Port of Spain, May 7
The unique aspects of
Indo-Trinidadian culture need to be branded and marketed to promote
tourism and thereby achieve economic growth and development, said an
expert at an event here to mark the 170th anniversary celebrations of
the arrival of Indians in Trinidad and Tobago.
"There is a
need to market (our) food, rituals, festivals and heritage from the
perspective of selling the unique experiences as part of a tourism
product," said economist, playwright, dancer and choreographer Satnarine
Balkaransingh at a seminar organised on Wednesday by the National
Council of Indian Culture in Divali Nagar, Charlieville, Chaguanas.
Balkaransingh
said plastic arts could be used "to document and tell our stories,
market our rituals and festivals without sacrificing or compromising
their sacredness".
Underlining the contributions made by Indian
migrants in nation building, he said: "We are the successors of a
migrant society. Our ancestors improved the economy and fostered
national development. The attitudes and values inherent in the
Indo-Trinidadian culture, now in its 170th year of existence, has
contributed to this national development."
The East Indian
diaspora was sourced from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
between 1845 and 1917. They were brought here by the then colonial
government to rescue the dying agricultural economy following the end of
slavery by the British Parliament in 1834.
The first batch of
East Indians was the beginning of several journeys amounting to
approximately 148,000 East Indians. They brought with them new cuisine,
habits, traditions, customs and Hinduism.
Balkaransingh pointed
out that major public events that Indians brought to Trinidad and Tobago
were now national events such as Diwali, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Ram
Lila, Phagwa and Hosay.
"The promotion of Indo-Trinidadian
culture must not be done with arrogance and insensitivity to the
detriment of other culture," he said, adding that "we must ensure
fruitful coexistence and harmony".
Pandita Indrani Rampersad,
the first official woman priest in Trinidad, said the Indian culture in
Trinidad and Tobago is an identity. "This identity is passed on from one
generation to the next but it is not static, and to remain relevant,
culture changes with time and space."
A series of programmes have
been planned for the Indian Heritage Month this year to mark the 170th
Indian Arrival Day, which is celebrated on May 30.
The first ship carrying Indian immigrants reached Trinidad and Tobago on May 30, 1845.
The
Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago has organised an art exhibition
with the theme "Drawing from our heritage - Colours of our East Indian
culture".
"This exhibition aims to create a space for the public
to reflect on our nation's East Indian heritage and to continue to
envision a beautifully diverse and harmonious multicultural future," the
bank's governor Jwala Rambarran said in a message.
(Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at [email protected])
