which sharply dis-
it appears to do good, the good is only tem- world in providing a more compassionate called kumbhabhishekam, during which a tinguishes Hinduism from Western reli-
porary; the evil it does is permanent." and universalistic worldview, one that em- large number of priests perform elaborate gions, reminds us not to become so
In a world awash in wars and conflict of braces the growing pluralism in world so- rites for days on end. Thereafter begins the enthralled with the world that we neglect
every kind, Hinduism's gentleness and cieties. routine of daily worship conducted by pro- our foremost aim: God realization and
noninjury by thought, word and deed is EFFECTIVE FORMS OF WORSHIP: One fessional priests. In these three ways, the liberation.
more than a relevance. It is a necessity for question the teens in Australia asked was, temple and the murtis within them are sanc-
the future of humanity. "If God is omnipresent, what is the need to tified and endowed with potent energies.
YOUTH Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 18
Soduku puzzle (8-10 years)
PUZZLE 1 PUZZLE 2

4 2 1
1 1
2 4 3
3 3
Complete the grids so that each row, each column and each 2 x 2
box contains the digits 1-4. Answers on Page 20.

Soduku puzzle (11-13 years)

What do you get when you mix a 4 6
horse and a zebra?
It’s this strange creature, called a zebrula. A zebrula -- a cross between a
3
3 6 1 2
horse and a zebra -- has drawn curious onlookers to a zoo in Germany be-
cause of its unusual coat.

While zebrulas have been in existence since the 19th century, this one is
particularly unique: its coat is sharply divided between horse and zebra,

5
says Safaripark, a zoo near northern Guetersloh.

The animal, which is slightly more than a year old and is named Eclyse, has
a zebra head, while the first half of the rest of its body is white and the sec-
ond half is zebra-colored. Eclyse was born in a horse ranch in Italy, her 6
mother is a chapmann-zebra, her father a brown-white horse It arrived at
the zoo three weeks ago from Italy. Complete the grids so that each row, each column and each 3 x 2
box contains the digits 1-6. Answer on Page 20.

Don Goertzen, CGA

Investment Representative
Quadrus Investment Services

2 Autumn Drive
Quadrus Investment Services Ltd.
Caledon, Ontario L76 OT8
Office: 519-927-3937
Fax: 519-927-3802

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INDO-CARIBBEAN ARRIVAL IN CANADA Page 19
Pioneer broadcaster Jai Ojah-Maharaj
Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007
arrange that, and the winner of that compe-

