Pride in culture and tradition was evident at Highbury, East Bank Berbice, Region Six, where a large crowd gathered for a cultural programme hosted by the Berbice Indian Cultural Committee on Tuesday. The event marked 188 years since the arrival of East Indians in Guyana.
Undeterred by the rain, performers delivered lively dance, song and tassa drumming, while patrons enjoyed an assortment of Indian sweets.
Delivering remarks at the event, Guyana’s High Commissioner to India, Dharamkumar Seeraj, highlighted the shared historical experiences between Guyana and India.
“First of all, we have a shared history of colonisation. We have a shared history where our wealth was taken away from us,” Seeraj said.
He explained that India, which once contributed significantly to global trade, experienced a sharp decline under colonial rule.
“At that time India was contributing to about 27 per cent of world trade. After they left, that number came down to just about four per cent. That is how India was robbed by the colonial masters,” he noted.
Seeraj, however, pointed to India’s remarkable resurgence on the global stage.
“Today India is on the rise again and is poised to be the third largest economy in just a few years from now. That is a magnificent achievement by a country so diverse… it is no small feat to drag India up from where it was to where it is today,” he said.
He added that India continues to lead in several areas and that its cultural influence is expanding worldwide.
“In the Western Hemisphere, people are celebrating that which is Indian with as much gusto… as people of Indian origin throughout the world,” Seeraj stated.
Meanwhile, Second Secretary and Head of Chancery at the High Commission of India, Ms Suman Singh, encouraged Guyanese to take advantage of educational opportunities available in India.
“The Government of India, through the High Commission, offers a rich bouquet of scholarship schemes… Every year we have 50 full scholarships which we want students from Guyana to avail themselves of,” Singh said.
She explained that the scholarships cover a wide range of disciplines.
“These fields include engineering, medicine, agriculture, IT and performing arts,” she noted.
Singh urged parents and young people to explore these opportunities.
“I would urge every parent and other ambitious young persons here to avail themselves of the benefit and be educated through scholarship schemes,” she said. “There are other areas like Know India programmes, ITEC courses, yoga certification courses, cultural training programmes and other professional areas for Guyanese citizens to study and benefit from,” Singh added.
The programme at Highbury not only celebrated Indian heritage through music, dance and cuisine, but also reinforced the strong cultural and developmental ties between Guyana and India.
