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Ieditorial

There is the need for dialogue to dispel the darkness of ignorance and hatred
Asato sagamahya, tamaso ma
Jyotir gamayah, Mrityo ma
Amritam gamaya
Om Jai Lakshmi Mata.
Oh Divine Mother
Lead us from falsehood to truth
From darkness to light
From death to immortality.
The opening invocation to the presiding deity, Mother
Lakshmi, beseeches the Divine Mother to dispel the
ignorance that corrupts our hearts. Its theme - the victory
of enlightenment over the plague of ignorance - should be
a goal for every Hindu in his/her supplication during this
Divali.
The occasion of Divali provides the Hindu community
with an excellent opportunity to undergo a period of
spiritual and physical cleansing from those activities,
thoughts and words that cause us to detach ourselves from
the Universal Mother. When, therefore, we consider the
tumultuous
events that have besieged the Hindu
consciousness, there is little doubt that ignorance threatens
to overwhelm us.
What then is required of us? Perhaps, we should aim
to renew our commitment to dharma [duty] as human
beings placed on this earth to serve one another and,
ultimately, to serve God. It has become clear that some of
our actions do not lend themselves to upliftment. The first
step in this direction may be to reassess the value of
dialogue in strengthening the interaction of our varied
cultures.
This year's Divali celebrations must be seen in the
context of the designation of 2001 as "the Year of
Dialogue Among Civilisations" by the United Nations.
The Director General of UNESCO has underscored the
acute need for dialogue at both the national and
international levels in bringing about reconciliation and
peace. He said that dialogue would provide an opportunity
not only to explore the past legacies of different cultures,
but also to reflect on the future. He was convinced that
getting to know the cultures of others dispelled hatred and
helped to build peace.
These themes are closely linked to our Divali
celebrations, and such a comment has special meaning to
us, in fight of the abundance of evidence to indicate that
we are plagued by the perils of ignorance and an absence
of enlightened actions. Internationally,
a calamity of
monstrous proportions has shocked the sensibilities of all

nations. On September II, 200 I a storm of terrorist attacks


hit the United States resulting in the loss of more than
6,000 lives. It also destroyed property worth billions of
dollars. These actions and their horrific consequences bear
the signature of religious ignorance and the refusal to
initiate dialogue in resolving differences.
Locally, the nation's political landscape has its own
share of calamity. The nation's Prime Minister, Basdeo
Panday, and his former Attorney General Ramesh
Lawrence Maharaj have become estranged over political
differences. Consequently, the two are now adversaries in
a "brother vs brother" duel which some political pundits
have likened to the historic events of the dharmic battle of
Kurekshetra.
Hindus have taken account of this instability in their
prayers. They have observed a decrease in the standard of
decency in the banter on the political platform. Daily, they
have seen the heated exchanges between these Hindu and
Indian leaders. They have also witnessed the absence of
meaningful dialogue and thoughtful objectives by these
political leaders. Hindus have long experienced the danger
of religious ignorance. Ignorant actions will beget ignorant
reactions. Th is is the age of ka/yug [darkness] where
unrighteousness abounds.
Divali is a deeply spiritual festival. It is easily the most
joyous occasion in the Hindu calendar and observed with
great gaiety. It is preceeded by the Nau Raatri period,
during which the sanctity of womanhood is worshipped via
the deites Lakshmi, Durga and Sarswati. The celebration
will culminate in the nationwide lighting of deyas [earthen
lamps] by both individuals and corporate citizens. For
Hindus, it will again be a time of renewal and rededication.
The Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) joins the
nation in the celebration of Divali 2001, and extends its
best wishes for a happy Divali to the Hindu community.
The authors are responsible for the content of their articles.
The opinions expressed therein are not necessarily those of
the publisher.
Cover depicts actors in Ramleela performed by SW AHA
in Aranguez. Ramleela is a form of open-air folk theatre
staged every Divali throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
Cover design by Preddie Partap.
Dr Kumar Mahabir, Chairman
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC)
E-mail: kumarmahab@hotmail.com
Tel: (868) 674-6008. Tel/fax: (868): 675-7707

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THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO


PRIME MINISTER
THE HONOURABLE BASDEO PANDAY

Fellow Citizens,
Divali has once more arrived with its annual messages of the triumph of good over evil, of light
over darkness and of knowledge and freedom over ignorance and fear.
Throughout the world we are seeing the results of men's greed for power, for status and position.
We are also seeing the dreadful results of such unbridled quest for power in terms of the threat to
human life and to order and world security.
Lord Krishna, in answer to Arjuna who asked him what was the dark force that drives man to
behave in less than human ways, Lord Krishna said, "It is greed."
Greed leads people to practice deception, hypocrisy and arrogance, which the Lord declares are
the three gateways to hell.
Greed is one of the most dangerous facets of human nature.
Unchecked it leads to ego-striving of a kind that destroys societies and nations, organizations,
families, and relationships.
Societies progress where there is co-operation but societies deteriorate and collapse when there is
a grab for power because of greed. The greed of the demon caused their own defeat as "truth"
always wins over untruth. Societies need to get rid of the poisonous elements of hate, greed,
envy, jealousy and pride. For those who make the sincere efforts to free the society of these
elements, their efforts may meet with difficulties, but God supports the truthful, the honest and
those that are dedicated servants ofthe society.
May you be inspired this Divali to free your individual minds, and by extension, the society of its
many evils. May victory be yours.
Happy Divali.

Basdeo Panday

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MINISTER OF EDUCATION, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT YOUTH AND


CULTURE
Sacred Heart Building, 16-18 Sackville Street, Port of Spain
I am particularly pleased to bring Divali greetings to the Hindu community

in my capacity as the Minister of Education,

Human Development, Youth and Culture.


Divali is certainly a most auspicious time of the year for Hindus since it is the "Festival of Lights." Light has great
significance in all religions, and in the Hindu religion it is most exalted. The symbols of light are manifested in the sun.
Hindus all over the world revere the sun and are known to practice sun salutations.
The sun is seen as the source of all light and energy and has been recognised in the Vedas as the centre of the solar
system. Hindus from all parts of the globe chant a universal prayer of enlightment and illumination that is called the
Gayatri mantra.
Divali is yet another manifestation of the sanctity that light plays in the Hindu religion. Divali occurs on the darkest day of
the year. At this time every one participates in the lightining of deyas to illumine the pathway on the darkest night. The
word Divali derives from the Sanskrit word Deepavali literally meaning "a row of lamps." It falls on the second day of
Kartik. The festival was first celebrated to express the joy of people when Lord Rama returned from Ayodhya after his
fourteen-year exile.
The way Divali is celebrated varies to some extent from nation to nation. In Trinidad and Tobago Hindus are very busy
preparing and cleaning the home for the coming of the Devi Maha Lakshmi. They fast, they cut bamboo in halves to place
the deyas within them, and they all do Lakshmi puja. There are many artistic performances that accompany: the
celebration of Divali. Each village has its own celebration, and at the national level the Divali Nagar is open to all who
wish to participate in the celebrations during the festival period. People visit friends, relatives and business associates to
exchange greetings and gifts. Thus it provides an opportunity to enhance the bonds that exist within the society. At this
time in the-history of our nation, we can all say that Divali is truly a national festival, and that people of multifarious faiths
can be seen lighting deyas in their homes and within their neighborhoods.
The festival of Divali ushers in a spirit of renewal and infinite hope in humanity. It is
Goddess of love presides. Mother Lakshmi issues forth a resurgence of spirituality
auspicious period for romance, companionship and comradely. What is most beautiful
light after light in our multi-cultural society. Eid-ul-fitr follows closely on the heels of
culminate with the Christian celebration of the Birth of Christ at Christmas. All of these
that there is unity ill diversity and that love, light and harmony are the prevailing forces.
I take this opportunity to wish you Mother Lakshmi's choicest blessings. Shubh Divali!

Ganga Singh

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Dear Citizens,
Divali celebrates the gracious nature of Goddess Lakshmi. Mother Lakshmi embodies health,
intelligence, friends, unity, long life, fame, fortune and wealth of nature. These are essential for
an individual and nation to flourish.
As Hindus world-wide celebrate Divali, light, truth and life triumph. Mother Lakshmi
symbolises Motherhood, peace and prosperity of the family. Every daughter, sister and mother is
given the greatest respect and reverence in Hindu culture. A mother shall bless and care for her
life's consort and children, a timeless tradition and divine inspiration on which communities and
nations prosper.
Divali rekindles gaiety and brotherhood. Let us join and pray for peace and prosperity. With each
light on this darkest night of the year, may we reflect on the purpose of divine illumination.
Together we join to celebrate Divali, then Eid and Christmas, we herald a New Year. As we
commemorate Lord Rama's return to Ayodha, Lord Vishnu rescuer of Goddess Lakshmi and
Lord Krishna, defeater of the dreaded demon Naraksura our nation will see family members
showing love for each other with eternal bliss. May our lives have a special flame and meaning
atthis time and forever.
I wish everyone the blessings embodied by Mother Lakshmi that we co-exist in a nation free of
hate, war, social ills and suffering
May our lives be blessed!

