IN THIS month that marks the 37th anniversary of the birth of Guyana as an independent nation, the debate continues on whether the arrival of East Indians in colonial British Guiana should be marked by a specific national holiday, or blend with one that celebrates arrivals of all the peoples who came.

All who are interested in a celebration of our diversity as `six peoples’ striving to make a reality of the national motto of `One People, One Nation, One Destiny’, should be interested in a healthy debate on the issue - one free from racial slurs, cultural slander and self-serving, partisan agendas.

The sacrifices and contributions of all ethnic groups must be appreciated, from the indigenous Amerindians to the Africans who came as slaves and the wave of immigrants that followed as indentured labour, most high profile being the Indians, but not excluding the Chinese and Portuguese.

Only the intellectually venal and culturally myopic among us would wish to hold up any one ethnic group as being more important above another - or all others. No one is `pon top’ or has ever been `pon top’ since the death of British colonialism that had sown the seeds of division among the African slave and the Indian indentured labourer.

The slain Walter Rodney's `A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905’, is a most valuable reference source among available literature and documents for any objective assessment of the heroic struggles and contributions of our ancestors.

That's why President Bharrat Jagdeo was so correct in urging "oneness" and "inclusiveness" when he spoke at the Indian Monument Gardens last week on the occasion of a celebratory event marking the 165th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians in this country.

He urged Guyanese of Indian descent to enthusiastically share the richness of their culture and steadfastly battle racism in all its forms, as he warned of the dangers in a plural society like ours of sectarianism, racial or religious bigotry.

Neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, perhaps the most cosmopolitan of Caribbean Community states, has had its own debates on whether or not the arrival of Indians should be placed on the national calendar of holidays.

Trinidad and Tobago example
It will be some five years this month that the twin-island republic would be celebrating on May 30 `Indian Arrival Day’ as a national holiday, instead of what some had preferred - celebration of the arrival of all the peoples who came on a common date, designated `Arrival Day’.

Both the governing and opposition parties agreed that the arrival of the Indians should have its own distinct identity in the calendar of national holidays with parallels even being drawn to reinforce why 'Emancipation Day', marking an end to the enslavement of Africans, should continue having a central place in the psyche of all the people who comprise the population of Trinidad and Tobago.

My own preference, as stated during the debate in Trinidad and Tobago, remains the celebration of an `Arrival Day’ national holiday that embraces all the peoples who came. For one thing, it would fit quite well with the government's philosophical concept of "inclusiveness".

I concede that given the harsh social, cultural and political realities, it will certainly not be an easy decision. Yet, some may well ask: What is there to `celebrate’ in the arrival of people who came in bondage, whether as slaves or indentured labourers, with their own kith and kin among the conspirators?

Nevertheless, if instead of `Indian Arrival Day’, the lawmakers of all parties should settle for a neutral `Arrival Day’, the date could well be set to coincide with the arrival of the East Indians - May 5

This is not to de-emphasise the importance of the arrival of East Indians. Their significant place in the demographic architecture of the Caribbean needs neither the sycophancy of the ethnocentric advocates nor the condescension of the bigots and ill-informed.

There are, however, other considerations - like having too many national holidays and which should be eliminated, even reluctantly, to accommodate what's new.

In the case of Guyana, two holidays that come readily to mind for possible elimination, are `CARICOM Day’ and `Republic Day’, the latter more likely to stir passion among some than the former.

My other personal preference would be to have Republic Day replaced by a new `National Heroes Day’. But first, we have to meticulously determine our national heroes.

If the will of the majority prevails for `Indian Arrival Day’ as a national holiday, there could be little doubt that to avoid introducing yet another holiday, it is CARICOM Day that will be eliminated.