makes the Caribbean Connection

tition was the Sylvan Bharath Tassa group.
They came to Canada and I am very proud
to say I was the first person to introduce
tassa in the Caribana celebrations, the
Caribana parade . They played in places
Radio host of the popular show talks about how he got into Canadian radio 30 years ago like the Phoenix Club, Reflections, Ontario
I CAME to Canada on September 16, 1972, Place and today tassa music is heard every-
with him. But I was not allowed to go on
but I didn't really have to come here. I am where.
the Humber school radio station. They felt
from a family of 12, my father was the late My first winter coat was from the army
I didn't fit in so I said, okay, how about if I
Karoo Ojah-Maharaj and my uncle the late surplus supply on Queen and Bathurst, a
do my own Caribbean program? And they
Doon Pundit, who was responsible for the long green coat for about $15. When I
said maybe that's an idea. Something new.
creation of a lot of the Hindu schools in bought my first house in the eighties things
So I created my own Caribbean program on
Trinidad and Tobago and the Hindu temple were so bad I had to cash in my beer bottles
the Humber College Radio. I had to create
in Arima. Doon Pundit created the temple to get some pocket change. That's the kind
a niche for myself and that's how it started.
in Chacachacare, which was run by him and of struggle we had. You go to Kentucky
So when I went to CHIN it was a natural
my father. Friend Chicken and you ask for pepper and
thing, being evolved now with JC McDon-
My father was a founding member of the they give you salt and pepper, black pepper.
ald and Carl Redhead. One day suddenly JC
People's National Movement with the late We had nothing like Ram for bringing in
Jai Ojah-Maharaj couldn't get in to the station. There was
Dr. Eric Williams and he was a personal ad- real pepper. It was not an easy task. We had
I had more than one unique experience some problem at his home. I'm operating in
viser to Dr Williams. He was consulted by to put up with a lot. We tolerated a lot be-
working in the box office at the Royal the evening and Jimmy Wong calls me.
Dr Williams on several occasions. I re- cause we had to integrate and today the
Alexander Theatre. You have to let every- “Jai, you have to go on the air now.”
member a policeman coming to our home children don't have to do what we did be-
one in through the front door. Debbie This is a fresh, green operator who is only
in Las Lomas Number 2 and delivering a cause they are born Canadians. They have
Reynolds came up one wintry day in Janu- hosting his program at Humber College.
message to my father that the PM wants rights and they deserve what they have now,
ary with a fur coat all hiding her face and And I don't know how many thousands of
him at his residence the next day Sunday. so we must always give them support and
sunglasses. She said to me, can you let me people would be listening to JC McD,
The meeting was held to discuss the possi- remain strong with them.
in? I said I don't know who you are. She which was the only Caribbean program at
bility of having Eid and Divali as public Today I can say the Caribbean Connec-
said you sure you don't know who I am? I the time. I didn't have the key for his cup-
holidays in Trinidad and Tobago. tion is one of the pattern shows in this com-
said I don't know who you are but I need to board so I had to break open his cupboard
I am very proud of my father and proud munity. We continue to serve the
know. She said I am Debbie Reynolds. Well and get the records and I went on the air at
of my family. The fact is that Divali is a community and we'll always put the com-
I learned a lot from the Royal Alex and Mr CHIN radio. That went on for a few months
public holiday and Indian people are on munity first. I feel the information we are
Ed Mirvish. and unfortunately JC and CHIN radio had
equal footing in TT and even higher be- giving out is worthy and there is lots of
My boss was an Englishman named to part ways.
cause of the strides we have made. competition but competition is good for us.
Brian James. He was in love with the I got fired at Chin Radio. One December
My father used to censor films with the Fitzroy Gordon was granted a license for a
Caribbean and Caribbean food. Had a spe- 26, all of the operators said we quit because
manager of 610 Radio Jimmy Bain and he 24 hour Caribbean radio station. Pretty soon
cial interest in me. I told him I need to get we wanted more pay. So Johnny Lombardy
knew of my intention to come to Canada to we'll have a Caribbean station 24 hours a
into radio. I went to the National Institute said okay you quit and we were all out of a
study broadcasting. I worked at Piarco as day and I look forward to playing a signif-
for Broadcasting and heard what they had job. But when the problems came up with
an assistant air traffic controller. The aero- icant role there. And I can guarantee you
to say. I didn't like it. Then I realized that CHIN radio Carl and Jimmy kept in contact
drome superintendent Joe Maharaj and I Caribbean, but most of all, Indian culture
Carl Redhead, the famous broadcaster from with me and said we want you to come
were very good friends. He said, why you will play a great role in that station.
Trinidad from 610 Radio, was operations back. They took me back and I got a slight
want to go to Canada? I can get you in the It was a good experience, and it was a
manager at CHIN Radio. I went and saw raise in pay. I think it was because of my
aviation school just like that. He didn't want difficult experience getting into radio.
him and Carl advised me (he was on the ad- Caribbean connection. But it wasn't easy at
to give me the recommendation to leave. When I was getting in to Omni Television
visory board at Humber College) to go to first. Because here is an Indian guy hosting
My father said, why you want to go to cfmt I was given a call by Farouk Mo-
school at Humber College which at that basically a Caribbean program where the
Canada? I can get you into 610 Radio be- hammed of Trinidad and Tobago who con-
time had a three year radio program. music is basically black. I had to prove to
cause Jimmy is the chairman of the board. ceptualized South Asian Newsweek and
The first year I applied I didn't get the audience that I know enough about ca-
I said no, I want to be trained properly. So Omni Television. When I went there they
