TIMES
I ndo- Caribb ean
N
Sara danced at the Shab-
Vol 1. No 7 September 2007 Tel: 416-289-3898
nam Awards P 11-13
Funding for faith based schools the hot issue
Bas Balkissoon, Mani Singh
in tight Ontario election race
Bas Balkissoon
Scarborough /Rouge River
V Ganga Puja held at Brampton
Staff writer
eteran city councillor and current Lib-
eral MPP Bas Balkissoon and the well
known realtor Mani Singh for the New
Demicratic Party are the two Indo-
Caribbeans contesting for seats in the Oc-
tober 10 provincial elections.
The Indo-Caribbean Times wishes them
well, and urges Caribbean people in On-
tario to go out and vote on October 10. Vot-
ing for Bas and Mani would be a good idea
too. We need to have more members of par-
liament who understand our community
and can speak up on our behalf when deci-
sions are being made at Queen’s Park.
After a distinguished career in municipal
politics, Bas Balkissoon became the MPP
for Ward 41 - Scarborough-Rouge River, (a
northeast Toronto riding) in a November
2005 by-election. Throughout his political
career, Bas has been a strong advocate for
his community and also a local resident; he
is best known for his strong commitment to
public service and public accountability in
his riding. In March 2006, Bas Balkissoon
was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to
the Honourable Monte Kwinter, Minister of
Community Safety and Correctional Serv-
ices, with major assignments in the Com-
munity Safety portfolio. He currently serves
on the Standing Committee of Justice Pol-
icy.Bas emigrated from Trinidad and To-
bago to Toronto in 1970, and he and his
family relocated to Scarborough in 1977.
DUCKY’S
Shortly thereafter he would establish his
reputation as a strong community leader,
becoming Co-founder and President of the
Saturday breakfast special $4.99
Sada roti, fry bake, salt fish, smoke herring,
tomato and bigan chokha, okro and more
Baked products: currants roll, sweet bread
M
Mani Singh- Brampton Springdale
ani Singh
Immigrated to Canada in 1981· Resident
of Brampton Area for 26 years· Graduated
from Lincoln Alexander Sec. School· Stud-
ied Industrial/Labour Relations at Humber
College and Political· Economy and Inter-
national Relations at York University· Mar-
ried for 20 years and father of 4 children (2
boys, 2 girls - 9-17 yearsold)· Licensed
Real Estate Salesperson 1989 - with
Re/Max West Realty-Toronto· Former Pres-
ident of the Association of Concerned
Guyanese (ACG) - a socio/political org.-
(for 2 terms)· Supporter/Sponsor of the
Children's Miracle Network/Sick Kids Hos-
pital · Financial Supporter of many human-
itarian charities (world wide) like· Habitat
for Humanity, Feed the Children, Doctors
without Borders, Canadian Cancer So-
ciety, Canadian Breast Cancer Society,
Heart and Stroke Foundation, The Nelson
Mandela Children's Fund
Testimonials
“Mani has dynamic leadership abilities and
will certainly bring energy and passion to
Canadian politics."
Janet Jagan, Former President of the Re-
public of Guyana.
"Mani has served the GTA Community
dedicatedly for almost 18 years as a full-
time Realtor. His integrity and profession-
alism has earned him many distinctions
including the prestigious Re/Max "Hall of
Fame" Award and I am positive that he will
bring the same high level of Service to the
people of Brampton-Springdale."
ROTI AND CARIBBEAN FOOD
TAKE OUT  EAT IN
CATERING
CURRANTS ROLL
416-253-5358
Catering and Party orders
Trinidad monument to
the Indian ancestors:
why not one in
Canada? Page 23
ictimes@rogers.com
Pundit Chaitram Maharaj (centre) of Cambdirge conducts a recent Ganga Puja on the bank
of the Creditview River in Brampton. It was the third annual puja organized by Tenny
Ramkissoon and Boy Harrypaul of Malton. Ganga Puja is a special offering to Mother
One million Indo-Caribbeans
Ganga , symbolizing the purifying aspect of the goddess as a river
living abroad today!
because of recent statistics on the exodus of
By Ram Jagessar
Indians from the Caribbean.( See page 15
on 960,000 Guyanese living abroad and
Incredible but true. There are a million
page 19 on Indo-Surinamese in Holland.)
Indo-Caribbeans living outside the
Here’s the count. Of the 960,000
Caribbean. They are mostly migrants and
Guyanese living abroad, around 600,000
their children born abroad, originally from
are estimated to be Indo-Guyanese. Indo-
Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname with smaller
Surinamese living in Holland alone are es-
numbers from other countries like Jamaica,
tiamted to be 200,000. Indo-Trinidadians
St Vincent, St Lucia and Grenada.
abroad are at least 200,000, with approxi-
They have left their homelands because
mately 50,000 in Canada, 100,000 in the
of hostile economic and political condi-
U.S.A., 25,000 in the U.K, and another
tions, racism, criminal violence, and some
25,000 in Venezuela and other countries.
for better education and opportunities
That’s one million already, not counting
abroad. They live mainly in the United
Indo-Caribbeans who have migrated from
States, Canada, the United Kingdom and
Jamaica and several other nations. In two
Europe, Venezuela, and other Caribbean
cases, Guyana and Suriname, there are
territories than the ones they were born in.
more Indians living abroad than those re-
They are not going back “home”. For most
maining. Trinidad is heading rapidly in that
the Caribbean is not home any more.
direction, with 200,000 Indos abroad and
The stunning realization has come about
around 523,000 remaining in Trinidad.
3296 Lakeshore Blvd (West of Kipling Ave)
Large dhalpuri $1.50
CANADA AND THE WORLD
Britain pins its
hopes on multi-
faith schools
T he Department for Children, Schools
and Families has unveiled it's 'Faith in
the System' vision for faith schools in the
UK.
The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) has
been consulted throughout the process and
welcomes the document as it highlights the
important role faith schools play in foster-
ing understanding between religions. It also
outlines the duty of all schools to encour-
age pupils to respect their own and other
faiths and beliefs in ways that promote tol-
erance and harmony, important issues
raised by HCUK throughout the consulta-
tion process.
However, Anil Bhanot, General Secre-
tary of the HCUK says: "We believe
schools with a multi-faith ethos would be a
more balanced and cohesive way of teach-
ing children about faith. While we endorse
this document, we remain committed to our
belief that the best future for our children,
their education, and our ability to live to-
gether in harmony in this country lies with
multi-faith rather than single faith schools."
Jay Lakhani, HCUK's Director for Edu-
cation, adds: "Pluralism in faith education
for our children is the only long term solu-
tion to the prejudices that plague Britain
and the wider world at large. Unless all
faiths are taught from the perspective that
spirituality is not the monopoly of any one
religion and that makind can progress spir-
itually in many different (even non-reli-
gious) ways, schools run the risk of creating
a polarising rather than a uniting effect in
our society."
Several groups in the UK run faith based
primary and secondary schools with over a
million students, including Anglicans,
Catholics, Muslims, Jews and Hindus.
Indo-Caribbean Times
Google photos
of Canadians
may be illegal
C anada's privacy commissioner Jennifer
Stoddart says Google's new Street
View web photo application may be break-
ing Canadian law.
Stoddart has written to Google, and Cal-
gary-based Immersive Media - which
helped develop the imagery technology for
Street View - asking both companies to re-
spond to her concerns.Photographs of
Canadian individuals and private homes are
already available through the program in
the United States since May, and should
soon be open for Canadians.
Stoddart isn't worried about websites that
carry satellite images or low-resolution
photographs and video, but she has a prob-
lem with high-resolution pictures such as
those available on Street View.
"Our Office considers images of individ-
uals that are sufficiently clear to allow an
individual to be identified to be personal in-
formation within the meaning of the pri-
vacy law," Stoddart said in a letter to
Google.
The images on Street View appear to
have been collected largely without the
consent of the people in them. Street View
does allow viewers to request their images
be removed. However, by then, Stoddart
says, it's too late.
"By the time individuals become aware
that images relating to them are contained
in Street View, their privacy rights may al-
ready have been affected."
Calgary based Immersive Media is said
to have images in its database of people in
Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Mon-
treal and Quebec City among the more than
60,000 kilometres of imagery captured in
North America.
