Indian Arrival Day activities commence this weekend

The SVG Indian Heritage Foundation is this year commemorating the 158th anniversary of the arrival of the first Indian indentured labourers to the shores of St Vincent and the Grenadines with a series of events . Indian Arrival Day, declared by an act of parliament in 2007 and has been celebrated each year since then with a series of events to mark the occasion.

This year, the Foundation will begin their celebrations on June 1 with a church service at the Calder Seventh Day Adventist Church. This service will be attended by the executive, members and other well-wishers. The highlight of the celebrations will however be on June 2 when two major events will take place.

On the morning of June 2 at 8:30 am, a boat will leave Blue Lagoon and sail into Indian Bay for a re-enactment of the arrival of the first Indians to SVG.Upon arrival at Indian Bay, those onboard will disembark, line up, get “registered” and presented with a certificate bearing their names. Before the end of the proceedings, brief remarks will come from the President of the Foundation, Mr Junior Bacchus.

In the afternoon, the celebrations will culminate with a family afternoon at Rawacou, where the main attraction will be a visiting group of 26 dancers from Suriname. During the ceremony, addresses will come from the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition with the feature address by historian Dr Adrian Fraser.

During the ceremony, the foundation will officially launch its website svgihf.org ,which will serve as a communication hub for the organization locally and in the diaspora. The celebrations will conclude with the honouring of several Indo-Vincentians who have made significant contributions to the development of St Vincent and the Grenadines in various fields. Indian food will also be on sale for those who wish to have a taste of authentic Indian cuisine.

The Executive of the SVG Indian Heritage Foundation extend a warm invitation to Vincentians from all walks of life to these events as we commemorate the 158th anniversary of the arrival of the first Indian indentured workers to St Vincent and the Grenadines and how they have contributed to the building of this nation over the last century and a half.