through. I applied to Seneca and didn't get lypso like anybody else.
when I returned to Trinidad (I still planned had a job for me but I had no television ex-
through. I tried at Ryerson and didn't get What I had to do as well and what I in-
to go back) I could go back there on my perience. So I said I don't have the televi-
through, so I went and did my Grade 13. I tended to do, was present the show in a very
own footing, and not have to be assisted by sion experience but I would like to take the
went back to Humber and met the coordi- professional manner. I felt people should
people. opportunity and learn it. It was a learning
nator of the course, Phil Stone. He said to not turn off the music or the radio when
So I came to Canada in 1972 and found experience for me but we proved to them
me, you know you have an accent. I said they had Canadian friends at home. I felt
a job three months later at the Royal the show could be done professionally.
yes, I know I have an accent. He said you'll that if you presented it in a professional
Alexander Theatre. I saw an ad in the Congratulations must be given to Farouk
never get a job in Canada, you know. I said manner that when you had guests at home
newspaper for a clerk and went and met a Mohammed.
leave that up to me. Can I qualify to get into you should say here is our music. And I
Russian controller named Boris Sperber. He I had just started the show in September
your radio course? He said you will get in, hope I have achieved that to a great degree.
said just write me a name. So I wrote my and two weeks after they called me at
but just bear in mind you will not get a job It was very very knowlegeable. I can
name. He liked my handwriting and he said home. Jai, can you be at Queen's Park to in-
on Canadian radio. say I got the best of knowledge and the best
you have the job. terview then Premier Bob Rae? So I went
In the seventies Canadian radio was re- training. Then I took the other step. I had to
They sent me to work in the subscription and interviewed Bob Rae. I just had two
ally, really white. In CHUM and CFTR and change the show. The show was a music
office of the Royal Alexandra Threatre. The basic questions and then it was ad lib. The
in most cases they brought broadcasters show every night. I said the show has to be
Theatre had just been bought my Ed interview ran for 18 minutes and normally
from the United States. All the big boys you different from everybody. I changed it and
Murvish of Honest Ed's and that's where I in television they will take two or three
were hearing came from the United States. I made it more community oriented.
bought my first winter coat. My brother minutes of it. They ran the whole 18 min-
It was a difficult medium to get into. Over Then I took a bold step and I thought let's
from England sent me 10 pounds in the utes in two parts. One day at the cafeteria
150 persons applied to get into Humber start playing some chutney music. And I did
mail. in Omni Television Leslie Soles came to me
College and sixty persons got in. I was the get a lot of flak for playing chutney music
The next year they send me to the box of- and said very good interview. and that's
only coloured person who got into the on CHIN radio. I used to get calls left right
fice. Coming from Trinidad , you had an ac- how they knew I had the ability to interview
course, the only brown one. But I did inte- and center, what the hell you playing that
cent. They gave me this opportunity to and I proved to them that I can do the job. I
grate well with the white kids because I coolie music here for? And I said it is not
communicate with mainstream Canadians. remember going to Trinidad for the 150th
knew more about rock music than they did coolie music. It is music out of Trinidad and
I used my opportunity to talk to them every anniversary of Indian Arrival Day and get-
so I could teach them about rock music. Tobago It is music out of Guyana, it is
day, practising my speech. I became the as- ting an interview with Basdeo Panday.
After the first year at Humber an intern- Caribbean music so why are you complain-
sistant box office manager. I think that our Indian members of com-
ship came up at CHIN radio and they called ing? And I said do you know who you
It was funny, but when you are working munity have the ability to do, and do much
me to ask me if I wanted to go to CHIN speaking to? I am an Indian, I am a Trinida-
there is a strong Jewish white audience you more . When you look at people like Ian
radio. I said I don't care where I go but I dian and that is music of Trinidad, so why
are playing to. I must give compliments to Hanoomansingh and Harold Hosein and
thought it would be wise to go there be- can't you accept it? I'm going to ask you if
Ed Mirvish. Many a time you would have others and even when Monica Deol was
cause at the time Carl Redhead and Jimmy you feel you don't want to hear it turn off
to make decisions. People would come up here we looked at all of them. We the older
Wong, another good broadcaster from your radio. I persisted and we continued
with the wrong ticket, the wrong date and generation suffered and today it is better for
Trinidad and Tobago, were working there. with chutney music. Today chutney is an in-
you have to take the decision you cannot the younger generation to get into the
So I went there for my internship and dustry by itself.
see the show today. Oh, I want to see the media. We are still paying the dues. It was
started working there on weekends as a I had the pleasure in the seventies or early
manager, they would say. They don't want not an easy task to get into radio then but
technical operator. eighties when they had the first tassa and
to speak to a little brown boy. But Ed it's much easier now. I suffered but hope-
That was way back in 1977. They had me Indian band competition and I was invited
Mirvish said Jai, I hired you to for a job and fully it will pay off for me down the road. I
working with JC McDonald on the Jay to go down and emcee that show in Skin-
you make the decision. Don't involve me in want to thank everybody for supporting the
McD show, “the most frequently frequented ner Park. The winner of the Tassa competi-
that and that was very good of him. You show and supporting me.
frequency”. I developed a good relationship tion got a trip to Toronto. They called me to
don't get that everywhere.
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Page 20