SEPTEMBER 2007
1 million hit in
On 9/11 anniversary
Bin Laden calls second monsoon
for more attacks floods in India
A
l-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden urged
sympathizers to join the "caravan" of
martyrs as he praised one of the Sept. 11
suicide hijackers in a new video marking
the anniversary of the attacks on the World
Trade Center and Pentagon.
This year’s video showed hijacker
Waleed al-Shehri,whose plane hit the World
Trade Centre, warning the U.S., "We shall
come at you from your front and back, your
right and left."
Bin Laden said he "recognized the truth"
that Arab rulers were "vassals" of the West
and had "abandoned the balance of (Is-
lamic) revelation."
"So there is a huge difference between
the path of the kings, presidents and hypo-
critical Ulama (Islamic scholars) and the
path of these noble young men," like al-
Shehri, bin Laden said. "The formers' lot is
to spoil and enjoy themselves whereas the
latters' lot is to destroy themselves for
Allah's Word to be Supreme."
"It remains for us to do our part. So I tell
every young man among the youth of
Islam: it is your duty to join the caravan (of
martyrs) until the sufficiency is complete
and the march to aid the High and Om-
nipotent continues," he said.
Terrorism experts say al-Qaida's core
leadership is regrouping in the lawless Pak-
istan-Afghanistan border region. The net-
work is said to be growing in strength,
intensifying its efforts to put operatives in
the United States and plot new attacks..
Page 2
M ore than one million people have
been evacuated or stranded as rivers
in northeastern India and Bangladesh rose
to alarming levels and submerged vast
swathes of countryside, officials said ear-
lier this week.
In India's 26 million population Assam
state, the army helped shift an estimated
800,000 people as the Brahmaputra river
overflowed on Sunday. A further 300,000
people further downstream in Bangladesh
were displaced or marooned, most of them
for the second time in as many months, of-
ficials said.
"The flood situation has worsened," Assam
state's relief minister Bhumidhar Barman
said, adding that thousands of villages had
been inundated and 20 of 27 state districts
had been affected.
The Assam government says 54 people
have died in monsoon flooding this sum-
mer, while across India more than 2,500
people have perished, over a quarter of
them in Bihar state, according to official
figures.
In Bangladesh, farmers had to flee their
homes again and took shelter on highland
and in schools as rivers burst their banks
and submerged vast areas in 25 out of the
country's 64 districts.
The toll since the start of monsoon rains
in June stands at 966, including deaths from
water-borne sickness, snake bites and land-
slides as well as drowning.
At least 10.5 million people were dis-
placed or marooned in the first spell of the
floods last month.
Muslim-majority Bangladesh, which has
a population of 140 million, has sought help
from international donor agencies.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Young Hindus learn to
Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER
become tomorrow’s leaders
D
harmic Activist from Boston Shri
Niraj Mohanka was in Toronto this
month to conduct an all-day event
called 'The Dharmic Youth Leadership
Workshop' at the Canada Hindu Heritage
Centre in Mississauga, illustrating the prin-
ciple that youth are our future.
Niraj has a background in Engineering
(Bachelors and Masters in Electrical Engi-
neering) and has been in Technology Sales
for the past 15 years. He has been involved
in Indology (the academic study of India)
for the past 12 years and he leverages his
engineering background by approaching
tasks more from a project management and
numbers perspective than from a Bhakti or
Indo-Caribbean diaspora display
devotional aspect. He conducts these work-
shops in different parts of North America,
scores big at India Festival
involving youth to take up responsibilities
in community oriented tasks.
While speaking to the young delegates
who assembled at Canada Hindu Heritage
One of the highlights of the India Festival put on by the Museum of Hindi Civilization Centre in Mississauga, Shri Niraj Mohanka
was definitely the display on the Indian diaspora in the West Indies. Over 45 panels dis- said his main objective for this Dharmic
played a concise account of the coming of the Indians during the indentureship period, Youth Leadership Workshop was to work
the life and struggles of the Indians, the tools and household goods they used and their with a group of 20 or so young people to
conditions of life. The display also featured prominent individuals from the Indian com- understand what their pains and challenges
munity in the West Indies, including giants like Cheddi Jagan, Vidia Naipaul, and Bas- are and then help them overcome them.
deo Panday, A large section featured some of the prominent Indo-Caribbeans in The workshop was organized by the Fed-
Canada, including pioneer Dr Kenneth Mahabir and notable writers, community ac- eration of Hindu Temples in Canada and
tivists and religious leaders. The display was well received and plans are being made to their Hindu Youth Conference Organizing
mount the display permanently. team. It was attended by over 20 delegates
In the picture above Trinidad born Jiantee Jagessar (left) and Guyna born Ramdai Misir from Toronto and surrounding areas.
admire an original painting by Aditya Prashad, that symbolically portrays the different Shri Kanayalal Raina, Executive Direc-
indentured Indians’ journey from India by ship across the dark waters and into Guyana, tor Projects of CHHC. informed the dele-
Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan
Trinidad and other Caribbean countries. gates that since Hindus today live in dozens
of nations around the world interacting with
Kareem! Ramadan Greetings!
peoples of different races and faiths, there is
a greater need than ever before to be able to
clearly articulate who they are and what
they believe with confidence. In order to
help educate Hindus there is a need to train
It’s Ramadan again, and thankfully the winds of kindness are blowing strongly from the youth in not only Hindu traditions, but also
depths of Lake Jannah into the hearts of the Believers. It’s through this type of generos- in theology, ideology, practice and social
ity that the Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, funded his missions. For years your organization. The workshops were an im-
kindness has blown us into a growing organization and without your support we would not portant component of this education.
have achieved some significant things this year. Alhamdullilah. Shri Niraj advised that imparting this
knowledge would help solve some of the
North American Muslim Foundation is a non-profitable charitable Canadian organization problems that currently exist in the global
dedicated to assisting the victims of various disaster-affected people for the last 33 years Hindu Community, such as:-
and locally empowering our community through education. -It is often difficult to get Hindus to coop-
erate and participate in communityoriented
In the past our programs’ speakers included Min Mike Cole, MPs Paul Szabo and Jim Ka- tasks - especially if those tasks require long-
rigiannis, Omar Al-Ghabara, Dep. Min Fareed Amin, Prof M Walker, Imam AbdulHai term effort.
Patel, etc. -Hindus are often not able to clearly com-
municate what the unified vision for our fu-
Some of things your donations have gone towards in the past include: ture is (what do we want for this planet
$100, 000 for Tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka and Indonesia 50-100 years from now?)
Kashmir earthquake relief -Hindus have an imbalance of skillsets
Flood relief in Guyana and orphan sponsorship (some older Hindus are knowledgeable
Assistance to Lebanese crisis victims about our traditions and have faith, but can-
not translate that into constructive activism
Some of things we have done this year 2007 include: and conversely, many younger Hindus have
Orphan sponsorship in Guyana, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh
Pakistan and Bangladesh flood relief
Digging wells in Kenya
Local food bank
Speech competition among students about Poverty and Faith
Social programs- Academic-Islamic full-time school and summer school, summer jobs
program, youth programs, marriage-introduction programs, movie nights, Scouts camp,
lectures, seniors day, community awards, immigrant settlement assistance, picnic, Ra-
madan dinner, etc.
May Allah accept from you and your family all the charities and fasting in this Holy Month
of Ramadan and all the goodness in the past.
See our new website for more details www.namf.ca
Hoping that your heart sways this way by the powerful winds of Ramadan’s sharing and
steers it from the hills of Mecca into the cooler regions of Toronto.
Habeeb Alli
Communications Coordinator, North American Muslim Foundation
2007 Page 3
bold, modern ideas but have a lack of
knowledge about our traditions and lack
faith)
-Hindus need to be able to learn how to
raise funds more efficiently and use those
funds for more effective outcomes
These problems have long-term causes
and therefore quick solutions would not
suffice. The only real, long-term solution
was to train the next generation of Dharmic
Leaders to work tirelessly to improve insti-
tutions and build new ones where neces-
sary. Progress is not measured by grand
speeches or self-serving titles, but rather by
small incremental developments that are
observable - such as better educated Hin-
dus, happier young people, stronger fami-
lies, stronger communities, better
cooperation among groups, and also by sta-
tistics such as fewer Hindus converting out
of the religion and more non-Hindus ac-
cepting Sanathana Dharma.