~7L---(

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5 September 2000
Press Release GA/9747

UNITED NATIONS
YEAR OF DIALOGUE
HEADQUARTERS ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

AMONG

CIVILIZATIONS,

2001

LAUNCHED

WITH

Only dialogue could bring about reconciliation and peace, the Director- General of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) told the gathering of world leaders this morning, at a round table
discussion to mark the launch of the United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations, 2001.
Cultural dialogue helped to sow the seeds of peace and must be predicated on universal acceptance and observance of
basic human rights, Koichiro Matsuura said. Within a broad moral framework, dialogue allowed each culture to know that
its voice would be heard and accepted. Dialogue meant exposing -- not blanketing over -- different ways of thinking.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that without dialogue, no peace could be lasting and no prosperity secure. That was
the lesson of the United Nations in the past half century. Alongside an infinite diversity of cultures, there did exist one
humanity. Diversity had to be used as an asset. The use of diversity as a threat was the seed of war.
The President of Iran, Mohammed Khatumi, whose country proposed the 1998 General Assembly resolution proclaiming
the Year, told participants the emergence of a global culture, which did not overlook the requirements and nature of local
culture, ought to be considered. With the absence of dialogue among thinkers, scholars and artists from various cultures
and civilizations, the danger of cultural homelessness seemed imminent. Such homelessness would deprive people of
solace both in their own culture and the vast horizon of global cultures. It was incumbent upon all to call governments and
the people of the world to follow a new paradigm and to learn from past experience.
The master paradigm of international relations, based on the discourse of power, must be critically examined, he said.
From an ethical perspective, a new paradigm required that the will to power be replaced instead by empathy and
compassion. Without the will to empathy, there would be no hope for the prevalence of order in the world.
The President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, said that dialogue was not an abstract notion, but a fresh and badly needed
approach to better understand each other, and to help build a more effective framework for cooperation. Prejudice
Dialogue Among Civilizations - la - Press Release GA/9747 AM Meeting 5 September 2000
The question of the dialogue among civilizations could not be reduced to empty intellectual speculation, Alpha Omar
Konare, the President of Mali said. Even as the round table was being held, individuals were being prosecuted and even
exterminated due to a lack of tolerance. Leaders must reread their own histories, and revisit their collective histories.

Dialogue Among Civilizations - 3 - Press Release GA/9747 5 September 2000


KOICHIRO MATSUURA, Director-General of UNESCO and moderator of the discussion, said that in today's world the
need for dialogue was increasingly relevant and acute at both the international and national levels. It was, therefore,
particularly fitting that the first meeting of the Dialogue was being held at such a symbolic time. The Dialogue would
provide an opportunity not only to explore the past legacies of different cultures, but also to reflect on the future. He
thanked all those who made the meeting possible. He was convinced that getting to know the cultures of others dispelled
hatred and helped to build peace.
There was a need to learn to recognize other cultures, he continued. Civilizations endlessly changed as they redefined
themselves in the light of new surroundings. Only dialogue could resolve strife. Only dialogue could bring about
reconciliation and peace. Cultural dialogue helped to sow the seeds of peace. Dialogue must be predicated on universal
acceptance and observance of basic human rights. Within a broad moral framework, each culture would know that its
voice was heard and accepted. Dialogue meant exposing -- not blanketing over -- different ways of thinking.

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What does Divali really mean?


By Mohan Gupta
What makes Divali different from all other world celebrations, and perhaps the greatest socioreligious festival of India and the Indian Diaspora?
The source of all big festivals is religion - "the collective
consciousness." There are many reasons for celebrating
Divali which are all associated with Hinduism.
But what does Divali really signify? Is it just lighting a
multitude of deyas [small earthen lamps], wearing new
clothes, painting houses, bursting firecrackers, shooting
fireworks, and distributing sweets and gifts? If that were
all, it would have been just one of those scores of festivals
celebrated all over the world.
Germans also herald the spring with lights and
crackers. And European Christians on "Christmas,"
Mexicans during "Holy Week," and South Americans on
"Saints Day" indulge in a dazzling display of fire works
and festivity. Guy Fawkes Day in England can almost be
mistaken for a British Divali with bonfires, illuminations
and fireworks being the highlights of the day.
What makes Divali different from all other world
celebrations, and perhaps the greatest socio-religious
festival of India and the Indian Diaspora?
The popular interpretations that it marks the turn of the
season, the advent of winter and the beginning of a
commercial year, etc. are for too superficial to justify the
majestic solemnity of Divali day. There is something far
more sublime and profound than just a day of light and
delight.
The story of Divali is actually the story of the eternal
conflict of darkness and light - darkness which stands for
ignorance, "hate, falsehood and confusion; and light which
embodies knowledge, love, truth and clarity - or
cleanliness of heart. It is the cleanliness - the clean
conscience which, they say is next to Godliness. Clearing
away the cobwebs of confusion and purging out the inward
dross with a rekindled light of hope and understanding is
one of its many messages.
Every time Divali comes, and it always comes on dark
night, the challenge of darkness to light - "Wipe me out if
you can," or "Come with me to the dark dungeons of
Hate." It has always been the story of a journey from
falsehood to truth, and from darkness to light which ought
to be more within than without.
Such is the beauty of our eternal Dharma, ever
dynamic and endowed with a richly pluralistic version. In
a dark world where the narrow-minded and dogmatic
creeds are increasingly trying to force their version of
"Salvation" down our throats, Sanatan Dharma stands out
like a flame of pure light. True universal equity and justice
can only stem from such a broad and all encompassing
vision of Unity.

This Divali, as always, the prayer goes up in every Hindu


heart, "May the Universal Mother Kali empower every
individual to shake off the shackles of ignorance and
triumph over any obstacle in the pursuit of SelfRealisation." Hindus seek Her blessings and pray that Her
kripakataksha [merciful eyes] and Her grace may fall on
their community.
The God of Health is worshipped first because
Hinduism gives tremendous importance to physical well being. This is because physical fitness is an essential
requirement for the successful performance of any work
done by the individual. To Hindus, the body is a temple for
the soul or jiva.
The soul can only perform its duties or karma to full
fruition if the instrument of action (i.e. the physical body)
is in its best shape. The ceremony also gives importance to
cleanliness, which reflects the inner purity of the being.
Hinduism believes that only the person who keeps his
body strong and pure is capable of strong and pure
thoughts.
On Divali day, Devi Lakshmi [Goddess of Prosperity]
is worshipped amidst great fanfare. Traditionally this is the
main festival day. The day begins with awakening at
sunrise. The house is decorated beautifully with colour
patterns made out of rice powder called rangolis. New
clothes are worn. Delicious dishes and sweets are prepared
to be offered as bhog to Devi.
The food preparations
are made from specific
ingredients such as rice, corn, grains, yogurt and candied
sugar. Gifts are exchanged. During the night, every comer
of the street and city is beautifully lighted with thousands
of small clay lamps called deeyas. The air is filled with
sounds and sights of beautiful fire crackers lighting up the
sky.
It is very important day for business community as it is
the end of the fiscal year. Old accounts are settled and new
books are opened. Account books are revered in an
elaborate ceremony. Hindus regard money as an important
medium essential for good life. They made that practical
necessity a part of religion so that the reins of dharma
[code of right conduct] could continue to keep control of
their lives even as they stove for acquisition of wealth. It is
a brilliant, practical, sensible scheme devised by ancient
Hindus to recognize that we are all entitled to enjoyment
of this life.
Mohan Gupta was born in India. He migrated to England.
and now lives in Canada.

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Divali in Canada: The light shines everywhere


By Avita Sooknanan
... I began to feel a sense of completeness. After years of growing up in Canada, and practicing
Hindu rituals, I was finally able to see the origin of my traditions [in Trinidad].
In Toronto, performances
and shows are held in
recognition of Divali, and many dancers, singers, and other
talented artistes display the culture Trinidadians retained
as they migrated to Canada.
Divali tends to arrive on a cold breezy fall day in
Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Yet, regardless of the weather,
my family would light deeyas [earthen lamps] and candles
around my home.
Our neighbours here had never seen anything like it
before. Yet, Divali has been celebrated in my parents'
home in Trinidad long before I was born. Moreover, my
parents were simply continuing the tradition of Divali in
Canada after leaving Trinidad many years ago.
In Trinidad, as my parents recounted, Divali was
celebrated by all cultures and religions
because
the
country
was extremely diversified. Therefore, during
the period of Divali in Canada, we invited our close
friends of various cultures and religions to experience the
festival of lights, and participate in the great feasts we had
prepared.
I thoroughly enjoyed explaining my religion to others,
and telling the tale of how Divali evolved. In keeping with
the tradition in Trinidad, we provided large quantities of
foods such as roti [flat bread], curried alloo [potato],
pumpkin, and other gourmet
Indian
foods for
our
guests.
As a result, I became accustomed to the delicious
feasts and pleasant celebrations we held each year in our
home. These dinners also became a
tradition for our
multicultural group of acquaintances in Canada.
After hearing repeatedly about the marvelous culture
and religion in Trinidad, I was finally able to attend Divali
in the Caribbean country as a young adolescent.
The first evening we arrived in Trinidad, I was taken
directly to the Divali Nagar in Chaguanas. As I walked
through the booths, and peered at the performances, I
began to feel a sense of completeness. After years of
growing up in Canada, and practicing Hindu rituals, I was
fmally able to see the origin of my traditions.
I became aware that Hindus in Canada had strongly
preserved their culture and attained perfection in teaching
religion and culture to the younger generations. I felt
overwhelmed in realizing that my East Indian forefathers
had brought the Divali tradition to Trinidad, and then to
Canada where I grew up.
At that moment, I pledged to enlighten the younger
generation about all the rituals and spiritual teachings I had
learned from my parents. I planned to pursue a goal to

never let the Hindu tradition cease in the Canadian


community.
To this date, promoting my culture and religion has
been an important aspect of my life because I have joined
cultural organizations that aim to promote diversity in my
community of Whitby. Through teaching and educating
others about my religion, I have been able to promote
ethnic awareness and raise the level of consciousness in
my community.
I am also happy and proud to see that Trinidadians
who have moved to Canada have allowed me to
experience such a great tradition as Divali. The festival of
Divali is celebrated on an outstanding scale in each region
of Canada.
Divali represents the beginning of the New Year for
Hindus all over the world. In Hindu homes worldwide,
Divali celebrations involve a ritual puja, or worship, to
Lakshmi and also to Lord Rama in the evenings. Songs in
honour of the deities are sung to glorify them, and deeyas
are then lit. This worship invoked the blessings of
Lakshmi, who is called upon to enter into the homes of
Hindus.
During this time, our home was thoroughly clean due
to the fact that Hindus believed Lakshmi would enter
houses that were properly decorated. In our home in
Whitby, each evening preceding Divali, we would perform
special prayers invoking Mother Lakshmi, and other
deities. Preparations for this special occasion began many
days prior to the glorious festival at my home. As a young
child, I remember the values and teachings that my parents
brought overseas with them from Trinidad.
Growing up as a child in a small community, I
remember the traditions that my parents instilled in my
sister, and me as we learned to prepare for the wonderful
event of Divali. More importantly, I was taught that
Goddess Lakshmi would visit homes regardless of its
economic value, and shower her blessings of wealth and
prosperity. Therefore, our Hindu home was lit with
splendorous deeyas to welcome Mother Lakshmi and the
affluence she beheld. I learned to chant and sing precious
bhajans [hymns] to the deities in order to gain wisdom and
prosperity. Furthermore, in our home, we prayed for the
well being of our family and those in unfortunate countries
worldwide.