Indo-Caribbean writers bursting out in print

Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007

Toronto’s Caribbean Tales Film

Festival has focus on Trinidad
THE CARIBBEAN TALES Film Festival is set to hit Toronto again
this summer, with the spotlight on film and television from Trinidad
and Tobago. The festival will run from July 13 to 15, 2007 at the
NFB’s Mediatheque.The 2nd Annual Caribbean Tales Film Festival
is under the patronage of the Consulate General of the Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago, and the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company, in
association with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).This
year’s lineup will highlight some of the
biggest Trinidadian talents to hit North
Yao Ramesar
America, like Julien "Lil X" Lutz, whose
cinematic style and vivid imagination, have made him the di-
rector of choice for a host of celebrities including P. Diddy,
Usher, Sean Paul, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, and oth-
ers.The festival will honour legendary British-Trinidadian di-
rector Horace Ove, now CBE (Commander of the British
Empire - recently awarded, for his contributions to filmmak-
ing in the UK). His groundbreaking 1975 film Pressure was
Arif Ali, publisher of Hansib Books in London, England, displays his latest publication, banned by its own funders, the British Film Institute, because
the 200 page illustrated “Guyana”. Hansib is considering publishing in Canada. Shani Mootoo
it documented the growing frustrations of Britain's black com-
munities at the time. Our Spotlight will be turned on the phenomenon of local TV station
Gayelle the Channel, and its prolific CEO, Christopher Laird. The fast-growing upstart sta-
tion features 100% local content, and reaches over a million viewers internationally
through conventional broadcasting, cable TV, and live Internet streaming.The festival will
also celebrate filmmakers from across the diaspora including film innovator Yao Rame-
sar, award-winning video artist Richard Fung, producer extraordinaire Claire Prieto,
Frances-Anne Solomon, Jeanine Fung, Sharon Lewis, Michele Clarke, Roger McTair, Sel-
wyn Jacobs, Shani Mootoo, Elspeth Duncan, Asha Lovelace, Camille Selvon Abrahams,
Danielle Dieffenthaller, and many more.
The program is co-curated by Frances-Anne Solomon, filmmaker/producer and Artis-
tic Director of Caribbean Tales, and Bruce Paddington, Programmer of the Trinidad & To-
bago Film Festival, one of the regions most important showcases for contemporary
Caribbean cinema.Tickets $5 per screening, with festival passes for $30NFB ME-
DIATHEQUE, 150 John Street and WORKMAN THEATRE, 1005 Queen Street West .
For info call (416) 598-1410 or visit www.Caribbean Tales.ca