Shri Niraj provided some education about
Dharmic Basics, Dharmic Social Intelli-
gence/Infrastructure, Seva and Cooperation
(vs. unity) and presented a very positive,
progressive vision for a Dharmic planet
going out in the coming generations.
During and after this one-day interactive
workshop, there were opportunities for
these youth to put their ideas and enthusi-
asm into action producing valuable work-
product for our temples, families,
communities and for the wider non-
Dharmic community. Through working to-
gether as teams, these young people will
become empowered and help the commu-
nity grow.
What is the Goal?
Future leaders should be able to handle the
stresses of everyday life and have the skills
and maturity to filter out the normal 'noise'
of petty politics to make sure that good
work gets done and that Dharma advances
forward each day. In the end, these people
should work daily to develop a positive at-
titude that will help take them and others
along with them on to many successes in
life.
Much of the day was spent in an interac-
tive session divided into four groups of five
persons each to learn what their challenges
and desires are and how to work together to
overcome them.
The workshop was a huge success and
the youth involved participated with vigor
and wanted to get fully involved in becom-
ing the next generation of Dharmic leaders
to work tirelessly to improve institutions
and build new ones where necessary.
COMMENTARY
Indo-Caribbean Times is pub-
lished monthly in Toronto by
Indo-Caribbean Times Ltd.
Editor/Publisher: Ram Jagessar
Editorial Committee:
Reynold Ramdial, Gulcharan Mo-
habir, Lloyd Harradan, Sandy
Kissoonsingh, Roop Misir, Deoraj
Narine, Jiantee Jagessar,Krishna
Nankissoor, Rudy Lochan
Offi
ficce: 17 Gaiety Drive,
Toronto ON Canada M1H 1B9
Tel: 416-289-3898
Fax: 416-289-0528
E-Mail: ictimes@rogers.com
Opinions given in this newspaper
are those of the authors and do
not necessarily reflect the views
of the Indo-Caribbean Times.
We welcome letters, e-mails and
comments on matters relevant to
Indo-Caribbeans in Canada and
abroad, and also those at home in
the Caribbean. All content must
comply with the requirements of
Canadian law.
A copy of this newspaper is
posted on the internet in as a pdf
file immediately after publication,
and the entire contents can be
read online by anyone with a
computer and an internet con-
nection
Letters to editor
Get behind fearless Panday
The Editor,
It seems we keep talking about the bad
treatment meted out to our indian people-
yet no one seems brave enough to suggest
what positive action should be taken to
right these wrongs.
Maybe we could jointly suggest a ten
point action plan. In my opinion in Trinidad
we need to get behind the Tiger =Basdeo
Panday-a fearless indian leader who is not
in there for status grabbing - he has been
there and done it = he truly believe in the
cause to make Trinidad a better place for all
the people.
To hell with those who talk about dis-
honesty....the man has not been convicted!!
Hey, which one of us can truly say with
hand on his heart that he had not at one time
or the other been dishonest?
We need a fighter who can look the Prime
Minister in his eyes and point an accusing
finger. Crime is spiralling, Indians are the
victims, particularly our indian women...I
can go on and on..............We need the Ben-
gal Tiger spirit to lead our people......all the
other so called indian leaders are jok-
ers..................just like Jadeo in Guyana
who has no clue to provide the protection
the indian people needs!!
There is only one way to solve the crime
Indo-Caribbean Times
Jagdeo wrong to pardon that traitor Benschop
From the editor’s desk
Treason doth never pros-
per, what's the reason? For
if it prosper, none dare
call it Treason. (John Har-
ington)
G
uyana's traitor Robert
Ram Jagessar
Benschop joins the
list of Southern Caribbean traitors who are
having a good run of prosperity in the last
few years. President Jagdeo may live to re-
gret his surprising decision to grant Ben-
schop a “presidential free pardon” for his
role in the infamous 2002 invasion of Pres-
ident House.
Other lucky traitors are not hard to find.
Trinidad's Raffique Shah was one of the
army officers who led the 1970 military
mutiny that almost brought down the gov-
ernment. Instead of being hanged, he was
eventually freed, went into politics and be-
came opposition leader at one point! He be-
came a muckraking newspaper editor and
is now a senior journalist. I would call that
prosperity.
Makandal Daaga and numerous leaders
of the 1970 Black Power group in Trinidad
openly tried to overthrow the government
of Trinidad and Tobago, definitely a trea-
son offence. Are they rotting in jail today?
Not a chance. Daaga and his buddies are
free, and most of them have respectable
jobs and a good life.
Maurice Bishop, opposition leader in
Grenada, staged a revolutionary coup
against the elected prime minister Eric
Gairy in 1979, and then became prime min-
ister himself. How's that for treason pros-
pering?
Army leaders staged a military coup in
Suriname in 1980, and became the govern-
ment. No treason or punishment there. They
did it again in 1990 and have not been pun-
ished. Bush negroes from the Suriname
Liberation Army staged a guerilla war
against the military government of that
situation..........death penalty for gun related
indictable crimes, e.g robbery. Kidnappin-
gand and Rape in the present climate should
carry the death penalty.............zero toler-
ance to any criminal offences.
We must confront the problems head
on..............not diving under the nearest
piece of carpet!!
A very concerned reader
Cost figures for faith based
schools dead wrong
The Editor
Figures in the Toronto Star on John Tory's
proposal to publicly fund religious schools
costing the province way more than $500
million, as per Education Minister Kathleen
Wynne are not correct. The $500 million
number is unfounded. To start, it assumes
that every single independent faith-based
school will opt-in. That's just misleading.
Some schools will opt to stay outside the
public system in order to retain their inde-
pendence.
In fact by 2010, the first year that faith-
based schools will be eligible to opt in to
the public system, a John Tory PC govern-
ment will have boosted annual education
spending by at least $1.8 billion dollars, and
will add another $600 million in 2111/2112
for a total annual increase of $2.4 billion
over current spending.
The money to pay for this will come out
of the education tax dollars paid by fami-
SEPTEMBER 2007
country after 1982, a small matter of trea-
son against a bunch of traitors running the
government. What happened to them? They
eventually brought down the government
and yes, they prospered as part of the es-
tablishment.
Trinidad's Yasin Abu Bakr led a rag tag
bunch of militant Muslims to seize the Par-
liament of Trinidad in 1990, shoot the
prime minister, blow up police headquar-
ters and kill at least two dozen people. That
is “treason father”, and as we all know the
usual punishment for treason is death or life
imprisonment. Not for Abu Bakr and the
boys, it seems. He was freed, became a
community leader with the ear of the prime
minister, and by most accounts, a multimil-
lionaire. Treason prospers mightily in
Trinidad.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez at-
tempted a military coup in 1992, did not get
the expected serious jail sentence,and seven
years later was elected president. That's a
strange punishment for a traitor.
That's eight cases of treason prospering in
the southern Caribbean, as opposed to two
where they faced serious penalties. Those
two are the National Union of Freedom
Fighters (NUFF) guerillas in Trinidad in the
mid seventies (mostly executed by the po-
lice), and the Grenada rebels who over-
threw and executed prime minister and
former traitor Maurice Bishop in 1983
(mostly given long jail sentences). By the
way, don't say the Southern Caribbean is a
peaceful, democratic region. It ain't so.
Coming back to the Benschop pardon, I
have to say I don't agree with President Jad-
geo. He may be trying to make it look like
an act of mercy, but it looks more like cav-
ing in to pressure from the opposition PNC
who organized the 2002 raid. The PNC has
been calling Benschop a political prisoner
and now they have won a freed political
prisoner.
lies using faith-based schools. Until now
this money has been diverted to pay for
other programs while the families in ques-
tion are forced to pay a second time for the
education of their children in a manner con-
sistent with their culture.
Ontario schools are funded by per pupil
grants, so it is inaccurate to claim that ex-
tending fairness as Tory is proposing will
reduce the funding to public schools. This
kind of zero sum claims is the worst sort of
divisive fear-mongering. The crisis in pub-
lic education is due to problems in the fund-
ing formula and has nothing to do with
faith-based schools.
Kanayalal Raina
Brampton
How many Guyanese
living in Venezuela?