Avita Sooknanan is a grade twelve student in Ontario.

JIll)ivali

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1)wa1i
2001

ISIO

What a non-Hindu thinks about Divali


By Davidjs
Divali ... has allowed many of us to peer into the Hindu soul and possibly gain some insight.
Divali, Deepawali, Diwali, call it what you will, back
again. Leh we lime, fete and generally have a good time,
tings we Trinis do best, we are proud to boast to the world.
We recognise the deeper meaning to the Festival of Light
somewhere
way down deep in the recesses
of
consciousness, but possibly don't have/take the time to
consider.
Divali is of deep significance to Hindus of the world,
no less so to those in Trinidad. It symbolises the triumph
of light over darkness,good
over evil, and in general
epitomising the struggle to overcome our inherent frailties
and the search for enlightenment and humanity (in its
truest sense).
There are many who use this occasion to reflect and
re-dedicate themselves. There are sadly many whose
response is "Yeh, yeh we hear this already. So where de
lime is again??"
The symbol of Divali - Mother Lakshmi (or Maha
Lakshmi) - exhorts us to value the female part of us wives, mothers, daughters and sisters. Yes, we come from
a still male-dominated
culture in some sense but
historically in this region families have survived and
thrived often from the force of motherhood alone. Many
of us would not be here but for the grace of a Ma, Tantie,
Agie or Nanie. Her role may be changing in the new
society but whatever it is let us as men be partners in redefining that role and always treasure our different
strengths that together make us whole.
Before any religious hackles are raised by my
viewpoint, let me say that I am not a Hindu - only looking
in from the outside, but 1 sit and watch, or even participate
in, the deya -lighting ceremonies with friends or in-laws.
"Boy dem lights pretty eh?" And there is a fascination
with the Fire; of life maybe? Or that the flickering lights in
the semi-darkness is surely our stumbling search (and
hopefully triumph) for truth and salvation.
Clearly religion ties groups of people together through
shared beliefs, shared social events and not least its moral
codes for living this life. I may be so bold to say that
religion is religion painted with slightly different palettes we all believe in some higher power, the ways to serve that
power and the need to grow as a human being (guided by
religion).
In Trinidad we treasure our 'multi-paletted' culture so
let not religion be any barrier between us. We treasure and
hold on to our religious and cultural heritage, as that
defines where we come from, and there is much value in
that.
But let us not forget what those dis-similar and
separate cultures have come through, together, in recent

history. That has changed us forever whether we like it or


not; we are different, granted, but together and part of a
new whole; is this not of equal value as where we come
from?
The history and experience of celebrating Divali in
Trinidad has changed in some ways, and mostly for the
good, from an outsider's point of view. Seeing people of
many ethnic extractions being welcomed by Hindus and
invited to share the event says something good about who
we are and who we could become. We may not totally
understand the underlying significance
but we can
understand the celebration of Iight and truth and appreciate
the time of sharing with our brothers.
Divali has continued to grow, becoming "bigger and
brighter" as we say; possibly more commercialised some
say, but because of this it has allowed many of us to peer
into the Hindu soul and possibly gain some insight. Maybe
some day we will be as one, though different. Just a crazy
thought.
These are troubled times - bombing of the WTC, now
bombing of Afghanistan, loss of innocent lives, decline in
the world economy. Here we have our share. Oil prices
dropping, the war of words, talk of corruption, civil
servants want their back pay, unemployment, oil leaks
damaging people's homes, some people still not getting
water, and now elections.
And Carnival nearly here too, so why worry!
I understand in India - because Divali falls during the
darkest time of the year - residents place lighted deyas on
top of poles to assist travellers in finding their way. A
gesture of concern for strangers. At another level it
suggests that those who have found the Path should help
others to find the way. Is this against natural human nature
to strive to get the biggest part of the pie for ourselves and
our families and our own people?
Maybe so, but at
another level it is equally arguable that joint action surely
is beneficial.
Divali has everything to do with the Light. How we
define it, how we struggle toward it and how we reach it.
So my brothers and sisters let us take our kaleidoscope of
people on this speck of dirt and move, with mutual respect
for our differences, toward the bright light of equality and
justice. "We goin down de road together", another popular
slogan says. "Movin' to de Light" Sounds like a catchy
kaiso chorus! Yuh tink?

Davidsj is a pseudonym for a marine biologist who works


in Trinidad and other CARICOM territories.

III the IUllh (ootlll1l1> (If the


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CHOOSE THE

Ishort story

Anil's Wish
By Carolyn Ali
How poor Anil wished he could do something to brighten up his humble home!
"Good luck Anil," said Uncle Dave with a huge grin.

Anil could hear the bamboo bursting all around him. It was
the month of November and all the Hindu villagers were
preparing for Divali. Those who were not Hindus were

At the competiton, Anil was the youngest competitor.


He was only eleven years old. There were little fires

also caught up in the preparations. A slight frown crossed


Anil's face. How he wished he could do something to

outside the tent and all the competitors were heating up


their drums. The air was thick with excitement. As the

brighten up his humble home!

names of the competitors

While Anil was deep in thought, he heard a car slow


down. The driver was giving out flyers. Anil took a flyer
and began to read, a smile slowly coming to his lips The
flyer advertised that there would be a "Tassa Beating"

heralded their appearances with loud applause. Anil did


not let that worry him as he knew that his teacher was the
best drummer in the village. Yes, nobody could beat Pa at

competition. The competition would be held at the


Recreation Grounds and best of all, cash prizes were being

tassa-drumiming when he was alive.


In the midst of his daydreams, he heard a voice saying,
"And now for contestant number five, Anil Singh."
The applause was not so loud. With a thumping heart,

offered.
Anil had an
more he thought
pieces of wood,
drum. When the

were called, their supporters

idea. The more he thought about it, the


it could work. He gathered up some dried
lit a fire and heated up his father's tassa
drum was sufficiently heated, he started

practising. For the next couple of weeks, every spare


moment Anil had, he practised.
One the day of the competition, after hours of skilful
practice and doing all the innovative hand movements Pa
had taught him, Anil decided to go inside to have a little
lunch. He could smell the dhal [split peas] Ma was
chunkaying [cooking). As he was walking to the house,
holding the precious tassa drum, he stumbled, dropping the
drum. The clay part of the drum shattered into many

Anil began to beat the drum. With skill and dexterity he


beat the drum, doing the "change hand" to thunderous
applause. It was as if his hands had a will of their own,
beating in such a frenzy that the crowd got up and started
to dance. Anil was satisfied that he had done his best. A
television crew was there, interviewing all the contestants.
As Rookhmin, the interviewer was about to start the
interview, Anil heard the announcement, "Ladies and
gentlemen, this has been a very keen contest, the standard
was very high. The judges have decided to award five
prizes instead of three. "
"I'll call the results in ascending order. The fifth place
goes to ... ," began the announcer Shamoon. Anil thought

pieces.
Anil was distraught. Ma ran to him. "Never mind Anil,

his heart would burst as he listened for his name. When the
second place winner's name was announced, Anil resigned

go over by Uncle Dave and borrow his drum."


Anil dashed over to his uncle's house, only to find the
house locked up. He decided to leave a note using the

himself to the fact that he did not win.


Tears stung his eyes, so disappointed
was he.
" ... and our first place winner is Anil Singh, a very
popular choice indeed," came the final announcement.
The audience exploded with applause. Anil did not
even have time to wipe away the tears. Uncle Dave and
the rest of the family hoisted Anil on their shoulders,
paraded him in front of the audience and then took him to
accept his trophy and in his mind' s ~eye he could see his
simple home ablaze with the lights of Divali!

stump of a pencil he had in his pocket and a piece of paper


from the yard. He scribbled, "Uncle I need your tassa,
mine fall and mash up. Anil"
Anil left the note on the step and put a stone on it to
prevent it from flying away. As the evening approached,
Anil got more and more anxious. Just as he had given up
hope of entering the competition, he heard a horn blowing.
He dashed outside and there he saw Uncle Dave coming
towards him with his tassa in his hands.

Carolyn Ali writes stories for the Guardian and Express.

