The Indian Action Committee (IAC), which began as the Indian Arrival Committee in April 2003, held its first public symposium at the Umana Yana, yesterday.
This event is one of several planned by the IAC to commemorate the centenary of the end of emigration of Indentured labourers from India which occurred on March 12, 1917, and the centenary of the arrival of the last Coolie Ship s.s. Ganges which landed 437 persons on April 18, 1917.
Among those who delivered presentations were: Evan Radhay Persaud, UG Lecturer and IAC Executive Member (Glimpses of Indo-Guyanese History); Dr. Anand Arulsamy, Vice Chancellor of Texila American University (Texila Contribution to the higher level of Education in Guyana); Dr. Yog Mahadeo, President of the Arya Samaj (Identity in Perspective); Professor Wazir Mohamed, Indiana University (East Indian Immigration in the shadow of the second slavery); Mr. L. Christopher Ram, Ram andMcRae (The state of the national economy in 2017); Mr. Aslim Singh, Assistant Secretary General of GAWU (The Present state of the sugar industry); Mr. Bobby Gossai Jr., CEO of the Guyana Oil and Gas Association (The future oil and gas industry of Guyana); Raymon Gaskin, Social Activist (Guyana’s Economy: Present and Future); Nazim Hussain, Caribbean Voice (Suicide: First Aid); and Mr. Sukrishnalall Pasha, University of Guyana Lecturer and Member of the Public Procurement Commission (Sectoral Production Interactions and Spillovers in Guyana).
The proceedings were opened with the National Anthem of Guyana, National Pledge of Guyana and National Anthem of India followed by brief opening remarks by the Ms. Nicolette Henry, Minister within the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture Youth and Sport.
Before the presentations began, the audience listened to a Bhajan and an instrumental piece by members of the Indian Cultural Centre, followed by a Quaseeda by Hajji Imaam Shaheed Mohamed of the Queenstown Jama Masjid; during the lunch period members of the ISKCON Hare Krishna group were engaged in religious chanting.
During the afternoon session the IAC presented a plaque donated by Trophy Stall to Mr. Harry Gill, winner of the organization’s ‘Centenary Logo Competition 2017’.
The presentations will be edited and eventually be made available for public distribution.