The Editor,
In a recent issue of the Indo-Caribbean
Times you said that 80,000 Guyanese were
living in Venezuela near the border. I find
this number hard to believe. Could we re-
ally have over 10% of the Guyana popula-
tion living illegally in Venezuela?
Do you have any reliable figures on how
many Guyanese, and in particular Indo-
Guyanese, are living out of our country?
Outsider,
Kitchener
Page 4
Let's remember exactly what Benschop
did. He led a group of PNC thugs on a vio-
lent assault on President's House in which
two people died. Treason by any count.
President Jadgeo admits that Benschop did
the deed. The whole country knows Ben-
schop did it, in full view of hundreds of
people, and was duly caught.
How can President Jagdeo say his par-
don is a personal matter that does not touch
the judicial issue? It's absurd to say he was
sorry for Benschop because the man has
spend so much time in jail because his trial
lead to a hung jury. There is no bail for trea-
son, for good reason. You do the crime, you
face the punishment. It was only because a
single juror out of 12 failed to vote guilty
that Benschop avoided a serious penalty
like life in jail. And for that accident he gets
a presidential pardon?
What message does this send to the PNC
that has been at the back of numerous street
riots like the one Benschop led? They can
apply “more fyah” (ie more street riots)
again, as PNC leader Robert Corbin has
been hinting lately. Indians walking the
streets of Georgetown can look forward to
licks like fire, and maybe a few more burn-
ings of their business places. Jagdeo and
the ruling PPP can expect more pressure
from the PNC for executive power sharing,
which was the aim of those riots in the first
case.
Having lost in the elections, the PNC
wants to get some political power through
the back door method of power sharing.
The only signs worthy of attention are
these. The PNC is crowing and celebrating.
People who took part in or supported the
street riots are smiling. Indo-Guyanese liv-
ing abroad are scratching their heads and
wondering why they ever thought of re-
turning home to a place where an ac-
knowledged traitor and his political party
are given free rein to do their evil again.
Dear Outsider,
In this issue we publish figures for
Guyanese living abroad ( See Page 15). It
seems there are really a million Guyanese
living abroad, compared to three quarter
million living at home.
The Guyanese Consulate in Toronto has
estimated 960,000 Guyanese living outside
the home country. But that figure includes
only 40,000 living in Venezuela. Guyana
Ambassador to Venezuela Ishmael Odeen
has stated publicly that there are 80,000 in
the border areas alone. If we add the extra
40,000 to the Consulate’s 960,000 we get
an even million.
Getting figures for Indo-Guyanese is
tricky, as nobody has accurate records of
the breakdown of Indos to Afros abroad.
But if we take a reasonable figure of 60%
for Indo-Guyanese, that would give us
600,000 Indo-Guyanese abroad, enough to
fill up the whole of Scarborough.
The biggest groups of Indo-Guyanese in my
opinion are in New York, followed by
Toronto, Miami, Mississauga, Montreal,
and several American cities.
Indo-Guyanese abroad tend to associate
with another related group, the Indo-
Trinidadians, and the two make up the bulk
of the Indo-Caribbean community abroad..
My understanding is that Indo-Caribbeans
abroad total a cool million, possibly the
same amount of Indos liviong in the
Caribbean.
The Editor.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO NEWS
No beds in South hospital
Pregnant and sick women on benches and cold floors
New poll suggests the Malick takes
public wants PNM out tassa crown
B
Elsie Manoo, wheelchair bound heart pa-
tient groans on a hard bench
oth pregnant and elderly women
say they are going through torture at
San Fernando General Hospital as
they are forced to sleep on wooden
benches, chairs and the cold floor in corri-
dors because of the unavailability of beds.
Recently about 12 expectant mothers,
some of whom were past their due date,
were seen sitting on chairs inside Ward 13,
the Maternity Ward of the hospital.
On Ward 11, four pensioners were among
eight women who were agonising in pain
because their were no beds.
Among them was 53-year-old wheel-
chair-bound heart patient Elsie Manoo, of
Syne Village, Penal, who has only one leg,
which is deformed.
Manoo said she and the other women had
been waiting in the corridor of the hospital
for four days for treatme nt. The elderly
women were in discomfort and appeared to
be agonising in pain. They complained of
mainly chest pain and breathing difficulty.
Some of them were hooked up to drips,
but had to hold the bags in their hands.
Their clothing and other personal items
were lying on the floor next to them.
With tears streaming down her face,
Manoo begged for a bed. She said, “Since
four days I here. I have plenty pain in my
chest and I cannot breathe. I have one foot
and it complicated.” She said, too, her
soiled diaper had not been changed.
“I will be very thankful, if I could get a
bed please,” she pleaded.
Another patient, Doyah Samaroo, 64, of
Fullerton Village, Cedros, said there were
over 20 people lying on the floor and the
bench.
She said the nurses said there were only
21 beds and there were more than 40 pa-
tients.
Bad publicity:
PNM’s $100,000 a
plate dinner cancelled
B
ad publicity caused the People's Na-
tional Movement to cancel a $100,000
a plate campaign fund raising dinner with
Prime Minister Patrick Manning is off.
The black tie dinner event had been
scheduled to take place at the end of last
month.
A source said that people who had con-
firmed their attendance at the dinner were
very upset when they read about the event
and this is why it was cancelled.
Everything unravelled after a local news-
paper publicized what was surely the most
expensive fundraising dinner in Trinidad’s
history.
It is not known if those who had already
paid for the dinner will have their money
refunded.
Opposition politicians and social com-
mentators had ridiculed the fundraiser as
excessive and insensitive.
Indo-Caribbean Times
Kidnap victim
found dead
F oreign used car dealer Ronald Samlal
has been found dead, victim of an ap-
A
parent kidnapping gone wrong. Samlal, 42,
of Eastern Main Road, San Juan was found
new poll conducted by a Barbados re-
search group has revealed that most el-
igible voters favour a change of
government from the incumbent People's
National Movement (PNM).
The surprising results of the poll, con-
ducted by the Barbados-based Caribbean
Development Research Services
(CADRES), also revealed that the Congress
of the People (COP) poses the primary
threat to the ruling PNM, and not the United
National Congress (UNC).The CADRES
opinion survey was done last month among
a standard 1,000 respondents of potential
voters.
With an estimated five per cent margin of
error, the poll has revealed that 69.7 per
cent favoured a change in government from
Prime Minister Patrick Manning's adminis-
tration.
This was just two per cent less than those
surveyed in 2006 when 72 per cent
recorded a desire for change in government
and consistent with the 70 per cent who
shared such a desire in 2005.
The poll recorded the PNM's popular sup-
port at 26 per cent-seven per cent above the
19 per cent for COP.
The UNC recorded a 16.4 per cent pop-
ular support rating, while "don't knows"
stood at approximately 15 per cent (14.9)
and those planning not to vote at 14.4 per
cent.
In relation to personal popularity to lead
a government, last month's poll recorded
Manning as scoring 31 per cent; Dookeran
26 per cent;UNC's Kamla Persad-Bissesar
(current Opposition Leader) 20 per cent;
and former prime minister and UNC leader
Basdeo Panday six per cent.
Manning promises to
lead TT into land of
milk and honey
P
rime Minister Patrick Manning has an-
nounced that in the next five years this
country will see an unprecedented rate of
development, and noted that he wants to
continue to lead this country "into a land of
milk and honey".
"At no other period in the country's his-
tory will Trinidad and Tobago have devel-
oped as rapidly as we are poised to develop
in the five-year period that is to come," he
said.
He was speaking at a PNM public meet-
ing at Sinanan Building, Eastern Main
Road, Sangre Grande. About 2,000 people
turned out for the meeting, many dressed in
red and waving banners, flags or long bal-
loons in a lively, almost fete-like atmos-
phere.
Manning, in his feature address, said that
in the next five years there will be a focus
on drainage, as there are problems all over
the country; and also on the development of
highways and the transportation system as
a whole, including a mass transit system.
He has already spoken of plans to con-
struct a billion dollar national transportation
system, and programs for solving the coun-
try’s food problems with huge megafarms
built and operated by Cubans.
Political opponents have dismissed the
plans as nothing more than electoral rheto-
ric.
SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 5
T
he 2007 Unit Trust Energy Fund Na- dead earlier this month off the North Coast
tional Tassa Competition was held in Road, Maracas.
front of a huge well behaved audience at He had been reported missing by his son
the Aranjuez Savannah recently. David on August 30, when he Samlal left
The crowd was treated to fantastic per- his home on that date to conduct business
formances despite the inclement weather. at Chaguanas but failed to return home.
Excellent performances were also put on by Relatives received a call later that night
the Caribbean Vibes Rhythm Section, Mil- demanding money for his safe release. The
lennium Stars, and Neeshan “Hitman” body was discovered soon after.
Neighbours save
Prabhoo.
The People’s Choice award and Best
lucky Chaguanas
Dressed Tassa Band titles were taken by
Malick All Stars Tassa, while D’ Untouch-
kidnap victim
ables were designated the Most Promising
Tassa Band.
L
In the Tassa dancers category, Malick All
Stars Tassa placed first, followed by Gurga
ucky Chaguanas kidnap victim Robert
Stars second, and Durga Shakti in third.
Rampersad was saved by neighbours
Attempt to remove
who called police when they saw saw
something fishy at his home.
religious school boards
Rampersad was at home when he was
grabbed by two gunmen at 11 p.m. Neigh-
S
bours saw Rampersad's car leaving the
ecretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha garage with the headlights switched off, and
Sabha (SDMS)Sat Maharaj has blasted called police. Cops spotted the car and
the e Ministry of Education for its attempt chased it until Rampersad and his car were
to eliminate the association of denomina- abandoned at the Caroni Cremation Site.
tional school boards, while at the same time Police were able to rescue a couple whose
"trying to emulate us by appointing car had been hijacked, and who had been
boards." left stranded at the cremation site a few
Proclaiming that the ministry will "be minutes earlier.
PNM accused of plans
guilty of political revolution if they try to
get rid of the boards", Secretary General of
to use police muscle in
the , Sat Maharaj, scoffed at this blatant at-
tempt to quash what he refers to as a very
successful arrangement.
Maharaj said, "We are giving them (the coming election
ministry) ideas... but many people don't un- United National Congress Alliance member
derstand the role of the denominational Wade Mark has alleged that the ruling Peo-
boards and what we are doing for education ple's National Movement plans to use
in the land." "rogue" members of the country's security
Noting that "there are many countries in forces to intimidate people in the upcoming
the world that are begging the denomina- election.
tional school boards to come", Maharaj He alleged that these rogue security
boasted that the district of El Dorado had forces intend to harass members of the pub-
"two of the finest primary schools in the lic in marginal constituencies. Mark
land, wherethe discipline is phenomenal." claimed the PNM had lost the "muscle" it
Several Christian, Hindu and Muslim had used for the 2002 elections, referring to
school boards operate primary and second- previous allegations that members of the Ja-
ary schools in Trinidad and Tobago, and maat al Muslimeen had previously been
generally produce better results than the
used as party muscle.
state funded schools. They follow the stan- Commissioner of Police Trevor Paul has
dard curriculum and admit students of other denied the charges.
faiths than that followed by the boards.
Five year old
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napping a five year old school-
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ers and a five year old boy's
Lea Nankissoor
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The woman went to the
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sent for her to take measure- Associate Mortgage Broker
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The girl was taken to the San
(over 15 yrs Banking experience)
Juan market and robbed of a pair
647-294-6241
of K Swift sneakers. The child,
who was left crying in the mar-
ket, identified Richardson walk-
ing along the road while police *OAC, terms and rates are subject to change without
were taking her to the station. notice and some conditions may apply
A mountain of complaints against police
TRINIDAD
t
AND TOBAGO
N Nine PNM MP’s drop Priests clear evil spirit from Cedros village
ational Security Minister Martin
Joseph has said 633 complaints
weremade against the police for the
first five months of the year.
Joseph disclosed the figures which rep-
resent the period January to May in re-
sponse to a question on the order paper on
the issue by Opposition Senator Dr Glenn
Ramadharsingh.
In response to another question Joseph
said that for the period 2002 to 2006 a total
of 12,767 complaints were made against the
police.
According to the Police Complaints Au-
thority, Joseph said in total, 13,400 com-
plaints were made against the police.
He said of that figure, 3,916 were re-
solved and from that "252 officers warned,
disciplined and one dismissed to date".
TT wants Guyanese
for mega farms
J
ust days after Trinidad Prime Minister
Patrick Manning announced a plan for
food security, the Ministry of Agriculture in
that country has advertised in Guyana for
proposals for the development of 13 large
farms in the twin-island republic compris-
ing 2,227 acres.
The farms are to be located on lands that
were formally owned by a State Enterprise
and used primarily for the production of
sugar cane, along with some other crops.
On August 16, Prime Minister Manning
promised an unprecedented level of food
production that would make food afford-
able to everyone in Trinidad.
Manning outlined the Government's
plans for the establishment of 17 100-acre
farms in strategic locations.
"We expect that there will be a sustained
supply of primary and processed food for
both domestic consumption and for export;
and with this level of production, prices will
be kept at affordable levels," the Trinidad
Guardian quoted Manning as saying.
"We expect that nobody in this country
will ever suffer from inability to buy...In
this new century, Trinidad and Tobago will
enjoy its highest ever level of food secu-
rity."
The farms would use modern technology
to produce food on a large scale and would
be operated along commercial lines with
private sector involvemen, production of
vegetables, root crops, animal husbandry,
and aquaculture in 13 commercial agricul-
tural farms on six sites. These sites are Ca-
roni, Edinburgh, Jerningham, La Gloria,
Orange Grove and Picton.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture
in Guyana is awaiting a response from the
Trinidad Government on a number of pro-
posals made to that country, which, if taken
on board, will see the development of a
number of large farms in Guyana, with
funding from Trinidad.
Valley is out for PNM
Trade and Industry Minister Kenneth Val-
ley will not be among those nominees who
are to be screened by the People's National
Movement (PNM) today for seats now held
in the Parliament by the ruling party.
"I am not invited to be screened tomor-
row," Valley said in a brief interview yes-
terday. More screenings are scheduled to
take place today by the PNM screening
committee at the party's Balisier House
headquarters in Port of Spain.
Indo-Caribbean Times
out of elections after woman sets herself on fire
The following PNM MPs have indicated
they would not be contesting the next gen-
eral election.
John Rahael, PoS North/St Ann’s West
(personal reasons)
Camille Robinson-Regis, Arouca South
(health)
Jarrette Narine, Arouca North (personal)
Roger Boynes, Sangre Grande (health)
Larry Achong, Point Fortin (not nomi-
nated)
Hedwidge Bereaux, La Brea (personal)
Eulalie James, Laventille West (health)
Eric Williams, PoS South (facing bribery
charges)
Franklin Khan, Ortoire/Mayaro (facing cor-
ruption charges)
This means the ruling PNM has to field
nine candidates in seats that have tradition-
ally proven to be election strongholds for
the party.
14 year old boy guilty
of sex attack on
teacher in class
A
junior secondary school student who
was found guilty yesterday of a sex at-
tack on his teacher will know his fate later
this month.
The boy, who was then 14 years old, held
the teacher against a table in a class room
after a Spanish test, the court heard.
He placed his hands on her chest and also
up her skirt as the teacher, 37, struggled and
screamed.
She testified that her screams alerted a
school cleaner who entered the classroom
and startled the boy.
He was held by the cleaner when he tried
to run away and was handed over to secu-
rity guards, the Couva Magistrates' Court
was told.
The boy, now 15, cannot be named be-
cause he is a minor. He was charged with
indecent assault. The case was tried sum-
marily. The incident occurred on January
20, 2006.
New $1.5 billion port
promised in 2009
A new $1.5 billion Port of Spain Port will
be built and ready for operations in by mid-
2009.
In making the disclosure Prime Minis-
ter Patrick Manning said until that time,
there will continue to be some problems at
the existing Port of Spain Port where much
of the nation's imported food items are
processed.
Manning made the announcement in re-
sponses to concerns raised about the Port of
Spain Port during the Government's public
consultations on food prices.”In the past
few years, there have been delays at the port
which have affected the delivery of food
items and some supermarkets and some fast
food restaurants
The new Port of Spain Port is to be con-
structed along the waterfront at Sea Lots
which is east of the port's existing location
on the water front along Wrightson Road,
Port of Spain.