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The scene at the Hindu 'wishing stone' in Penal


By Reshma Mituram
[The old folks would tell] true stories of dreamlike visits from Lord Shiva himself, and
miraculous healings of their sickness ...
At the Patiram Trace Shiv Mandir in Penal, Trinidad,
the 'wishing stone' stands. It is literally rooted in the earth,
and noticeably growing in size. The 'wishing stone,' as it
is referred to by some people, is actually the much revered
Shiv Lingam - the sacred symbol of Lord Shiva [the divine
ascetic].
My route was an early morning ride, a very long
roller-coaster-like ride, past miles of hills and fields that
show off their grassy, bushy luxuriance to the brilliance of
the early morning.
To add to this dreamlike atmosphere, the pot-holes,
bumps, the twisting and seemingly unending winding
streets are thrown in to ensure some measure of reality.
Although the Shiv Lingam is very much the focal
point for the visits of most devout Hindus, the atmosphere
and the immediate surroundings of the mandir create a
magnetic attraction that seems to draw people from all
parts of the country, from all walks oflife. Even the Indian
cricket team paid a little visit to the mandir to make
offerings and ask a special favour of Lord Shiva.
There is absolutely no denying the infinite feeling of
peace within you, your thoughts, and emotions and with
the rest of the world, embraced especially by the sacred
serenity of the surroundings. There are no houses, except
the ones seen in the vicinity of the mandir at a respectable
distance.
What -is most visible to the eyes is the untamed,
untouched beauty of nature. You might think that being
surrounded by different types of wild tropical vegetation,
you would be impatient to get back to where modernity
reigns. Not at all, it's quite the opposite.
Enclosed within this sacred sanctuary, the only noises
you can hear are the birds singing or screeching or doing
whatever they do best amongst the endless trees. The
fragrance of flowers and prasad [food offering] made, as
offerings to Lord Shiva on the Shiv Lingam are a delight
to the olfactory senses.
The only litter seen are flowers and leaves which must
have fallen from the peepal tree. Other than that, the
compound is kept as clean as heavenly possible.
Faced with such peacefulness and ultimate relaxation
of the mind, body and soul, it is not difficult to completely
forget the rat race that was left behind that is characteristic
of the modern world.
If you make an early journey to the mandir, you might
be lucky enough to sit with many other devotees for
Sunday morning services. The brightly colouredjhandis

[bamboo flags] are evidence of the countless pujas


performed there.
The weekdays and Saturdays are the best days to visit
the mandir if the plan is to sit and have a nice long chat
with the two pious caretakers - a couple, who maintains
and care for the mandir, while a cool gentle breeze blows
your troubles away.
Your attention is truly captured when they relate true
stories of dreamlike visits from Lord Shiva himself, and
miraculous healings of their sickness and pains the day
after.
They can tell you of the Shiv Lingam's history, how it
started growing as a small stone embedded in the earth and
how they built the mandir around it without having any
cause to move it from its initial and permanent position.
Of course if you would like any reminders of this
heavenly place on earth, you are free to take photographs,
just as long as you don't go anywhere on the compounds
with your shoes.
As you are reluctantly-preparing to leave, taking in all
that you can from one long, admiration-filled gaze, you
board whatever means of transport that brought you there
and the homeward journey begins.
The memory of the Shiv Mandir and its surroundings,
I assure you, would be etched in your memory, as if it was
in stone. Memories of its purity, sacred simplicity and
splendor will ease your passage through trying times
ahead. It will certainly be of some consolation to know
that there is a place on this great earth where the pure and
simple reigns.

Reshma Mituram has a B.A. degree from UWI and teaches


at a secondary school in Trinidad.

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v. S. Naipaul-

A Nobel Hindu Hero

Naipaul said, "To be converted, you have to destroy your past, destroy your history. You have
to stamp on it, you have to say, 'My ancestral culture does not exist, it doesn't matter.'"
The other day, I went to the 92nd Street in Manhattan to
listen to a reading by V.S. Naipaul. The AngloTrinidadian-Indian writer is, in my opinion - and in the
estimation of others - the most polished and clear-headed
contemporary writer in the English language.
He chose to read from Beyond Belief
Islamic
Excursions Among the Converted Peoples, his last book on
the subject of Islam - a religion he had addressed
previously in Among the Believers.
Naipaul has not written books specifically about
Christianity or Hinduism; Islam remains the only religion
he has addressed directly and sought to analyze at length.
Yet I, and others, have always regarded Naipaul as a
Hindu.
To my mind, his most moving novel is A House for Mr
Biswas whose themes, characters, and flavors were drawn
from his own early life in Trinidad. It's a peerless and
compelling portrait of Caribbean Hindu society, drawn by
a man who fully grasped the nuances of Hindu hierarchy.
In fact, as a Brahmin by birth, he has often benefited
from the advantages afforded by that hierarchy. (To be
fair, most commentary on his "Brahminic" side - whether
disparaging or admiring - has come from others. The
author has never accentuated his Brahmin-ness, even
though his persnickety mien has often, and with reason,
been taken for the high-handedness of the high-born.)
Recently, Naipaul gave his imprimatur to a book of
letters, Between
Father
and Son, the collected
correspondence
between his father, Seepersad, and
himself. On National Public Radio, he described the letters
as "a cultural record of our community, the Hindu
community of Trinidad."
Imagine my surprise, then, when Naipaul shot down a
question put to him at the 92nd Street, at the end of his
reading session.
Was he the follower of any religion? "I have no faith,"
was the writer's naked response. He didn't mention
Hinduism, and didn't say that he was a Hindu. (He added
no footnotes to his one-line riposte, so we didn't find out,
even, whether he is an atheist or an agnostic).
This takes me back to the question with which I started
this column - do you have to believe in God, or have faith,
to be a Hindu?
Tunku Varadarajan is the deputy editorial features editor
of The Wall Street Journal.

In an interview after the announcement of the Nobel Prize


award, Naipaul commented: "I thought I was no longer in
the running, you know."
Long rumoured as Nobel candidate, Naipaul is the first
writer of Indian descent to win since Rabindranath Tagore.
British author Martin Amis said yesterday he was
delighted by Naipaul's win. "His level of perception is of
the highest, and his prose has become the perfect
instrument for realizing those perceptions on the page,"
Amis said, adding that Naipaul's travel writing
"is
perhaps the most important body of work of its kind in the
second half of the century.'
The Nobel literature prize, first awarded to French
author Sully Prudhomme in 190 I, is worth US $943,000 in
this centennial year.
The Head of the Swedish Academy, Horace Engdahl,
conceded that this year's choice might be seen as political
in the wake of terrorist attacks in the United States and the
American retaliation. 'What he's really attacking in Islam
is a particular trait that it has in common with all cultures
that conquerors bring along - that it tends to obliterate the
preceding culture," Engdahl said.
At a reading in London last week, Naipaul condemned
what he called "calamitous effect" of Islam and compared
it to colonialism. "To be converted, you have to destroy
your past, destroy your history. You have to stamp on it,
you have to say, 'My ancestral culture does not exist, it
doesn't matter,' he said.
Asked by The Associated Press how he would
celebrate winning the Nobel, Naipaul replied: "I don't
have the talent for celebrating. Maybe l'1I just stop
worrying for a day or two."
Naipaul has been in the news lately, and not just because
of his comments about Islam. In a recent interview, he
mocked EM Forster, author of A Passage to India and
other novels. "He just knew the court and few middle-class
Indians and a few garden boys whom he wished to
seduce," Naipaul told the Literary Review. He also took
on James Joyce's Ulysses, saying that "Joyce was going
blind and I can't understand the work of a blind writer."
Like Joyce, Ireland's famous exile, Naipaul has an
uneasy relationship with his native country. As a student
at Oxford, he wrote to his family: "I shall die if I had to
spend the rest of my life in Trinidad."
New York (AP)

Divali

poems

Fastingand cleaning, shopping and dressing,


Excitement is what it brings to me.

The Planted Jhandi

Thenthe day comes.


Friends visiting, sweets cooking,
bamboosbursting,
starlightlighting, bhajans singing;
Joyis what it brings to me.

fun snaps snapping,

Infinite specs of living light against an infinite sheet of


deaddarkness,
Infinitepeace is what it brings to me.
Then the night is over, for like a funeral, a gloom hangs
over...
Removethe bent bamboo! Pick up the dead deyas!
Butwait! All is not lost for soon it will be next year.
Renewed hope is what it brings to me.
Holdon to the memories, live in peace, share the leftovers,
givethanks.
Givethanks.

Is an open hand
releasing pain, joy and questions
into the sky,
five men it takes
to bury the cut bamboo
that floats a triangle
sewn by a woman's hand.
Rosanne Kanhai

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v.s. Naipaul:

A Hindu Hero

By Parsuram Maharaj
Naipaul sees mixed-race, "half-and-half," "second-rank" people ... as lost .... Naipaul's work
betrays a dread of miscegenation, a hankering for racial, even cultural, separation.
The early novels the Mystic Masseur, The Suffrage of
Elvira, The Middle Passage and The Loss of EI Dorado
gave no clue as to the intellectual evolution of Sir V.S.
Naipaul, especially as an Indian and Hindu voice in the
international arena. Decades later Among the Believers and
Beyond Belief firmly planted Naipaul in the Indian and
Hindu intelligentsia.
In awarding Naipaul the esteemed Nobel Prize for
Literature the Swedish Academy praised him 'for having
united perceptive and incorruptible scrutiny in works that
compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories.' The
'suppressed histories' were often suppressed by the
imperialistic tendencies of Colonialism, Christianity, and/
or Islam.
In fact, last week Naipaul at a reading condemned the
'calamitous effects' of Islam and compared it to the
destruction of colonialism. Naipaul presents a consistent
image of social reality in the non-Western world, where
dispossessed people search for order in their lives.
No Indian is far from his origins, Naipaul asserts In An
Area of Darkness (1981), a study of his visit to his ancestral homeland. Indians have a powerful sense of fate, of
being determined by a relentless culture. Outsiders can be
aped without being absorbed. The land can be remade
often without losing itself, for its inner world remains
coherent.
In his latest work, "In Half a Life" Naipaul sees
mixed-race,
"half-and-half,"
"second-rank,"
people,
including the half-Brahmin, half-low-caste Willie, as lost.
It is the "pure" Africans, who are happy. Though a product
of several cultures, Naipaul's work betrays a dread of
miscegenation, a hankering for racial, even cultural,
separation.
Naipaul in a recent interview stated "fractured past" is
too polite a way to describe India's calamitous millennium. The millennium began with the Muslim invasions
and the grinding down of the Hindu-Buddhist culture of
the north. This is such a big and bad event that people still
have to find polite, destiny-defying ways of speaking
about it.
In art books and history books, people write of the
Muslims "arriving" in India, as though the Muslims came
on a tourist bus and went away again. The Muslim view of
their conquest of India is a truer one. They speak of the
triumph of the faith, the destruction of idols and temples,
the looting and carting away of the local people as slaves,
so cheap and numerous that they were being sold for a few
rupees.
The architectural evidence - the absence of Hindu