SODUKU PUZZLE
Answers
Age 8-10
Sheila Najhramsigns a copy of her children’s book “Layers of the Rainforest” at Cole’s Puzzle 1
Bookstore in the Scarborough Town Centre.
4213
3124
2341
1432
--------
Puzzle 2
2143
3421
Queen’s Counsel Shakoor Manraj shows
his book “In Pursuit of Justice”, which de-

4312
scribes his legal work in over 50 jurisdic-
tions all over the world.
1234

Age 11-13
Puzzle 1
543621
612543
361254
425316
234165
Rudy Gafur (left) and friend display copies of his books “Cooperstown Is My Mecca” 156432
and “Stories from Guyana” at the Burke’s Books booth at the Guyana Festival
 GOPIO takes part in
INDO-CARIBBEANS T Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 21
Indentured Indians in St Croix
did first Hindu cremation
Caribbean Indian
Arrival Days
GOPIO Participates in Commemoration of during Indian heritage”.
Indian Arrival Days in TRINIDAD, ST. The members of SVGIHF agreed to es-
VINCENT’S and SURINAME, and Visit to tablish a GOPIO chapter in St Vincent’s.
GUYANA Dr. Vijay Ramlal will be coordinating this
effort in St. Vincent’s as well as in Grenada
A delegation of GOPIO International com- and St. Lucia.
prising of GOPIO President Inder Singh In Suriname, GOPIO delegation attended
and Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran various Immigration Arrival events and
participated in the annual anniversary of In- held meetings with several officials of the
dian Arrival Day in Trinidad on May 30, in government of Suriname. GOPIO’s Re-
St. Vincent on June 1, and in Suriname on gional Vice President (Caribbean) Amb. Kr-
June 4, 2007. Dr. Vijay Ramlal, Trinidad In- ishna Nandoe and GOPIO Suriname
dian Arrival Day Coordinator was part of Secretary Harold Ramdhani coordinated the
the GOPIO delegation in Trinidad and St. meetings for GOPIO.
Market Scene in St. Thomas, St.Croix,
Vincent’s while GOPIO Guyana Chairman GOPIO’s President Inder Singh spoke at
Danish West Indies, mid 19th century.
Yesu Persaud and Dr. Chan Misier of the the GOPIO dinner on June 4 and recog-
Note the Madras cloth headties of the
Netherlands became part of GOPIO dele- nized “the resilience of the first arrivals of
black women. 310 Indian indentured im-
gation in Suriname. Indians to Suriname and how they endured
migrants came to St. Croix
In Trinidad, GOPIO President Inder the hardships, while preserving the Indian
Not many know that Indian indentured im- methods of their own country, and fre- Singh spoke at the Diwali Nagar NCIC an- culture and traditions”. Earlier, on June 2,
migrants went to the Danish colony of St. quently communicate with and forward re- nual commemoration event and reminded the Commissioner Madam Ghisei Doobee
Croix in the Caribbean during the nine- mittances to friends at home through the the audience of the first arrivals of Indians, of Saramacca, one of the 10 districts of
teenth century, and even less know that the British consul at Basin. recognizing “their pioneering spirit, deter- Suriname, hosted the group to lunch.
first Hindu cremation in the Americas took They are extremely fond of money, and mination, persistence and endurance under Following a GOPIO business seminar at
place in that same colony. They also per- save all they earn, trading among them- extremely harsh conditions”. Inder Singh Lalla Rookh on June 3, a visit was made to
formed selves and with the negroes, with whom, added that, “We also recognize the invalu- Commemorative site where wreaths were
however, they will not mix socially, though able contributions they have made to the di- laid at the monument to the 24 Indians
ICTimes writer Lloyd Harradan has dis- they do not object to work with them; and, verse culture and economic development of killed at that plantation in 1902. On June 3,
covered a long forgotten as they still maintain their differences of Trinidad and Tobago”. Ashook Ramsaran and Yesu Persaud at-
caste, some portions of their own commu- Inder Singh and Ashook Ramsaran were tended the Immigration Commemoration at
A noticeable feature of the population of nity will not associate with others, even on interviewed on “Sunshine Live” WIN-TV Mai-Baap where Suriname’s President,
St. Croix is the cooly element, or the occa- the same estate. where both Singh and Ramsaran re-iterated Vice President, ministers of the govern-
sional appearance of East Indian laborers, They have learned to speak English, or, that “GOPIO is not a political nor religious ment, India’s Ambassador Ashok Sharma
imported several years ago by those at least, the patois used by the negroes, with organization”. In addition, Ramsaran was and representatives laid wreaths at the 2
planters whose means enabled them thns to exactly the same accent, but retain most of interviewed on live radio where he stated statutes at the site of the first landing of In-
supply temporarily the deficiency of labor, their own customs. the purpose of GOPIO’s visit and repeated dians in Suriname.
which, since the emancipation, has been They insisted on burning the body of the that, “GOPIO is a secular, non-political or- The GOPIO delegation also visited
one cause of adversity on the island. first man who died among them after they ganization working for the interests and Guyana where a series of substantive and
So pressing became this evil that some were brought to the island; but upon the oc- concerns of Indians throughout the Indian productive meetings with officials of the
owners of large estates had little choice be- casion of another death they were informed Diaspora”. Government of Guyana on June 6, 2007
tween the prospect of great loss and the in- that if they desired to perform the same rite The GOPIO delegation held a series of were held. These meetings included discus-
troduction of foreign labor. Some time they must provide their own lumber for the informative and productive meetings with sions with Hon. Priya Manickchand, Min-
before, an arrangement had been agreed funeral pile; and as they never expend President Hon. Dr. George Maxwell ister of Human Services and Social
upon between the United States and the money when they can avoid it, they have Richards; Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Services; Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, Minis-
Danish government, that any slaves cap- since thrown the dead in the sea. Lenny Saith, and Leader of the Opposition ter of Culture, Youth and Sports; Hon.
tured in these seas by American vessels Some of them were Nena Sahib’s sol- Hon Kamla Persad-Bissessar. In addition, Clement Rohee, Minister of Home Affairs;
should land their cargoes on this island, diers, and can show scars got before Luc- meetings were held with Hon Winston De- Hon. Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister; and
where the Africans were to be employed for know, but are very sensitive about having okarran and Shamshu Deen of Hon. Bharrat Jagdeo, President. The dele-
wages. served in that war, and averse to speaking GOPIO/MOIA Tracing The Roots Project gation also met with India’s Ambassador to
The war occupying our ships elsewhere, about it to strangers. that is of interest to many PIOs. There were Guyana, Hon. Avinash Gupta.
this scheme was not carried out, but tended They still continue to keep the fasts and also visits made to notable Hindu Temples Among the topics discussed with Presi-
to render the importation of coolies a more feasts of their own religion, and at stated and to ASJA Girl’s College run by the PIO dent Jagdeo is the hosting of a regional
familiar necessity. periods fulfill a curious sacrificial cere- Muslim community. Caribbean 2008 conference in Guyana to
The expense of bringing three hundred mony, in which they build an altar, upon the On June 1, 2007, the GOPIO delegation coincide with Guyana’s commemoration of
and ten of these people from India top and at the foot of which they slay three attended the Indian Arrival Day celebra- its 170th celebration of Arrival Day on May
amounted to 20,000 pounds, and by the goats, solemnly sprinkling altar and people tions in St. Vincent organized by the Indian 5, 2008, the preservation of arrival records
contract one third of them were to be afterward with the blood. Heritage Foundation (SVGIHF) and Dr of various groups of people who came to
women. They were to remain five years, But even this limited effort to meet the Arnold Thomas, GOPIO member. Govern- Guyana, and other issues pertaining to
and at the end of that time such as desired it demands for labor has been found very in- ment of India Minister of Overseas Indian GOPIO’s global efforts to address issues of
were to have free passage home. efficient, owing to the expense attending Affairs (MOIA) Hon. Vayalar Ravi was the interest and concern to the global Indian Di-
They were to receive twenty cents a day the immigration, and the disinclination of chief guest at the anniversary function. In- aspora.
and the privilege of the estate—that is, suit- the coolies to remain after their contracted dian Ambassador to Suriname Hon Ashok Trinidad, Suriname and Guyana are off
able lodgings, medical attendance, medi- time is out; and, consequently, the profits of Sharma and members of Minister Ravi’s the northern coast of South America where
cine, and a piece of provision ground thirty sugar growing and the number of inhabi- delegation also participated in the event. indentured sugar plantation laborers were
feet square, the same as the first class of ne- tants have very much diminished since At the meeting with Prime Minister Hon. brought from India.
groes, without regard to their physical qual- 1848, when 25,600 blacks, by a concert of Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Inder Singh made a GOPIO is a non-partisan, non-sectarian
ifications or superior or inferior capability action, assembled in the two chief towns brief presentation of GOPIO and its contin- global organization with chapters in several
for work—a clause which more than once and declared themselves freemen; and after uing efforts to address issues of interest and countries, actively promoting the interests
has nearly occasioned serious trouble, as two or three days, during which consider- concern to the global Indian diaspora. Sec- of people of Indian origin worldwide by
there is the same difference in their working able property was destroyed, but no lives retary General commended Prime Minister monitoring and addressing critical issues of
value as between negroes, who only receive taken, the claims of the insurrectionists Gonsalves, SVGIHF and the people of St. concern, and by enhancing cooperation and
payment according to their class or labor. were allowed. Vincent’s on this historic occasion and wel- communication between groups of Indians
The men are mostly handsome and grace- comed the opportunity to participate in the living in various countries.For More Infor-
ful, while the few women are exceedingly The Danish West Indies, by Mrs. S. B. commemoration events. mation, please contact President Inder
homely. They are shrewd and intelligent, Hynes: pp. 196-203, in Harper's new GOPIO President Inder Singh spoke at Singh at [email protected] or
acquire information easily, and some of monthly magazine. / Volume 44, Issue 260 the commemoration event and applauded 818-708-3885.or Ashook Ramsaran at ram-
them write beautifully in the characters and “the efforts of PIOs in St Vincent’s to reach [email protected] or 718-969-8206.
out and learn more about their rich and en-
West Indies cricket tastes
SPORTS
SPORTS Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 22
SOCCER