SEPTEMBER 2007
N
ine years after five teenagers of the
Cedros community committed sui-
cide within a week, panic has once
again gripped the area, since a young
mother died
after setting
herself
afire.
While the
incident
may have
been passed
off as an-
other sui-
cide,
villagers be-
lieve that
demons
d r o v e
Dohmattie
Seebran, 27, to her death.
As a result, scores of terrified villagers
held an inter-faith service
at Granville Community Centre t, in a bid to
shield their community from evil.
Worshippers chanted Hindu mantras,
bhajans, gospel hymns, MuslimQaseedas
and Christian incantations, as they partici-
pated in a candlelight procession through
the streets from six o'clock.
Pundit Prabhoodeo Maharaj, a police
corporal assigned to the Cap-de-ville police
post, led the service, along with Presbyteri-
anMinister Ivan Paul, Roman Catholic
priest Fr Wilfred John and PunditsSuren
Maharaj and Mannie Maharaj.
Prabhoodeo said they were determined
not to have a repeat of 1998, when Vanessa
14, Balraj Baboolal, 18, Aamir Jeetan, 16,
Sunil Ramdeen, 16, and Michelle Sam-
soondar, 18, took their lives within a week.
He said several young women had been
acting odd during the past month, after ex-
periencing strange sensations. He said one
girl was foundwandering in the bushes and
when they found her she was almost deliri-
ous.
She said later someone was calling her
into the forests.
Another woman said she was at the back
of her house when she felt something hold-
ing onto her. “She couldn’t move,” Prab-
hoodeo said.
He said several others had come to him
reporting that they heard strange voices in
their heads compelling them to kill their
children and end their lives.
The brother of one of the affected women
said they were all terrified,because of the
recent developments. He said young
women were afraid to walk the streets after
dark.
Men were afraid to go to their gardens,
while children were afraid to go outside to
play.
Resident Ramdeo Maharaj said many
people reported seeing a white goat,
wearing a gold chain. “I haven’t seen it, but
many people did. Everybody is scared.” he
said.
Pundit Prabhoodeo said the goat might
have been used in a sacrifice which went
awry.
“People have their cults and they have
unleashed a spirit in the village by doing
this sacrifice.”
The pundit said searches were made in the
village for the goat but all in vain.
Page 6
Voices in her head
Meanwhile, villagers are still baffled by the
suicide of
Dohmattie
Seebran.
Days before
she set her-
self on fire,
Seebran told
her husband
Mukesh that
she was
hearing
voices in her
head.
Speaking
at
Boodram
his
T r a c e ,
Granville, home, Mukesh said Seebran
never showed any suicidal tendencies.
He said they had a happy life and loved
their three-year-old daughter Celine very
much. He said two weeks before her death,
Seebran began complaining of headaches.
“I told my wife to take a rest, because I
felt she was just tired. I never expected her
to do something like this.”
He said the voices were telling Seebran
to kill her three-year-old daughter Celine
and then kill herself.
While Seebran was at home alone on Au-
gust 27, she doused herself with a bucket of
kerosene, lit a match and ignited her body.
She languished for three days in San Fer-
nando General Hospital before dying on
August 30.
'Seebran’s sister-in-law Vera said on the
morning of the incident, Seebran admitted
that she was not feeling well.
“'She tell me that something was in her
head and wanted her to do bad things. I tell
her that it was probably a demon, and she
should pray to get rid of it.
“I left the house to go to San Fernando,
and the next thing I heard was she set her-
self on fire,' Vera recalled.
“Since the death, Celine has become even
more attached to her father.
“She doesn’t like him to go anywhere. She
cries all the time.”
She said two other women had experi-
enced similar feelings.
Since ther ritual the goat has not ap-
peared and nobody has reported hearing
voices in their heads.
COP holds giant
meeting in city
Long-standing businessman Michael
Williams says Prime Minister Patrick Man-
ning is "quaking in his boots" following the
Congress of the People's (COP) "Real Red"
first anniversary rally last week.
Williams said he was pleased with Sun-
day's large turnout and felt it was indicative
of the COP's effectiveness.
The COP rally brought thousands of sup-
porters from all over the country to Wood-
ford Square, Port of Spain, with most
people wearing red to create a unified show
of force.
The party used the occasion to announce
some of its newest high-profile supporters,
including-Timothy Hamel-Smith and Clive
Pantin
Crime wave against Indians worsens daily
GUYANA NEWS
Bandit attacks and robberies against Indi-
ans have been taking a distinctly more vio-
lent and vicious trend in the last few weeks.
It’s now common to have gangs of up to
seven armed and masked men breaking
down doors, firing wild west style, beating
and torturing people in their homes.
These bandits are never in a hurry, un-
afraid of the police, and relentlessly deter-
mined to get the hidden cash and jewellery
in the homes they attack. Robberies of busi-
nesspeople and individuals on the street are
just as brutal and frightening.
Do we have a new trend in robberies
against Indians in Guyana? ICTimes re-
viewed some of the crimes in the last few
weeks and invite you to make your own
conclusion. We believe a new and darker
phase of crime is upon Guyana.
July 26
Werk-en-Rust jewel
store heist
Four men, all of whom were charged with
the robbery committed on a D”Urban Street
pawn shop on July 26, appeared in the
Georgetown Magistrates' Court.
The men, Jude Bushy, Vibert Weekes,
Andre Plass and Kevin Gibson armed with
a gun, robbed Hardat Muniram, proprietor
of Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop on
D'Urban Street , Werk-en-Rust. The men
also allegedly relieved Muniram of a .32
pistol and 14 matching rounds, $2 million
in gold jewellery as well as $500,000 in
local currency. Bushy pleaded guilty to the
robbery charge and was jailed for three
years.
July 27
Pirates rob Essequibo
fishermen
Five armed, masked pirates attacked and
robbed 12 Essequibo fishermen off the sea
coast in North West District, Region One
(Barima/Waini) on July 27. The robbers
took away all the catch, outboard engines,
fuel, food, seine and one of the two vessels,
according to Dulaman Singh,captain and
owner of the stolen craft.
July 29
Wedding reception
attack
Young Kelvin Singh, 17, was attacked and
left for dead by two men he was taking to
his sister's wedding reception in Kitty on
the night of July 29. Singh knew the as-
sailants, and identified them as Rudolph aka
Rudy and Dexter from Station Street and
Shell Road , Kitty. The two forced Singh
to stop the car, choked him and gave him a
powdery substance to eat. They also tried
to drown him in a foot-deep swampy patch
of ground. Singh survived by pretending to
be dead, and told police he overheard one
of the individuals saying, “Leh we go, he
done dead.” They then kicked him to make
sure he wouldn't respond before fleeing
with the car.
July 30
Corentyne home
robbery
Two bandits succeeded robbed Bharrat
Indo-Caribbean Times
Sookhnandan and his wife, Meena, of Ram-
poor Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice of
$325,000 cash and jewels on July 30. When
Sookhnandan went to investigate dogs
barking outside their home around 10.30
pm he was attacked by the armed bandits
and taken into the house where his wife was
relieved of the booty.
July 30
Albion pensioner
murdered
The Albion man arrested by police on July
30 in connection with the death of 69-year-
old pensioner, Deonarine Bhansingh, of Al-
bion Front New Scheme on the Corentyne
has reportedly confessed to killing the man.
The suspect is said to be a 32-year-old who
is no stranger to the victim. He was picked
up just hours after the pensioner's body was
discovered by a neighbour in his home on
July 30.
July 30
Corentyne wedding
house robbery
Vadawattie Kellawan, 38, was shot in un-
usual circumstances at a Number 69,
Corentyne, Berbice wedding house on July
30. When she and other guests went to in-
vestigate an alarm about bandits in a an-
other house nearby a gun was fired and
Kellawan was hit by a bullet.
East bank family hit by gunmen
On the night of August 2, three gunmen
attacked an East Bank Demerara family and
stole an undisclosed sum of money and
jewels. About 11.30 pm 41-year-old house-
wife Shakila Bacchus and her family were
aroused by a noise at the back door of their
Golden Grove New Scheme house. When
they went to check they were held at gun-
point by the bandits and robbed.