monuments in the north - is convincing enough. This


conquest was unlike any other that had gone before. There
are no Hindu records of this period. Defeated people never
write their history. The victors write the history. The
victors were Muslims. For people on the other side it is a
period of darkness.
When asked: How did you react to the controversial
Ayodhya incident? Naipaul replied, "Not as badly, as the
others did, I am afraid. The people who say that there was
no temple there are missing the point. Babar, you must understand, had contempt for the country he had conquered.
And his building of that mosque was an act of contempt
for the country."
"In Turkey, they turned the Church of Santa Sophia
into a mosque. In Nicosia, churches were converted into
mosques too. The Spaniards spent many centuries reconquering their land from Muslim invaders. So these
things have happened before and elsewhere. In Ayodhya
the construction of a mosque on a spot regarded as sacred
by the conquered population was meant as an insult. It was
meant as an insult to an ancient idea, the idea of Ram
which was two or three thousand years old."
Asked about his 'happiness' with the emergence and
consolidation of some kind of parasitic Hindu political
order in India, Naipaul replied "No. I have not done that
actually. I have talked about history. And] have talked
about this movement. I have not gone on to say I would
like Hindu religious rule here. All that I have said is that
Islam is here in a big way. There is a reason to that and we
cannot hide from what the reasons were."
"The great invasions spread very far south, spreading
to, you know, even Mysore. I think when you see so many
Hindu Temples of the 10th Century or earlier time
disfigured, defaced, you know that they were not just
defaced for fun: that something terrible happened. I feel
that the civilization of that closed world was mortally
wounded by those invasions. And I would like people, as it
were, to be more reverential towards the past, to try to
understand it; to preserve it; instead of living in its ruins.
The old world is destroyed. That has to be understood. The
ancient Hindu India was destroyed."
To another question, Naipaul said: "You say that India
has a secular character, which is historically unsound. You
say that Hindu militancy is dangerous. Dangerous or not, it
is a necessary corrective to the history I have been talking
about. It is a creative force and it will prove to be so.'
Parsuram Maharaj is an executive member of the Sanatan
Dharma Maha Sabha.

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I poem
Naipaul on Naipaul: The 2001 Noble Prize for Literature
By Sasenarine Persaud
This day I bring you a language
we would come to love
and vow to best the English at from Oxford. Should you have
made America your home. Or laugh:
I have been here since the British
brought tea from Asia, coffee from
Africa. And desperately needing
that sweetener from India; King cane
sugar. Or Maharaj chini? The way
a girlfriend visiting from Trinidad
uttered it, her name, her father's name,
with a laughter I hear today. Could you
accept this, and the rain just over
playing teen-taal on the zinc roof
or the katak dance we celebrated
that August, sitting on the beach
nudging sand on the Atlantic:
this might be our Ganga our Goa
beach littered with hip tourists
looking out somewhere to Barbados
or England. Or straight to the plains
of Uttar Pradesh chanting the Hanuman
Chalisa: Shri Guru Charan Saroj Raj
Nij Man Mukur Sudhari ...
With the dust of guru's lotus feet
I first clean the mirror of my heart ...
Not fragments - but the entire
Chalisa, as we did only last Sunday
here in a Mandir in Florida. No
wire story from Stockholm or
England, or America mentioning
how Hanuman's House was builtor caring where he located that leaf
of life mountain - north of Piarco
airport, the Catskill, VancouverHanuman the improviser:
if he couldn't recognize The Leaf in
the mountain, then bring the entire
mountain to the battlefield to cure
Lakshman's wounds. Hanuman' s
descendants learning well, that August
Celebrating Janam Ashtmee:
birth night of Krishna: lover, god
warrior, philosopher - a memory
of a history beyond grand-ajaas

and ajees, a history you left behind


forgotten with your grandfather for British Publishing Houses we were celebrating: we could
write the Ramayan in Hindi, in
Devnagari script from cover to cover
if we wanted. We wanted space
and quiet in that crowd, steal a touch
an ancient kiss of eyes around our
friends. A slice of ripe spice mango
from an ancient UP village
or the bittersweet fruit green, with
a touch of salt and pepper, or
ground into a sweet hot chutneyI could bring you some from Trinidad ...
Trinidad is sweet, she said, come
you'll love it. 0 we don't have these
huge rivers you have here in
your grand Guyana, your grand South
America - but El Dorado don't have me ...
To bring thanks to England for Language,
India for history and culture and other
countries in the subcontinent - this last
for wife? Or as Selvon would say West
Indianly. But nothing of
those Plains of Caroni, or Port-of-Spain.
Nothing of that land which nurtured
seeds of grandfather, father, mother's
fruit budded. Land I never visited but
loved and love - how could you not Trinidad is sweet, she said, sweet
sweet sweet - I just came back and
didn't want to. When are you going?
At least once, once - a Noble Address.
Is this too much to ask, find, expect?

Sasenarine Persaud is the author of seven books.


His latest book is The Hungry Sailor (2000, Toronto).
He was born in Guyana, has lived for several years in
Canada, and now makes his home in Florida.

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short story

The Doubles
By Anthony Petit
[She had] a slender figure with the kind of curves that a sari [dress] does not hide, only
enhances .... Her soft steps and her furtive glance and smile stole his heart on the spot, and
trapped him as effectively as any fly in a web.
Sunjit knew that he was in big trouble the moment he
bit into the doubles, [chick-pea sandwich].
The worst part of it was that he could have avoided all
of this so easily if he'd just followed his normal instincts.
But then again, love does strange things to people.
It had all started so innocently. He'd gone to the
second night of the wedding of Mohit and Sintra. All he'd
had in his mind was to go there, hang out with Vijay and
Sunil, and maybe, afterwards, go and shoot some pool by
Jimmy's.
Everything had been going fine until he looked up at
the commotion. That was the epiphany of his life.
He'd seen the rest of his life look him in his eyes. She
was five feet four inches tall. A slender figure with the
kind of curves that a sari [dress] does not hide, only
enhances. And almond eyes that drowned you the moment
you looked in. Her soft steps and her furtive glance and
smile stole his heart on the spot, and trapped him as
effectively as any fly in a web.
At first, he had tried to deny the effect she was having
on him, but by the end of the evening, he realised that he'd
spent half the night making up excuses to be close to
whatever space she was occupying. Be it in the kitchen
when he was obviously the only man there as she kneaded
the dough for the sada [Indian bread], or when she was
busy carrying a tray around the room.
He found out her name was Geeta and that not only
was she unmarried, she was single. By the next morning,
after a sleepless night of tossing and images of her face
flashing behind closed eyelids, he realised that he'd had it.
He had no choice.
He had to see her again.
A quick trip in a taxi back to the wedding house ended
up making him realise that he should have phoned first.
That would have saved him arriving and finding no one
home. The next three hours were spentin a frenzy of self disgust at his inability to leave the area lest he miss their
return and not get the information he needed.
He tried. He really tried.
But he had gotten to the corner, saw a car turning into
the street from the other end, and promptly ran back in that
half walk, half run, that says "I'm not in a hurry. No sir.
I'm just moving fast in case you need me there ... "
Finally, the expected vehicle turned into the street and
immediately, he realised he had forgotten the most
important thing. The lie.

In his haste, he'd forgotten to make up a viable lie that


would allow him to ask information about his dream girl,
and not seem too interested. That could lead to awkward
question and statements. Not to mention the fact that the
last thing he wanted was Dulcie knowing anything about
his life.
That would guarantee the entire area finding out in the
time it would take her to run her mouth around the town.
Pure panic, and the thought of Ram and Frankie and the
boys finding out about this, allowed him to tap into parts
of his brain he never knew he had.
Lies flashed past and were rejected with rattlesnake
speed. Finally, one flashed past that seemed to fit the bill.
He tried it on himself as the car was turning into the
driveway and figured if he could fall for it, then so would
they. Which just goes to show. In cases of crisis, and
when it really counts, how sometimes, when we need to,
we are capable of fooling no one but ourselves.
He told them that his mother had an upcoming prayers
and needed someone to help her, and that she wanted to
know if Geeta was available. Of course, he completely
forgot that his mother had missed last night's ceremony,
thereby not only completely invalidating any lie, but also
clueing everyone in on what was really happening.
He finally got an address and, pleading the need to get
everything done as quickly as possible, extracted himself
from the house. In his haste, he was not noticing the smile
and whispers, and Dulcie's frantic rush for the phone and
her library of informal news gatherers.
By the time he got off the maxi-taxi in her
neighbourhood, he noticed how everyone seemed to be
looking at him in a strange way and smiling, but put it
down to his being new to the neighbourhood. He finally
found the house, and, bucking up what little courage he
felt, walked up to the door and knocked.
He was prepared for anyone answering the door.
Anyone, but her.
He finally managed to get the message across and she
instantly agreed. He thanked her and vacated the premises,
poste haste, before he could do any further damage. It was
only on the way to get a maxi-taxi for home that the flaw
in his plan suddenly hit him full in the face.

continued on next page

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short story continued from last page

Then came the shock. Her father turned out to be none other than Kenny, the famous doubles
vendor of Curepe .... Kenny who had loudly proclaimed ... that if he ever caught any boy close
to his daughters, he would promptly let them get a taste of his bull pistle.
The rest of that afternoon was spent convincing his
mother that not only did she need to have a puja [Hindu
ceremonial prayer], but that she absoloutely needed to
have Geeta help her out.
The puja was an absolute success. Although, to hear it
from everybody, he was completely useless as he spent
most of the night following Geeta around trying to help her
with everything. By the end of the night, he had not only
secured a promise from her to see him again, but also her
permission to approach her father.
Then came the shock. Her father turned out to be none
other than Kenny, the famous doubles vendor of Curepe.
Kenny from whom he bought doubles on so many
occasions, yet never seen this vision anywhere in his
vicinity, Kenny who had loudly proclaimed, on more than
one occasion, that if he ever caught any boy close to his
daughters, he would promptly let them get a taste of his
bull pistle. Several times, if need be. She then explained
that she'd only recently started helping him out at the stall.
The next day, his heart going like a trip hammer, he
approached Kenny at his stall. Adding fuel to his terror, he
realised that Geeta was there as well. As he got closer and
she noticed him, she leaned over and whispered to Kenny.
The look Kenny directed his way almost made him
turn around and run for the nearest hole. But he realised
that sooner or later he'd have to face him. Better now than
later.
The co_nversation did not start well.
"Hi Kenny," he said.
After a silent glare, Kenny acknowledged his presence
in that time-honoured fashion of fathers everywhere who
smell suitors at their daughter's door.
"Wha yuh want?" he growled.
Panic, and the thought of the bull pistle made Sunjit
say the first thing that came to his mind, "Ah ..uh ... uh ..ah
doubles .... please. "
Both men stared at each other in silence for a few
seconds.
"Yuh want pepper?" Kenny growled again. "Only real
man does eat pepper ... how much yuh want?"
"Ah ... good pepper ... plenty please."
The sound of the bara [sandwich] hitting the paper
caused the newspaper vendors across the street to look up
as they realised that something good was going on here.
Everyone around them stopped what they were doing.
With a force that belied his small frame, Kenny scraped
the channa from the bucket hard enough that by the time
he'd added the second set, the spoon was bent almost in
two.