rare success in limited

Canada's World
Cup performance
was shameful

overs play in England

By George Gross

TORONTO -- The performance of

Canada's Under- 20 World Cup team could
make a grown man cry.
Either that or drive him to drink.
It pains me to have to moan again about
THRASHED in the Test series, derided as straightforward task, the general lack of tervention of a seasoned cricketer. Its value Canada's young men who emulated their
the weakest team to come to England from leadership at all levels and the players' was seen later as Morton and Bravo threw senior World Cup elders by playing three
the Caribbean and undermined as much by slackness were all factors to compound the England into panic by belting the ball to the matches without scoring a goal and becom-
the British weather as the ineptness of their general misfortune. boundary and scampering between the ing the first host nation in history not to
own board, the end of a difficult tour should The renewed spirit had to be seen to be wickets like hares. score a goal throughout the tournament.
come as a welcome relief for the West In- believed. The celebrations as one brilliant The selectors correctly identified Gayle's I described in previous columns the blun-
dies. catch followed another and certain victory leadership potential in naming him as ders accomplished over the years by the
Instead, it has arrived just as their cricket approached were reminiscent of those at the Daren Ganga's replacement after the Tests. Canadian Soccer Association, also known
touched levels of intensity and quality rare Oval almost four years ago when the West The board underestimated it. Gayle and his as the Boys Club. Yes, one cannot call it
in these long days of decline. Indies won the ICC Champions Trophy, team provided the answer. anything else because mostly friends and
As is clear from their record in the dif- also defeating England in the final. Almost every one could claim a part in members of that club were elected to of-
ferent forms of the game, shorter is better The joy was shared throughout by a few the revival. Daren Powell and Fidel Ed- fices, management and coaches of Cana-
for the West Indies of recent vintage. Yet hundred boisterous West Indians, gathered wards bowled with pace and aggression - dian teams.
the metamorphosis from the time the de- in a section besides the pavilion and waving and without the proliferation of no-balls There was an exception when the CSA,
pressing Tests were condensed into the the varied flags of their birthplaces. that featured in the Tests. Ravi Rampaul fit perhaps by mistake, appointed the well
Twenty20s and the ODIs was remarkable Such scenes were once common when easily back into international cricket after a known German coach Holger Osieck, for-
and thoroughly unexpected. the invincible teams of Frank Worrell and break of three years through one injury or mer assistant to world star Franz Becken-
Apart from Shivnarine Chanderpaul's ex- Garry Sobers and of Clive Lloyd and Viv another. His career, so promising when he bauer. And Holger led the Canadian team to
ceptional, single-minded run-gathering, the Richards carried all before them in this made his debut at the age of 19, is clearly a triumph in the Gold Cup in 2000, prompt-
Tests were characterised by the misfortune land. back on track. ing some media to refer to the team as Hol-
of captain Ramnaresh Sarwan's injury, an Not everything has fallen into place and Marlon Samuels advertised his abundant ger's Heroes.
arctic climate and a general indifference there is plenty of work to be done back talent with his exquisite strokeplay and was However, that didn't sit well with the
that led to cricket of appalling mediocrity. home before the West Indies can begin their a revelation in the field. His swooping catch Boys Club. With the help of some disgrun-
In their place came a sudden resurgence, long climb back - on respect between ad- running in from square leg was further tled players (who probably didn't like the
significantly accompanied by better ministrators and players, on infrastructure proof of the team's combined effort. military-style discipline imposed by Osieck
weather. For the first time in a month, the and on the creation of a professional league. Morton rounded off an otherwise unre- on AND off the field), the Boys Club got
sun even shone all day yesterday as they se- They had all but disappeared until the last warding tour with his matchwinning in- rid of Osieck as unworthy of coaching the
cured the ODI series with another com- match. No one epitomised revival more nings yesterday. Bravo and Dwayne Smith national team. Unworthy? FIFA, the world
manding victory in the third and final than Chris Gayle, the captain reluctantly ap- maintained standards of fielding that others governing soccer body, thought otherwise
match. pointed by the WICB after its executive had now aimed to match. Denesh Ramdin es- and almost immediately hired Osieck as its
Competitive contests against opponents initially refused the recommendation of the tablished his credentials as wicketkeeper international soccer tutor, operating out of
with a record only marginally better than selectors. No doubt his contrasting laidback after a shaky start in the Tests. FIFA headquarters in Switzerland.
their own in the abbreviated game clearly attitude when he is simply a player in the Not everything has fallen into place and With Osieck at the helm, Team Canada
do not signal the sudden revival of West In- ranks would be questioned by those who there is plenty of work to be done back U-20 representatives would not have been
dies cricket. But the performances in the would not have him as captain. But he was home before the West Indies can begin their able to offer such half-hearted efforts as in
last five matches have erased some of the energised in the field, yesterday sprinting, long climb back - on respect between ad- the first two games, something that was not
negatives that previously hung heavy over yes sprinting, 50 yards or so after snaring a ministrators and players, on infrastructure only obvious to anyone familiar with the
this tour. sharp, left-handed catch at slip. His players and on the creation of a professional league. world game, but also admitted by team cap-
To use the phrase so popular among con- rushed to embrace him, confirming their An agreement needs to be finalised with tain David Edgar. He was so embarrassed
temporary captains and coaches, they can enthusiastic support. It was almost certainly Sir Allen Stanford so that his offered mil- he would have preferred to hide under
now take several positives from their stay. a response to his snubbing by the board. lions can be best utilised. BMO Field's artificial turf.
Such a fightback required a spirit that His new mood was best illustrated by his It is worth remembering what followed I'm sure he had words with his own goal-
seemed to have deserted the West Indies calculated, if uncharacteristic 82 off 126 the triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy. keeper Asmir Begovic, who committed the
throughout their failed campaign in their balls that set the platform from which Within a few weeks, another row broke out dumbest rule infraction by handling the ball
own World Cup and the Tests that immedi- Runako Morton and Dwayne Bravo could between the WICB and the WIPA, a tour of outside the allowed 18-yard box for which
ately followed. launch their pyrotechnics that brought 116 Australia was undertaken by the players he was sent to an early shower. The de-
The repeated, disruptive arguments be- off the last ten overs. under duress and, less than a year on, a sec- pleted team was then saved from further
tween the West Indies Cricket Board His counselling of Morton when he ond team had to be cadged together for a embarrassment by midfielder Jonathan
(WICB) and the West Indies Players Asso- threatened to lose patience against Eng- tour of Sri Lanka boycotted by the main Beaulieu-Bourgault, who volunteered to
ciation (WIPA), the inability of the WICB's land's defensive bowling and field setting players. take the exiled goalie's place after two or
management to manage even the most in the early part of his innings was the in- It cannot be allowed to happen again. three other players turned down the honour.