August 2
14 gunman robbery at
Crabwood Creek
A Crabwood Creek family escaped with
their lives after as many as 14 gunmen tar-
geted their dwelling place shortly before
02:00 am on August 2. The prime target of
the brazen attack was Sham Narine Sugrim,
called 'Shayo', who was shot in the left leg.
Sugrim is the son of popular Corentyne
businessman Haresh Narine Sugrim, called
Chinee. In the mayhem, one woman was
shot dead and four men were injured, one
of them shot in the head. The dead woman
has since been identified as Faye Campbell,
of Cumberland , East Canje , while her two
companions were identified as Donald
Sukra Premnauth, and Mukesh Bridgemo-
han, of Grove New Scheme, East Bank De-
merara. They are now patients at the New
Amsterdam Hospital . Premnauth was shot
in the upper back while Sukra was shot in
both knees.
August 3
West Bank wake
house guests robbed
A gang of five robbed three men attending
a wake at Plantain Walk, West Bank De-
merara on August 3, held by Mahendra De-
SEPTEMBER 2007
onarine for his recently deceased father.
The men were relieved of a total of $28,000
cash, jewels valued $50,000 and a cell
phone and locked in a garage.
August 10
Corentyne murder
Forty-two-year-old Bryan Chinapen of
Chesney New Scheme, Albion, Corentyne
was reportedly beaten to death on August 8
in Albion . According to the Berbice police,
four persons, including a woman, are in
custody.
The victim's mother, Chandrawattie
Ramotar, lives a short distance away at Kil-
coy Settlement, Albion . The 68-year-old
hypertensive woman took ill immediately
after receiving the news. “Me grandson
come tell me somebody beat am (Bryan
Chinapen) up and he dead.” The dead man's
wife, Gaitree Kuachran, left him with a
friend at their home to attend a wake at Fyr-
ish, Corentyne the said night.
August 18
US visitors robbed
Gangadai Bifan, 52, was shot and wound-
edl, following a robbery at her brother's res-
idence at Lot 77 Number 12 Village, West
Coast Berbice.
Three armed gunmen invaded the home
which was packed with relatives gathered
to welcome US based Chetrie Ramcharran,
and his son Dhaniram.
Canecutter shocked
,
West Demerara home with cable
August 20
invasion
Three masked gunmen early morning
A masked gunman entered the home of a La
Jalousie, West Demarara woman, and
robbed Pulmattie Puran of jwellery worth
more than half a million dollars. The man
broken into the house at 2.50 am and went
from room to room threatening the family,
including a baby, until he got the jewellery.
Den Amstel police were called three times
but did not turn up until daybreak.
Tuesday, August 27, 2007
Bounty Hall kick
down door
Four armed bandits broke down the door of
Bounty Hall businesswoman Chandrawat-
tie Sookdeo late at night, and robbed the
family of local and foreign currency and
telephone cards. The men carried a rifle and
three handguns. They held the family at
gunpoint before taking the money, and
forced a grandson to open the gas station to
get the phone cards. They escaped in a boat
on the Essequibo River.
August 27
Beaten and robbed in
Caneville
A Caneville shopkeeper Bharat Persaud
was critically injured by three armed ban-
dits who entered his East Bank Demerara
store. After robbing the store they tried to
go into his house next door and when he re-
fused, beat him on the head with gun butts.
Bharat was taken to hospital and detained.
Page 7
August 31st 2007
Mango trader killed
Fifty-one-year-old mango trader Kumar
Singh of Lot 51 Craig Milne, Cove & John,
was fatally shot after a large gang of heav-
ily armed bandits invaded his home and
also wounded his brother-in-law. The at-
tackers escaped into the backlands with an
undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery.
His brother-law whose name was given
as John Jessica, a Brazilian, sustained gun-
shot wounds to his waist and knee.Jessica’s
niece were also gun butted by the men and
received medical attention. Jessica and his
wife arrived in the country from Suriname
around 7 pm and shortly after the heavily
armed bandits struck. Four entered the
home while three more stood guard outside
the yard.
Relatives stated that the men toted "small
guns and big guns" and some carried more
than one gun and fired these indiscrimi-
nately while they were in the house. Singh's
daughter Latchmini, said that she was car-
ried upstairs and taken to her mother's room
and the bandit demanded to know where the
money was. She said that he threatened to
rape her and she went down on her knees
and begged him not to do so. The Singhs'
residence is located a short distance from
away from the Cove and John Police Sta-
tion but ranks arrived about 20 minutes
after the men fled although they received
numerous calls.
September 1st 2007
carted off over $500,000 in cash and jew-
ellery from a the Lancaster Village, Coren-
tyne family of Chandradass Appan. The
cane harvester got up at 3.00 am only to
meet three masked gunmen when he went
downstairs.
The bandits started beating Appan, de-
manding a gun and car which Appan did not
have. They also tortured him with electric
shocks from the fridge cable, and when that
failed, started beating his wife Nadera.
They threatened to kidnap the Appan's son,
and so got more money from Nadera. The
family called the police at about 4.30 am
but "them never come till eight o'clock
time."
Saturday, September 1st 2007
Drive by shooting
Well-known herbalist Dr Veerasammy Ra-
mayya on Thursday said an unknown per-
son fired at his vehicle causing him to lose
control of it on the Number 19 Public Road,
Corentyne Berbice.
The doctor was on his way home at 8.30
pm when he observed a car following him
and shortly after, two shots were fired at his
car. He returned fire with his licensed
firearm but the car drove up right next to
him and attempted to run him off the road.
The doctor said in his attempt to avoid
being hit he lost control of his car and
ended up almost in the trench. He said he
then exited the car and jumped into the
trench and continued firing at the car which
drove away.
((CONTINUED ON PAGE 21)
.
Absent pump attendants blamed for flooding
GUYANA NEWS
Georgetown flooded:
negligent pump
attendants face axe
T
hree Georgetown pump/sluice atten-
dants may be fired because of negli-
gence during an August 22 rainfall that
caused 70 percent of the city to be flooded.
At the time coastal Guyana experienced an
unexpected 5.5 inches of rainfall, some 3.4
inches above normal. Normally the city's
drainage system can handle two to three
inches of rainfall by proper use of the
sluice gates.
But on that day several pump attendants
were either absent or came late. And even
those who came to work had only some of
the sluices and kokers partially opened, ac-
cording to an investigation. Disciplinary
action has been suggested for three of the
attendants, and a system to ensure it never
happens again.
Shakeup in army
follows loss of AK-47’s
P
resident Bharrat Jagdeo has shaken up
the senior management of the Guyana
Defence Force, sidestepped four senior of-
ficers and bringing up four others, one of
whom becomes chief of staff, to replace
Brigadier Edward Collins. The move is a
clear repercussion from last year's loss of
30 AK-47 rifles and five pistols, which se-
verely damaged the reputation of the army.
The President who is also Commander-
in-Chief of the Armed Forces said that his
new team is young and bright and would be
a good asset to the country. Gary Best, An-
drew Pompey, Bruce Lovell and Mark
Phillips were elevated from commander
and Lieutenant Colonels respectively to
Captain and substantive colonels.
Gary Best who moved up to Captain has
been appointed as the new Chief of Staff.
Pompey has been appointed as his deputy,
while Lovell will be the new Colonel Gen-
eral Staff responsible for operations, while
Phillips will be in charge of administration
and quartering. Jagdeo's elevation of the
four officers meant that Colonel Lawrence
Paul, who was next in line to Collins with
six months to retire, Frank Bispham, Lin-
den Ross and Gordon Benn were over-
looked.
Four lane East Bank
highway finally opens
T
he much delayed four-lane East Bank
Demerara highway is nearing comple-
tion. Contractor Seereeram Brothers was
working hardto finish paving the final
stretch which will see the current extension
to the two-lane ending by MACORP, Prov-
idence.
This section will be joined in a smooth
transition to the four-lane highway which
starts in front Greenfield Park and the
Guyana National Stadium and ends at
Ruimveldt, in the city. By mid-September
the four-lane road project should be sub-
stantially completed.
Construction of the four-lane road, part of
government's developmental strategy,
started in 2004. For almost two years com-
muters were forced to endure heavy traffic
congestion, late arrival to work, stifling heat
and traffic policemen as the project was de-
Indo-Caribbean Times
layed for a variety of reasons including ma-
terials shortage, bad weather and delayed
shipment.