After the fourth, full, spoon of pepper, he held the


doubles out to Sunjit with enough force to cause him to
have to sidestep as channa [chick pea] and pepper flew
towards him.
He stared at it, then glared at Sunjit as if he were
personally responsible for the calamity, then promptly
started adding pepper.
Sunjit took the doubles and, looking at the Geeta
smiling next to her father, bit into it.
The next few seconds were spent staring at her through
a fog, as steam seemed to be rising from somewhere close
by. And through the tears that had started flowing the
moment his mouth realised that it was time to close up
shop and leave this madman to his own devices, because
there was no way it was sticking around for this kind of
abuse.
He turned back to see Kenny staring at him and, in an
uncharacteristic fit of bravado, and love, swallowed the
rest of the doubles.
Then asked for another. Kenny could only stare in
disbelief at the request. He promptly grabbed another
spoon and, after destroying that one too, made another
quadruple pepper special.
Sunjit managed to get this one down a lot easier as, by
now, his body had shut down thirty seconds ago and he
could feel no pain. Later he knew he'd pay, but so long as
there was a newspaper and plenty of tissue, he'd be all
right.
He stood there, the steam making those next to him
wave their hands to fan it away, and stared at Geeta as he
ate. Kenny looked from one to the other and it was obvious
to him what. was going on. In fact, he suddenly realised
that this was serious.
This was the first boy who'd managed to get past even
one bite. Let alone two doubles.
And he had that look that said he was willing to stand
there eating as many as would be necessary. Not to
mention the way Geeta was staring at him as if there was
no other person within ten miles.
Well, he knew it was bound to happen one day. Hejust
hoped this boy was good enough for his Iii' Geeta. He
wasn't worried, though. He'd find out soon enough. And if
he wasn't. Well then.
There was a reason he had the pistle sitting by the
front door lately. Nothing like a little show to get your
point across.
Anthony Petit was born in St James, Trinidad, and has just
finished writing his first novel.

Jlli])ivali Greetings
to the Hindu Community
01lay the goddess Maha Lakshmi shower
her devine blessings on each and everyone
of you on this auspicious day.
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Mere Desh and its cross-country radio show


By Ajeet Praimsingh
Mere Desh' s primary concern is to recognise unsung heroes and heroines of this land. This is
our mission. We have to do it for ourselves. We have waited for too long. Ifnot us, who? And if
not now, when?
The Cross Country Radio Talent Parade Show that is
moving through the districts of Trinidad is a joint project
of the Mere Desh Committee and Sangeet Radio 106 FM.
With more that $100,000 in prize money, the show aims at
providing an avenue for artistes to perform songs and
dances that are indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago.
Consisting of 16 preliminaries, 8 semi finals and a
grand final, the show, as the name implies, moves from
district to district. So far, preliminaries have been held at
Felicity, St Augustine, Williamsville, Monroe Road and
Macaulay.
The Mere Desh Committee was established in 1990 in
Chaguanas. Its major goal is the promotion of the
indigenous cultural expressions of the people of Trinidad
and Tobago. Mere Desh, though few in membership, finds
its strength in collaborating and cooperating with likeminded individuals and other organizations.
The vision of the Mere Desh is to be a role model to
all organizations across the country, to use Indian Arrival
Day as a historic day, and to begin recognising the sons
and daughters of their villages for their sterling
contributions in sports, music, dance, song and community
service. Many of our great sons and daughters have gone
to the great beyond without any recognition, and it is sad
to say that no documentation was made of them. Hindus
and Indians have been here over 150 years and yet we
cannot recognise our heroes and heroines in the
community.
Mere Desh's primary concern is to recognise unsung
heroes and heroines of this land. This is our mission. We
have to do it for ourselves. We have waited for too long. If
not us, who? And ifnot now, when?
At our annual Indian Arrival Day celebration in
Chaguanas, the Mere Desh accepted the challenge to pay
tribute to the many sons and daughters who have been
rendering yeoman service to their respective communities.
Among the many recipients of Mere Desh Awards were
Takoornath Jaganath, Brownie KawaI, Dr Kumar Mahabir,
Dr Kenneth Parmasad, Vidoor, Sookrit Ramlakhan, Jeevan
Singh, Micheal Salikram, Ramdharie Garibdass and
Sookdeo Sookraj.
The Committee commemorates
May 30th (Indian
Arrival Day) as the anniversary of our fore-parents who
came to this land in 1845 to rescue a failing agricultural
economy. Mere Desh observes this day, which is a public
holiday, as "Recognition Day" by acknowledging the

contributions made by our sons and daughters towards the


creation and evolution of our indigenous artforms. To date,
Mere Desh has honoured and recognised over one hundred
( I00) of our sons and daughters who have made positive
contributions
in many ways to our country. Some
recipients have gone to the great beyond, but all the
recipients were alive when awarded.
In the year 200 I for Indian Arrival Day, Mere Desh
organized a Dholak Tal Competition and the best drummer
in Trinidad and Tobago was selected. There was also a
Best Paratha Roti (Buss-Up-Shut)
Competition. Over
$10,000 in prizes were awarded and 10 people were
honoured, among whom was a dholak pioneer and a roti
(maker) pioneer. The programme was billed as "A Day To
Remember."
It was a packed programme embellished
with
entertainment galore - dances, music and songs. We
invited guests to bring their entire families. Admission is
always free. The public nominated candidates who had
made valid contributions to Indian Culture and Nation
Building and who had not received any recognition. All
programmes are staged in Chaguanas and have been, since
their inception, under the Patronage of His Worship, the
Mayor, and the Member of Parliament for Chaguanas.
Mike-O-Rama was another unique way of recognizing
the many sons who, with their loud-speaker systems,
render their services at wedding, funerals, bazaars, yagyas
and pujas [religious ceremonies]. To pay tribute to these
sons Mere Desh organized a Mike-O-Rama competition,
which attracted more than 40 participants throughout
Trinidad.
Tassa Rama, Biraha, Doubles, Dhantal, Roti and
Dholak heroes were also recognized by the Mere Desh for
the major roles they play(ed) in the daily lives of people.
Competitions were sponsored in each category and the
winners were provided with thousands of dollars in cash.
Concern for the plight of the needy is also an integral
objective of Mere Desh. Pinky Charles, a kidney patient of
Central Trinidad, was assisted with $3000 from a Vege-Qsale.
We sincerely thank all who have assisted us in one
way or the other. We will like to takethis opportunity to
wish them a happy Divali and Mother Lakshmi's choicest
blessings. For more information on Mere Desh, call Mr
Ajeet Praimsingh
at 672-4423.
Visit our website
www.praimsingh.com

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Hindi adds colour to local politics


By Sat Maharaj
The political language of Trinidad will continue to grow from the absorption of Hindi-Indic
words
Dr Eric Williams, first Prime Minister of Trinidad and
Tobago and leader of the PNM party, in his book Inward
Hunger, attempted to stereotype the Hindu and Indian
when he wrote:
"There was no question that the Indian occupied the
lowest rung of the ladder in Trinidad- Cribb'd, cabin'd and
confin'd in the sugar plantation economy, from which
other racial groups had succeeded in large part in escaping,
the few who did escape to the Mecca of Port-of-Spain
were concentrated on the outskirts of the town in a sort of
ghetto popularly known as 'Coolie-Town.'
Today, St
James, a bustling suburb of the capital - where tourists,
interested in Oriental scenes and ceremonies, were advised
to visit to see 'the Son of India' in all his phases of
Oriental primitiveness."
Consistent with in recent years, the children of HinduIndian origin have run away with the President's Medal
and most of the scholarships awarded by the Government
based on the 'A" Level examination results. One of the
enduring tragedies of our country is the way some "intellectuals" have attempted to deny the massive Indian-Hindu
contributions to our culture. Even without the literary
genius of Sir Vidia Naipaul, we are aware on a daily basis
of the necessity to use Indian-Hindu words to express
ourselves and communicate.
The political pundits are pronouncing their own
preferences like mantras every Sunday in the newspapers.
These particular views that reflect special interests aligned
to a particular political party that forgets there is a HinduIndian view alive not only in St James 'Coolie-Town" but
also all over this country.
It informs the political debate and the voting behaviour
of hundreds of thousands. Such voters are morally moved
by the idea of the guru and see themselves as political
chelas [disciples] who must not betray baap [father], or
mai [mother] or their political leader. We tend to think the
influence of India in Trinidad is confined to Divali, Eid
and Ramleela.
There are those who concede that bara, kuchela and
chutney [Indian delicacies] have an Indian origin, as is the
case with roti. Our children need to know such things, but
it is much more important to pursue the diligent study of
how Hindu-Indian ideas continue to shape our attitude to
all spheres of existence in the Caribbean and beyond.
'Roll up the tassa, Mr Bissessar," Drupatie sang.
Taasa, dhantal and dholak [musical instruments] are now
are Trinidad and Tobago words, as common as roti and
channa.
This bold embrace of all ethnic groups has caused by

