A special select committee of the National Assembly is inviting the views of the public as to whether to make Independence Day and Arrival Day, public holidays.
Independence Day is May 26 but would be observed on May 27 if May 26 falls on a Sunday. Arrival Day is observed on May 5, the date on which the first East Indian immigrants arrived in Guyana.
The invitation is contained in a notice published in the newspapers yesterday that gives the public until January 15 to submit views to the clerk of the committee.
The National Assembly approved the motion establishing the committee on April 14 under the Public Holidays Act. The notice of the motion was published on February 17. It was a further eight months before the committee held its first meeting. This was in part because between January and May 6, the PNCR did not participate in the work of the National Assembly.
Earlier this month a meeting was held at which it was decided to invite the views of the public. Chairman of the committee, Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj told Stabroek News that the committee would meet again on January 7, at which time it would begin to look at the suggestions that had been received so far.
In addition to Gajraj, the other members are Shirley Edwards, Indra Chandarpal, Dr Dale Bisnauth, Zulfikar Mustapha, Deryck Bernard, Amna Ally, Dr George Norton and Ravi Dev.
Speaking at the Grand Mela and Fun Day, that the Indian Arrival Committee organised at the Everest Cricket Ground on April 27, President Bharrat Jagdeo told the gathering that he had mandated the establishment of the special select committee so that the Parliament could examine the possibility of an Arrival/Indentureship Day.
"As it relates to the PPP, the PPP will vote in favour of that Committee in Parliament and I hope that all the parties that came up here tonight to speak about the contributions that Indians have made, that their messages will be reflected when this matter comes up. But definitely the PPP will support a motion for an Arrival Day/Indentureship Day in Guyana."
PNCR chairman Vincent Alexander was at the function and also spoke as well as the PPP's general secretary, Donald Ramotar, GAP/WPA's Sheila Holder and Michael Abrahams of The United Force. They all reflected on the contributions of Indians to Guyana.
The Guyana Indian Heritage Association (GIHA) has called for Indian Arrival Day (May 5) to be officially observed and has called on the government to declare it a public holiday.
However, there are sentiments that to grant GIHA's request could lead to other groups, such as the Portuguese, Chinese and others clamouring for recognition of their arrival here.
Holder, whose party is not represented on the committee, told Stabroek News that her party supports the idea of an Arrival Day to commemorate the arrivals of the various groups. However, she felt that it was good that the parliament was looking at the issue given that other groups could begin making claims.
Dev told Stabroek News that his party, ROAR was in favour of an Indian Arrival Day being observed on May 5. He said it was not in favour of May 26 being observed as a holiday as it preferred February 23, (Republic Day).
With regard to May 5, he explained that ROAR was not in favour of the day being observed as a generic arrival day as that did not address the request by Indians for their arrival here to be observed as a holiday. Moreover, he said that it would be "just beating around the bush" since May 5 was the day that the East Indians first arrived in Guyana and it was not addressing the request for it to be so observed by having an Arrival Day which covered all groups.
Dev said that declaring May 5 as Arrival Day would be denying other groups a say as to which day it would like to have their arrival observed. He pointed out that a similar approach was taken in Trinidad and Tobago by naming a day Arrival Day but that the authorities had to rename it Indian Arrival Day.
Dev explained that his party's approach would be to keep the same number of holidays and that the review was intended to look at what other holidays could be dropped to accommodate any that the public recommended should be included.
Stabroek News was unable to reach the leadership of the PNCR for its views on the issue. However, during the PNC administration May 26 was dropped from the roster in favour of Republic Day, February 23. When the PPP/C acceded to office it initiated the practice of granting a public holiday on May 26. (Patrick Denny)