CHESS, DRAUGHT AND

These few matches have shown what the And to his credit, young Jonathan did ex-
West Indies team, focused and driven, is ca- ceptionally well and prevented the physi-

DOMINO TOURNAMENTS
pable of. It has to be built on. cally better prepared team of Congo from
In the meantime, as Gayle cheekily said at causing further damage.
the presentation ceremony last night, the It is a sad state of affairs to hear the ex-
curfew is off. We can all drink to a rare, but cuses piling up on each other as Team
richly deserved, West Indies success.
Players of all skill levels (beginners to advanced) are
Canada officials, coaches and players try to

It pays to
explain away what was clearly a totally em-
invited to participate. Tournaments held every month barrassing performance. At a time when in-

advertise in the
during the winter. terest in soccer is probably at an all-time
high across Canada, the CSA and its repre-
sentatives certainly did not help to sustain

Indo-Caribbean
See schedule at www.horizoncricketclub.com or phone the building interest in the sport here.

905-794-5423. Also, adult and kids CHESS LESSONS

Meanwhile, tomorrow's round of 16

Times
matches offers interesting contests in all
(beginners to advance). Learn to play the world’s best four venues.
board game. In Toronto, the Americans will have
their hands full with the team from
Registration information at Uruguay; in Edmonton it will be a clash
www.horizoncricketclub.com of Austria and Gambia.
Winners In-Karma golf
SPORTS Indo-Caribbean Times JULY 2007 Page 23
Chanderpaul lone spark in test series
SHIVNARINE Chanderpaul may be small
in physical stature, but he towered over his
West Indies colleagues in the recently con-
cluded test series against England.
Judges who chose him as his team's most
valuable player of the four-match series will
never have an easier decision to make.As
the rest of his team's batting collapsed
around him time and time again, Chander-
paul, 32, stood alone amid the ruins, defy-
ing England's bowling for hours.
Nobody ever called him elegant - his bat-
ting stance is one of the most ungainly in
international cricket. Few, though, have
ever better defined the cricketing version of
"Grace under Pressure" - Ernest Heming-
way's definition of courage.
The difference he made was particularly
clear in the match he missed, the second test which he set against India in 2002.
at Headingley, Leeds. Chanderpaul was cheered from the pitch
The 5th Annual Inkarma golf tournament was a rousing success with all funds raised going at Old Trafford, Manchester, by an over-
In his absence, West Indies lost by an in-
to the Peel Children’s Aid Foundation. At the event were representatives of the foundation whelmingly English crowd after scoring
nings and 283 runs, its worst defeat in 440
who expressed gratitude for the $40,000 plus in funds donated prior to this fundraiser. The 116 not out in the final innings of the Third
matches spread over 79 years.
format of the game was Scramble, best ball. The winning score was Test.
It lost two of the other three as well, for
minus 18 which included 2 pars, 2 Eagles and 14 birdies. West Indies had been chasing a target of
a 3-0 loss in the series of four five-day
Winners shown above are from left to right R Pat Suraj, Jaipaul Sooknanan, Seupaul Sook- 455 - more than any team has made to win
matches.
nanan and Ronn Brown. in the final innings in 130 years of test
In the other three matches, however, Eng-
land could not be certain of victory until it cricket. It produced its most uplifting effort
either dismissed Chanderpaul or ended his of the series, seriously threatening an im-
innings by eliminating all of his partners. probable victory before it was finally dis-
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE In his last three innings of the series Chan- missed for 394. Chanderpaul' s seven hours

INDO-
IN THE derpaul batted for just under 18 hours, fac- of resistance was the sustaining core of the
ing a total of 677 English deliveries and assault.
Chanderpaul followed that with 136 not

CARIBBEAN
scoring 322 runs before spin bowler Monty
Panesar at last defeated his resistance. out and 70 in the final defeat at Chester-
In that time Chanderpaul lost no fewer le-Street, for a series total of 446 runs at

TIMES
than 20 partners, who averaged just over 17 an average of 148.67 per dismissal. He
runs apiece. was top scorer for his team all five times
Chanderpaul batted for a total of 17 hours that he batted, and equaled the all-time
record of six consecutive top scores set by
416-289-3898
38 minutes between dismissals, which still
left him far short of his own all-time test perhaps the greatest of all West Indian
record of 1,513 minutes between outs, batsmen, George Headley in the 1930s.

