A number of activities have been planned by the Guyana Indian Heritage Foundation (GIHA) for the celebration of the 165th anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Guyana.
To start things off, the association will host the fifth annual Guyana Mela on May 4 at the Everest Ground. This event will feature live music and dancing from Trinidad and Guyana, fashion displays, drama and an ancient Indian form of martial arts called Chakra, practised with sticks.
Pichakaree singers from Trinidad and the Shakti Strings, backed up by the 71 Sound System will be performing musical pieces. Dances to be performed will be classical, film, folk and original pieces, including dance drama.
The association has promised an abundance of food for the 15,000 expected patrons to the event. The Mela will be a non-alcoholic event.
On May 5, Indian Arrival Day itself, there will be an Indian Arrival Lunch also at the Everest Ground, starting at 11 am.
On Sunday May 11, the Mela goes to Berbice at the Skeldon Community Centre Ground.
On Monday May 19 at 2 pm, there will be the launching of "Reflections in Trembling Waters", an exhibition of fine art by Indo-Guyanese artists. Works will be displayed by Ravindra Doodnauth, Philbert Gajadar, Walter Gobin, Faith Gobin, Betsy Karim and Bernadette Persaud. This exhibition will be held from 9 am to 5 pm at the National Library, Church Street, and will run until Saturday May 24. Admission is free.
Monday, May 26, will be a day set aside to spend time with grandparents at the National Park. This is followed by GIHA Movie Night at the Starlight Drive-in movie theatre on Friday, May 30.
On Monday June 2, GIHA is to host a Public Symposium at the Tower Hotel at which the association's report and analyses on criminality between February 23, 2002 and February 23, 2003 will be delivered. Panellists at this forum are to include GIHA President Ryhaan Shah, religious leader Swami Aksharananda, and cultural analyst, Amar Panday. The report, copies of which will be on sale, will be presented to the government and all political parties, diplomatic missions, media houses, the United Nations, Human Rights International and Amnesty International.