jhanjat and khoochor [confusion] in UNC. Jhanjat is now


a common word as "bacchanal" in our language to
describe ambitious politicians who create splits and
factions in a party. Khoochor is political mischief making.
Neemakharams and maha neemakharams are now a
popular topic for columnists and calypsonians. Maha

means great and neemak means salt, while haram


means an ingrate. Maha neemakharam in the political
context means a great ingrate.
Kumbha Karan, a character in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana, also is now a popular person in our political
discourse. He is the brother of evil king Ravana who slept
most of his life but only was awakened when he smelt
food. Because of his tendency to fall asleep in Parliament
and public functions, a certain minister was likened to
Kumbha Karan.
We have gone past the age of rum and roti politics
when voters were offered food and drink for political
support. The word thug is derived from a Hindu world
where a group of bandits who were devotees of the Goddess Kali wrongly used religion to commit crimes.
Political thuggery is now a common claim when political
losers want to win sympathy.
The many allegations of plots to murder members of a
faction of the ruling party must remind us of the HinduIndian origin of the word "thug."
Also , the loud and raucous discussion of corruption
leads our minds to looting, as in looting of the Treasury.
The word "loot" also has an Indian origin, and initially had
to do with the unlawful removal of property by thugs and
soldiers.
The political language of Trinidad will continue to
grow from the absorption of Hindi-Indic words. More
importantly, though, are the ideas the words contain.
Our political discourse will be greatly impoverished
without the words pundit, mantra, brahmin, neemakharam,
maha, khoochor and jhanjat.
Critical thinking about ourselves would be less astute
were it not for the Brahminical aloofness Sir Vidia
expressed in the analysis of our psyche in The Mimic Men,
A House for Mr Biswas, In Search of El Dorado and other
books.
Searching self-analysis, often expressed in Hindi-lndic
words and phrases, add an Oriental colour to our political
discourse.

Sat Maharaj is the Secretary General


Dharma Maha Sabha of Trinidad

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How Hindus will vote in the December 2001 elections


By Vishnu Bissram
The survey shows the ruling UNC has neglected its Hindu base (14 constituencies) ever since it
came to power in 1995. The party is suffering from voter apathy and minor defections by
disgruntled supporters.
A poll conducted by the New York-based North American
Caribbean Teachers
Association
(NACTA)
on the
December 2001 elections shows that the incumbent UNC
and the opposition PNM are in a dead heat in popular
support and that the Hindu votes are split between the two
factions of the UNC.
The findings of the survey reveal an extremely racially
polarized electorate. Most Indo-Trinidadians support the
UNC while most Afro-Trinidadians
support the PNM.
Afro support for the UNC (P) has dipped from last year.
The PNM is holding its support among Indo-Trinidadians.
The poll concludes that if the two factions (one led by
Prime Minister Panday and the other by deputy leader
Ramesh Maharaj) were to unite, Hindus would rally
behind the UNC which would trounce the PNM.
The UNC (Panday's faction) is expected to win all 14
Hindu-based seats but Hindus are disenchanted with the
government after being neglected for six years. They are
voting UNC because they don't want the PNM to return to
office. It is possible that the UNC (P) could lose the safe
Hindu-backed Oropouche seat where Trevor Sudama is
doing very well. Ramesh Maharaj is also holding on to
significant support in Couva South.
The survey also shows that the UNC has suffered
significant defection in voter support among those who
voted for the party in the December 2000 elections. The
party has -neglected its Hindu base (14 constituencies) ever
since it came to power in 1995. The UNC is suffering
from voter apathy and minor defections by disgruntled
supporters among its ranks; many in the crucial marginal
constituencies have also indicated they will sit out the
elections. This could spell trouble for the UNC. The
PNM, on the other hand, has made modest gains among
voters.
One must keep in mind that a poll is a portrait of
voters' political preference (support) for a party during a
particular time period. The political situation in Trinidad
is very fluid and the results may change by election day
five weeks away.
NACTA interviewed 783 registered voters (443 in the
so-called safe constituencies and 340 in the so-called five
battle ground or marginal constituencies of San Fernando
West, ,OrtoirelMayaro, Tunapuna, San Juan/Barataria, and
St. Joseph.
Voters were interviewed
to yield a
demographically representative sample of Trinidad. The
sample of voters polled was done randomly to make it as
representative
as possible
of varied
age, class,

occupational and religious categories as well as of


ethnicity and educational levels in the population.
The survey shows the UNC (P) leading the PNM by a
razor thin 1% but when factoring in the margin of error of
4%, the two parties are in a virtual dead heat suggesting
the elections could go either way.
The UNC (P) is supported by 42% of the respondents
and the PNM 41% with the UNC (Ramesh Maharaj's
faction) trailing far behind with only 5%. A significant
2% of the respondents, mostly traditional supporters of the
UNC, have indicated they will not vote and 9% are
undecided at this time.
In the five marginal constituencies combined, the UNC
(P) also has 42% support and the PNM 41 % but the UNC
(R) has only a little over 3% popular support and 4%,
mostly UNC supporters, have indicated they will not vote.
In terms of support in each of the five battleground
constituencies, all of which are currently held by the ruling
party, the UNC is sightly ahead in St. Joseph, San Juan
Barataria, Ortoire Maysro and San Fernando West. The
PNM is ahead in Tunapuna. But the lead in each of the
constituencies is within the 4% margin of error and none
of the parties have crossed the 50% threshold mark to
ensure victory. Hence all five seats are toss ups and the
Maharaj faction could make the difference.
In the five marginal constituencies combined, the
UNC (P) also has 42% support and the PNM 41% but the
UNC (R) has only a little over 3% popular support and
4%, mostly UNC supporters, have indicated they will not
vote. There is negligible support for the NAR and other
political outfits. Nearly 10% of the voters are undecided
in the marginal constituencies; they would hold the key to
which party or combination of parties would form the
government.
Since the poll has a sampling error of plus or minus
4% percentage points, the results could vary 4% in either
direction which means that the PNM and the UNC (P) are
in a statistical tie and the elections could either way. If the
2% of the electorate (who normally support the UNC)
were to be removed from the sample, the PNM would hold
a slight lead over the UNC. But these non-voters have
indicated that they would be willing to vote if the two
factions of the UNC were to reconcile their differences and
contest under one party.

Vishnu Bissram is the director of NACT A

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Marginalised Religions in Trinidad


By Keith McNeal
One of the most salient and overwhelming facts concerning religion and society in Trinidad is
the island's dynamic pluralism and diversity of spiritual traditions and influences.
One of the most salient and overwhelming facts
concerning religion and society in Trinidad is the island's
dynamic pluralism and diversity of spiritual traditions and
influences. This observation continues to be emphasized
by both citizens and visitors alike.
No religious system in this island society has ever
been static, particularly since Trinidad has been an arena
where diverse living traditions from Africa, India, China,
the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and other places
within the Caribbean itself have encountered one another
in varying ways.
These interactions between diverse religious systems
brought to the West Indies in the minds of its many
immigrants have unfolded in the context of colonial and
post-colonial power structures, and have produced a wide
range of varying local forms - some 'new,' some
'traditionalist,' but all (re)formulated within the context of
immediate Caribbean concerns.
The topic of Trinidad's great religious pluralism is
often associated with rather positive - even celebratory assessments of local ecumenic ism and tolerance for such
spiritual heterogeneity.
And while social relations are indeed characterized in
many ways by a notable ethos of "hesitant respect," the
notion of enlightened tolerance and equal respect in the
Trinidadian religious sphere is simply inaccurate.
This is especially the case regarding African-derived
Orisha religion and Hindu-derived Kali worship on the
island. Both are seriously marginalized
possession
traditions that have been looked upon with significant
degrees of ambivalence, contempt and fear by the society
at large.
These religious systems are also both diasporic in that
each focuses upon spiritual divinities connected to
respective motherlands in West Africa and India. What is
curious, however, is that despite their peripheral status,
these possession religions have experienced significant
degrees of resurgence and growth since the 1960s and 70s.
Of course, there are important social and historical factors
responsible for the marginalization of both Orisha religion
and Kali worship in Trinidad.
Orisha, on the one hand, has always been peripheral or
marginal. Brought to the West Indies by Yoruba ex-slaves
and indentured labourers during the immediate postslavery period, this ritual system has had to survive and
adapt within the Trinidadian context under constant
informal as well as official governmental forms of
repression, and in varying degrees of syncretism with folk
Catholicism.

Only recently, particularly since the Black Power


movement of the 1970s, has Orisha religion been able to
gradually move into the mainstream public eye with some
hard-won recognition and respect, a transformation that is
importantly reflected in the recent passage of the Orisha
Marriage Act of 1999 by the national government of
Trinidad and Tobago.
Though also marginalized in contemporary society arguably even more so than in the case of Orisha religion Kali worship has experienced a significantly different
historical
trajectory
than Orisha. This contrast is
instructive and offers some insight into the nature and
politics of religion in Trinidadian history and society.
Ritual devotions in honor of Mother Kali, an
important and powerful goddess within the Hindu
pantheon, have not 'always been discriminated against on
the island. In fact, for a certain period of time during East
Indian indentureship
(1845-1917) and beyond, ritual
supplications in honor of Kali were an important aspect of
village-based pujas within the ritual calendars of many
Trinidadian Hindu communities.
Thus from a society-wide historical perspective, Kali
puja has gone from being an openly-practiced, annual
ritual performance observed on behalf of the entire
community to a marginalized, somewhat clandestine ritual
activity carried out weekly on behalf of individuals
and/or families in peripheral temples dedicated primarily
to Mother Kali and her spiritual associates.
Understanding why Kali worship has undergone this
particular pattern of socio-historical transformation is a
main goal of my research, and in pursuit of this, I
problematize the local ideology that attributes the origins
of Kali worship to the "Madrassi" immigrants from south
India. Madrassi is the generalized term given to indentured
immigrants of varying regional and linguistic backgrounds
in south India who sailed to the Caribbean through the
southeastern port city of Madras
An average 80% of these "Madrassis" were equally
divided between Tamil and Telugu-speakers, and in the
1840s there were far more Madrassi immigrants in
Trinidad than those from the north of India. For the
overall period of East Indian identureship
(1845-1917),
however, the number of south Indians who sailed from
Madras to Trinidad only constituted
approximately
6% of the total 144,000 indentured immigrants from
India.
Extract of a paper entitled "The many faces of Kali."
Keith McNeal is a Ph.D. student from Emory University.