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Six murders, four Trinidad election scene:
UNC ready for
Piarco fraud
charges dropped
shootings weekend unity, but not

stuns Trinidad
with rival COP
AFTER five years, all 21 criminal charges
originally laid in an alleged $19 million Pi-
arco International Airport fraud scandal
THE OPPOSITION UNC is expected to cut were thrown out in court yesterday.
a unity deal with several smaller parties in The State had discontinued 12 of those
preparation for the upcoming general elec- charges, said they were not seeking a com-
TEN PEOPLE were shot and six of them from Espinet Street, Laventille, was doing
tions. mittal on two of them and tried, but failed,
murdered last Saturday and Sunday, in what in the area where he was killed.
must be one of the bloodiest weekends on UNC deputy political leader Jack Warner, to get the remaining seven amended.
Then around 2.30 p.m. Shahid Mo-
said that he and party leader Basdeo Pan- "But the matter does not end there," said
record in Trinidad. hammed, 27, was at his Sooknanan Trace
day were scheduled to meet on Monday Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls at the
Four of the murders were committed on East, Aranguez home, liming in the garage
Saturday night and two on Sunday, with with activist Stephen Cadiz, NAR leader Dr Port of Spain Eighth Magistrate's Court, as
with four friends. His killer, believed to be
Carson Charles and DPTT leader Steve Al- he stated that there was sufficient evidence
one man being killed and four others shot armed with a shotgun, shot Mohammed
varez to decide if the parties will be form- for accused persons to answer three "addi-
in one gun attack. dead.
Four of the murder victims were between ing an alliance for the elections. The venue tional" charges and another "substituted"
Mohammed's four friends were also in-
17 and 23 years old. The other two, 27 and was the House of Chan at Tunapuna. charge, which the State had filed in court
jured in the shooting. Up to last night, all
The UNC duo met with the three politi- by notice on October 11 last year.
44, were also killed by the gun. four were said to be in satisfactory condi-
The first set of killings took place around cal leaders/activists in February. They had Facing the original 21 charges were
tion at hospital.
8.10 p.m. at Phase 7, La Horquetta when decided then that the heads would take the Northern Construction Ltd (NCL) chairman
Initial police reports suggested that Mo-
unity proposal to their memberships and de- Ishwar Galbaransingh, NCL financial di-
gunmen killed three people, two of them hammed's murder was linked to an ongoing
cide on a course of action. rector Amrith Maharaj, Maritime execu-
who were said to be innocent victims. land dispute that is before the courts.
The killers, police say, went for Kadon Warner said that at the follow-up meeting tives John Henry Smith and Barbara
The Homicide Bureau is investigating all
"a deal has to be brokered". He said the Gomes, former government ministers Brian
Caesar, 19, and also shot dead Daniel six murders.
UNC also intends to continue talks with Kuei Tung and Russell Huggins, business-
Williams, 18, and Lincoln Joseph, 44. The latest killings brings Trinidad’s mur-
A little more than half-hour later Kareem other groups with a view to uniting with woman Renee Pierre and businessman
der total to 157 for the year. Last Tuesday
them into one election force. Steve Ferguson.
Burgess, 17, was at home when someone July 3 the murder rate was 149, but murders
He has bluntly ruled out the possibility of Companies Maritime General Insurance
called him outside his house. Burgess was on July 5, July 6 and last weekend have
riddled with bullets, the gunman shooting an alliance with the Congress of the People, Company Ltd and Fidelity Finance Leasing
pushed up the total. At this rate the pro-
him several times. He lived at 11 B, Gon- saying the UNC has got the message from Company Ltd and NCL are also charged.
jected murders for 2007 should approach
party leader Winston Dookeran that it is not This development is expected to provide
zales East, Belmont. 300, giving the country a murder rate of
Investigators believe the murder may be interested in unity. a major boost for the fortunes of the United
230 per million of population. Trinidad reg-
He said based on what Dookeran has said National Congress party in the coming elec-
linked to criminal activity in the area. istered a record breaking 368 murders for
in the past few weeks about uniting with the tions. The Piarco fraud charges against for-
Around 12.15 p.m. on Sunday, Jody the year 2006.
UNC, the Opposition will no longer be mer ministers and financial backers have
Williams, 23, was walking along Upper In comparison, Canada’s murder rate is
making any overtures to the Congress to been a huge embarassment for the UNC,
Pashley Street, Laventille when he was shot 20 per million, according to figures given
join forces. leading to widespread public perception of
twice in the back of the head by a lone gun- by Statistics Canada for 2005. Trinidad
One other party preparing for elections, the party as corrupt. They have also led to
man. Investigators have not determined a with 1.3 million has a murder rate for last
the Movement of National Democracy, is significant loss of reputation of UNC leader
motive for the killing but were yesterday year 11 times higher than Canada with a
proceeding with plans to contest all 41 seats and former prime minister Basdeo Panday.
trying to figure out what Williams, who was population of 33 million.
on its own.

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