Letters to the Editor
Newsday
ISRAEL B RAJAH-KHAN SC
AS THE members of the East Indian diaspora celebrate with our fellow Trinidadian/Tobagonian compatriots the 180-year arrival of our forefathers in this country, many Indo-Trinidadians will contemplate and recall the suffering and sacrifices our ancestors endured in order for us to reach where we are today in this our beloved country. But it is incumbent on us to recall and appreciate the acceptance and assistance the East Indians obtained from all the inhabitants in our country: Africans, Europeans, Chinese and indigenous people.
When the first contingent of East Indians arrived in Trinidad on May 30, 1845, their status was that of “bonded coolies” and they found themselves working and living in similar conditions as those of the Africans when they were enslaved.
But the common denominator of all our forefathers who came to this land was that they were impoverished and destitute. They were all literally starving to death in India. Hence the reason for contracting themselves into slavery as “bonded coolies” in Trinidad.
During the period of indentureship the East Indians in Trinidad were exploited, brutalised, humiliated and discriminated against.
The English view of the Indians was that they were naked savages and with the abolition of African slavery India was the obvious and natural reservoir for a new set of slaves for the English planters in the West Indies.
Lord Harris, governor of Trinidad, in his report of 1847 stated: “They are not, neither coolies or Africans fit to be placed in a position which the labourers of civilised countries may at once occupy: they must be treated like children, and wayward ones too: the former from their habits and their religion, the latter from the utterly savage state in which they arrive.”
During the period 1845-1917, our forefathers suffered. They suffered immensely during the first few decades of their arrival. They were paid little wages and yet cheated in payments, their food rations were restricted and the mutton which some of them ate was rotten.
No latrines were provided and they were reduced to the state of animals in that they had to resort to using the cane fields when nature called. They went about barefoot and half-naked suffering from hookworm and dysentery and other sicknesses. Their wives and sisters were very often raped by the white overseers. They lived in over-crowded barracks.
The Trinidad colonists regarded Indians as “heathens” whose spending habits contributed nothing towards the internal trade of the island. The San Fernando Gazette looked down upon the indentured labourers “as the scum of the effete civilisation of India.”
It was from those atrocious conditions we the people of the East Indian diaspora in Trinidad emerged. Today we are led by a Hindu East Indian woman prime minister who heads a multi-racial, multi-religious coalition party. And while many of us are well fed, well dressed and well educated, we must ponder on those of the diaspora who live in conditions of depravity and abject poverty.
For some of our people the conditions of indentureship and slavery have not changed. Nevertheless, with the encouragement and assistance of our African, European and other non-Indian compatriots we have managed to a great extent to be an integral and equally accepted people in TT. Thus we celebrate Indian Arrival Day.
Indian Arrival Day is more than a cultural observance – it is a powerful reminder that our nation’s fabric is woven from hardship, resilience, and shared progress. What began as a journey of suffering for indentured labourers has evolved into a legacy of endurance, cultural preservation, and immense national contribution.
Despite historical injustices, the East Indian community has demonstrated remarkable strength and adaptability. Today, East Indians are represented across every professional sphere – law, medicine, engineering, education, business and the arts. Through discipline and merit, they have helped shape the social, economic and cultural landscape of TT.
Initially isolated by necessity and cultural preservation, East Indians are now deeply integrated into the national fabric. Their contribution is not peripheral – it is at the foundation of our society. True belonging is earned through participation and service – values the community has embraced for generations.
Education has been the principal vehicle for empowerment. Institutions like the Maha Sabha and Presbyterian schools did more than provide academic training – they preserved cultural values and instilled discipline. These schools became vital tools for breaking the cycle of poverty, proving education to be the most powerful agent of change.
From colonial plantation to Parliament, the East Indian journey reflects what is possible through learning, strong work ethics and unity. This upward mobility was symbolised when Basdeo Panday became the first East Indian prime minister. Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC would later break further ground as the first woman to lead the country, now beginning her second terms. These milestones reflect not just political progress, but a maturing democracy where leadership is accessible to all, regardless of race.
Though East Indians have not always held political power, their influence and achievements across sectors stand as evidence of the democratic and meritocratic ideals for which we strive. These moments of inclusion have helped redress past exclusions and validated our constitutional promise of equality.
As the United National Congress (UNC) returns to government on a platform of inclusive development, a new opportunity arises – to ensure no group remains forgotten. Indian Arrival Day must not only celebrate survival and cultural continuity, but also focus action toward lifting those still living on the margins.
The East Indian community, while rightly proud of its advancement, must now champion the cause of equity for all. With influence comes responsibility – to use institutional power, networks and resources to improve the lives of the dispossessed. This is the spirit of solidarity: a commitment to justice that transcends ethnicity.
Let this day not be a retrospective alone, but a call to build a more inclusive republic – where justice, equality, and fraternity are not just ideals, but daily realities. Our nation must be judged not by the success of any one group, but by the upliftment of all, especially the forgotten and downtrodden.
As we mark Indian Arrival Day 2025, we must reflect not only on where we’ve come from, but on where we must go. The return of the UNC offers the possibility of real change – but only if that change is felt by those who need it most.
Let this celebration inspire duty. Let it awaken in all of us – not just East Indians – a shared responsibility to end the cycles of poverty, violence, and neglect that still trap too many of our fellow citizens. Our history of survival must now become a mode for national advancement.
Indian Arrival Day reminds us that from suffering can rise greatness – but only if we rise together.
Israel B Rajah-Khan is the president of the Criminal Bar Association