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There was no Aryan Invasion of India


The theory was more or less unchallenged as the history of ancient India. It was only in the past
few decades that a serious challenge to this theory was mounted.
Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate by Koenraad Elst.
1999. Aditya Prakashan, New Delhi. 342 + x pages. Price
Rs. 450 (HB). Reviewed by N.S.Rajaram.
Created at a time when there was no scientific data
from any source, using tools and techniques that were the
product of the same intellectual and social milieu that gave
birth to comparative
linguistics, the famous Aryan
Invasion Theory of India has held the fort for well over a
century.
For the better part of this period, which conspicuously
but not exclusively included the period of European
colonialism, At first it was dismissed
as 'Hindu
chauvinism,' in effect transferring to the Hindus the racist
chauvinism of Western scholars and pseudo-scholars of
the colonial period. But increasingly, scholars calling
themselves Indologists and Indo-Europeanists are finding
their scholarship and even their motives questioned by
outsiders.
As a result, the debate today is not merely over dry
facts and academic theories, but also political and other
motives. The important thing is that there is a debate.
The book under review, Update on the Aryan Invasion
Debate by Koenraad Elst is a comprehensive account by a
leading scholar who has been at the center of this debate.
In the process, he has also probably written the theory's
obituary.'
Obviously, there is more to these 'debates' than meets
the eye. It is not just obscure academics like Zydenbos and
JNU (Leftist) propagandists like Romila Thapar and
Shereen Ratnagar who have indulged in such tactics. Even
a relatively high profile worker like Richard Meadow of
the Peabody Museum at Harvard has allowed himself such
liberties.
To get back to the Aryan invasion, the study of ancient
India, at least in the modem Western sense, may be said to
have begun with Sir William Jones in the late 18th
century. One of Jones' discoveries was that Indian
languages - Sanskrit in particular - and European
languages are related. To account for this, European
scholars, the most famous of whom was F. Max Muller,
proposed an invasion of 'Aryans' from the Eurasian
steppes.
He assigned a date of 1500 BC for the invasion and
1200 BC for the composition of the Rigveda. The reason
for the date was his firm belief in the Biblical chronology
that assigned 23 October 4004 BC for the Creation and

2448 for Noah's Flood, though he sought to give other equally fanciful - explanations.
Though their knowledge of the Vedas and the Sanskrit
language was limited, European scholars contrived to find
and interpret a few passages in the Vedas as the record of
the invasion of fair skinned Aryans and their victory over
the dark skinned natives. In other words, the Aryan
invaders were colonizers themselves.
As is often the case, such theories tell us more about
the people who created them than history. With the
discovery of the Harappan Civilization in 1921 - greater in
extent than ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia combined archaeological data also became available, which could
now be used in the study of ancient India.
But no systematic effort was made to connect
archaeological data with the ancient Indian literature. On
the other hand, the entrenched Aryan invasion theory led
most scholars to keep Harappan archaeology and ancient
Indian literature permanently separated - a situation that
persists to this day.
This has created a strange situation: the Harappans, the
creators of the greatest material civilization of antiquity,
have no literary or historical context. On the other hand,
the Vedic Aryans, the creators of the greatest literature the
world has ever known have no archaeological or even
geographical existence.
As a result, after more than two centuries, the subject
called Indology has no foundation to speak of; what we
have instead is little more than a collection of views and
ad-hoc theories that often contradict one another.
When people (like the present reviewer) began
applying scientific methods to the abundant data that is
now available, highlighted contradictions and pointed out
the limitations of comparative linguistics for technical
problems like Vedic chronology and the decipherment of
the Harappan script, it aroused hostile reaction.
Even Bernard Sergent, whose work Mr. Elst discusses
with respect, dismissed this reviewer's criticism of
linguistics as being motivated by the fact that it gives
results that he cannot agree with. The reviewer would like
place on record that his case is exactly the opposite: these
methods are so loose that any conclusion can be supported
using comparative linguistics.
This brings up an important point - the needless
controversy over science and humanities in the study of
Vedic history. No responsible scientist can argue that the
humanities have no place, but only their place is not an
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There is need for Hindu unity here


By Pandit Prakash Persad, Ph.D.
Recent events, including the World Hindu Conference 2000, have demonstrated that the will to
forge a national Hindu organization is yet to manifest itself in the psyche and agenda of national
Hindu organizations ...
Hinduism proclaims "unity in diversity". It asserts
vasudhaiva kutumbakam, the world is one family. One,
therefore, should not be faulted for thinking that
communications in the Hindu family would be, minimally,
a basic and established activity.
It is past time that we begin this journey of intra Hindu
dialogue for the purpose of forging a global Hindu voice
and presence. As charity begins at home, a precursor is
dialogue within the spectrum of Hindu groups and
groupings located in the national space. Our very survival
demands this approach.
There are approximately
sixty Hindu groups in
Trinidad and Tobago and over one quarter of the
population are Hindus. There are approximately one
hundred and eighty temples that have been built with
public funds. Cleary, we have a significant lobby base.
Since it is common knowledge that the whole carries
more weight than the sum of the parts, then it must follow
that if we respond in a coherent fashion and speak in a
common tongue then we will be accorded our due, not
only in the corridors of power but also in the society at
large. I might add that, regrettably, Hindus have been and
continue to be paid mainly lip service by the government
(both past and present).
Recent events, including the World Hindu Conference
2000, have demonstrated that the will to forge a national
Hindu organization is yet to manifest itself in the psyche
and agenda of national Hindu organizations and the
leadership of the so-called premier international ones,
including the VHP and the RSS requires a substantial
overhaul of their approach, structure, vision and leadership
if we are to succeed on the global stage.
This situation is unlikely to change on its own, given
that the Hindu community as a whole seems to have
metamorphosed
itself into an apathetic,
comatose
Kumbakarna-like
avatar of self-absorption.
Change
requires it's awakening and revitalizing.
These processes require, in the first instance, a
focused, consistent and concerted effort to inform and
educate Hindus of both the dangers of the present course
and the great benefits to be derived from being an active
and mindful participant in national and international
affairs. The first step then must be one in the direction of
connectivity, dialogue, and relation and trust building.
Great emphasis must be placed on making Hindus
understand the urgent and critical need to rekindle and

revive the spirit of the world Hindu family; respect,


togetherness and looking out for one other.
Mindful of our past one-hundred-and-fifty-odd
years
of history here in Trinidad and Tobago, the disconnectivity of the Hindu Diaspora, the negation in the
Hindu world of a central authority and our present
condition, the course must be designed with great care.
A foundation must be constructed upon which most, if
not all groups must feel comfortable to stand, defend
vigorously and which will facilitate the process of building
the house of Hindu unity. A minimalist position is
therefore required in the first instance.
I therefore propose for the urgent and serious
consideration
of, and action by, the national Hindu
community, the formation of the Sanchar Sabha (The
Communication Assembly) of Trinidad and Tobago. Its
membership would be open to all Hindu groups and it is
not intended to be an umbrella Hindu organization. The
scope of its operations would include the following:
* Forum for the formulation and implementation of
strategies for neutralizing of proselytization threats and the
welcoming home of those who wish to return.
* Mediation for the resolution of disputes involving
Hindus/ Hindu groups.
* Discussion and formulation of a Hindu agenda for the
benefit of the Hindu and national communities. Specific
areas must include community and nationally based social
support services, religious instruction in the pre-school,
primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
* Website as a focal point for dialogue and information on
local and international issues.
* E-newsletter.
* Yearly conference to foster and stimulate Hindu
intellectual activity.
* Lobby for resolving legal/social/economic and cultural
issues that adversely affect Hindus and the national
community.
The setting up and hosting of the website can be easily
done. A bit more detailed planning will be required for the
design of the website. Clearly there will be links to all
member organizational web sites. The initial step will be
therefore a meeting of the groups and all interested persons
to discuss and modify the above as is necessary to arrive at
a consensus position.
Praksah Persad is the Director of Swaha Inc.
and a senior lecturer at UWI, St Augustine Campus.

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...@..alifylngincomefrom$4900.per

month.

CARIBBEAN HOUSING LTD.


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off closing charges.

1968

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HINDU CREDIT UNION


PRODUCTS

The Flexible

HCUGroup
of Companies

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FIXED DEPOSIT

Fin

BAAL BARAKAT The Child Starter Plan


The Classic SAVINGS ACCOUNT
Vidya Daan SAVINGS ACCOUNT
INCOME & GROWTH
MULTIPLIER FUND
. DOLLARS FLEX ACCOUNT
ATM BANKING

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Administrative
Center:
Head Office:
Main Road, Chaguanas.
151 Edinburgh Village,
Tel.:671-3718, 671-5940:
Chaguanas.
Tel.:671-4131
Fax:671-5941
Hindu Credit Union Branches
Aranguez Main Road,
Eastern Main Road,
San Juan.
El Dorado.
Tel./Fax:675-8282
Tel./Fax:663-9897
Golden Grove Road,
Rio Claro Junction, Rio Claro.
St. Helena Junction, Piarco.
Tel.: 644-0215
Tel. :669-4989
Q 43-45 Frederick
St.,
Q 9 Eastern Main Road,
Frederick Court, Port of Spain.
Sangre Grande.
Tel.:627-7752
Tel.668-7105
7 Penal Junction, Penal.
Tobago, NIB Mall
Tel.:647-6912, 647-1704/5
Tel.: 639-4781
Lothians Road, Princes Town.
St. James Street, San Fernando
Tel./Fax:665-8980
Tel.: 653-8098
15 Guava Road, Point Fortin.
~ Southern Main Road, Couva
Tel.: 648-3533 12513
Tel./Fax:679-7584

1!}appy Divali

froIn the

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Brokers Fatnily

t!r his Divali

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