Shakeup in prison
service after breakout We can’t cure HIV say
Aofmajorthe Guyana
Prison Service (GPS) is local herbalists
shake-up at the leadership level
among several changes due to take place
within the Service, and the appointment of
a new management team at the New Ams-
terdam Prison is currently under the spot-
light following the escape of 18 prisoners
in late August.
The proposed changes in the leadership
level are to be effected by September 10
and the new management team is due to
take up duties from September 12.
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement
Rohee did not disclose who will be af-
fected, other than emphasising that it will
be in the high echelon of the Prison Service.
Rohee said, the proposed changes have
been prompted by two major security
breaches within six months - a breakout at
the Mazaruni Prison on January 12, 2007
by nine prisoners, all of whom were subse-
quently recaptured and the August incident
which occurred at New Amsterdam. A total
of 18 prisoners escaped by sawing through
iron bars in a recreational facility and then
scaling a 15 feet-high fence while all but
three prison officers were at a meeting with
the Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine.The
New Amsterdam jail facility has a popula-
tion of 421 inmates of which 328 are males
and 93 females.
Fishermen demand
guns to fight pirates
A
ngry fishermen from the East
Berbice/Corentyne area are demand-
ing guns to protect themselves from con-
stant robberies by water pirates.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee
at a recent meeting heard fishermen say
they cannot take any more robberies. “Mr.
Minister, it's unfair to us. Every time we
buy an engine these (criminals) taking it
away from us. When we needed help from
the Coast Guard they deliberately neglected
us. We need to get our own firearms to pro-
tect ourselves; that is the only way,” one
fisherman lamented.
Rohee also heard complaints against the
Coast Guard and said there will be an in-
vestigation of the Coast Guard's perform-
ance. Recently fishermen were robbed of
15 boat engines within one day.
Big bauxite find on
Upper Berbice River
B
auxite Company of Guyana Inc
(BCGI) has announced the discovery
of enough mineral ore deposits along Upper
Berbice River to keep it in business for an-
other 25 to 30 years.
BCGI is a joint venture between the Gov-
ernment of Guyana and the privately owned
Russian Aluminum Group RUSAL now op-
erating at Aroaima, about 130 miles South
in the Berbice River.
A BCGI official said the amount of ore at
Aroaima will be depleted within the next
three years but the new targeted mining lo-
cation is at Kurubuka, 18 miles south of
Aroaima, which has an estimated 30 mil-
lion tonnes.
SEPTEMBER 2007
“Our future lies at Kurubuka,” he said in
a recent interview. According to him, BCGI
will be developing Kurubuka to shift its op-
erations there while staying at Aroaima
until its resources are exhausted.
L
ocal herbalists are dropping claims they
can cure HIV (Human Immuno-defi-
ciency Virus).
They told Minister of Health Dr. Leslie
Ramsammy at a recent meeting that they
also agreed there is no known herbal prepa-
ration that could control HIV like the anti-
retroviral drugs currently being used in
Guyana and accessed by some 2,000 per-
sons.
A statement from the Ministry of Health
said that the agreements are a breakthrough
given that many persons have fallen victims
to the claims in the past around the world
and locally.
"It is important that people know the facts
because many unscrupulous persons utilize
this vulnerability of persons living with
HIV to mislead such persons to pay hefty
sums of money in the hope that a herbal
concoction could cure them," the statement
said.
Police can’t handle
crime, need community
policing groups
A
t present the Guyana Police Force is
incapable of solving crimes on its cur-
rent manpower, and it needs help from
community policing groups to curtail the
existing crime situation in Guyana .
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee
made this statement while calling for more
weight to be placed on the establishment
and sustenance of Community Policing
Groups (CPG) throughout the country.
Rohee stated, crime is committed in com-
munities and neighbourhoods, and when
police officials develop solid relationships
with community members, their jobs are
made much easier.
“I have given instructions that they must
take immediate action to get those commu-
nity policing groups resuscitated,” he said.
Moreover, Rohee stated that community
policing groups have proven to be ex-
tremely effective in crime solving through-
out the world.
Overseas-based Guyanese family sets up
recreational centre for Cane Grove children
An overseas-based Guyanese family, mind-
ful of the limited opportunities available to
young people, has embarked on a novel
idea which the matriarch hopes will widen
the options for young people in her late
mother's home village of Cane Grove, East
Coast Demerara.
Diane Madray, with assistance from the rest
of her family, has established the Irene
Madray Recreational, Arts and Resources
Centre for children between the ages of five
and 16 years in honour of her mother.
The centre provides recreational facilities
for the youths as well as a library and read-
ing classes; these are aimed at developing
Page 8
their all round skills to prepare them for life
outside the community.
The centre, which is housed in a building
donated by the Arya Samaj, will be offi-
cially opened on August 18 but already has
been facilitating the children. It is already
staffed by two persons who function on a
part time basis.
On Saturday, Diane Madray, who is the
driving force behind the project, said that
the initiative will put the little community
situated aback of Mahaica on the map.
She said that the project was started three
years ago in memory of her mother who
died of lung cancer.
“Growing up, I remember our experiences
lacking resources. I've been able to read and
write and I migrated to the States with our
family and now I've come back to offer
some help. Cane Grove is ready to rock the
house,” Madray stated.
She said that while her mother had to actu-
ally teach herself to read and write and was
able to lay a foundation for her children's
education, the centre will provide an op-
portunity for the children of Cane Grove to
not have to go down that path.
Books, puzzles and other learning aids were
obtained from other family members and
friends and the organisers are optimistic
that the government will throw in its lot to
make the project a success.
In addition, other corporate bodies have ex-
pressed an interest in assisting the venture.
Madray, who has a background in social
work and community mental health, told
Kaieteur News that it pleases her whenever
she sees children engaged in activities that
could have a positive bearing on their fu-
ture.
“If five years down the road two of these
kids out of this group right now become
something meaningful apart from grass cut-
ters or getting married, maybe pregnant at a
young age and suicidal or dropout or what-
ever, if we can provide that motivation and
inspiration to them, it will be pleasing,” she
said.
According to Madray, the community has
been very favourable to the initiative.
The Ministry of Works and Communica-
tions is working to repair breaches in the
Leguan sea defence as huge rice lands and
cash crop plantations were under threat as
of yesterday.
Today a Ministry of Agriculture team is to
visit the Essequibo Island to make an as-
sessment of the threat to agriculture caused
by the breaches.
According to information reaching this
newspaper, about 35 acres of rice and three
acres of cash crops are under threat.
Sources in the Ministry of Agriculture said
that the breaches occurred while sea de-
fence works were ongoing, overwhelming
the efforts and capacities of the local au-
thority on the island.
The Ministry of Agriculture said it was
closely monitoring the situation on the is-
land and Minister of Agriculture Robert
CAN THERE BE Long-term 40 year
BUSINESS
SUCH A THING AS mortgages a niche
GOOD DEBT? product not for all
O
By Ijaz Hosein
f course there is. It's debt you never
want to repay because it's of such
benefit keeping it in place. This is
the case with a home equity loan. A
HELOC (home equity line of credit, as you
will hear many financial advisors call it) is
a loan taken against the wealth you have ac-
cumulated within your residential real es-
tate.
Year after year you have faithfully made
all those mortgage payments, and with each
one a little more equity has been shoved to
your side of the balance sheet. For many
folks, they reach their forties or fifties and
suddenly have the bulk of their net worth
tied up in a single asset - their homes. To
me, this is a dangerous, unstable and dumb
situation to maintain.
Home equity is a wasted asset for most
house owners. They see no real benefits of
increasing equity in their homes over the
years. They get the value of it only if they
sell the house, which many people don't
want to do. They prefer to leave the house
to their children after their deaths. The re-
sult is that many house owners find that
they are house rich in potential value, but
their pockets are empty and they have a pile
of debt.
And while there are those who disagree
with me and who cling to the notion that a
physical asset like a home is a safe place to
keep your wealth, I remain firm in the op-
posite belief. Real estate values have grown
over the last five years because of a rela-
tively strong economy, and over the next
five years this will likely remain the case.
But contained in the very reason housing
will retain its value in the short term are the
seeds of its eventual decline, and that is the
aging of the population.
Canada has the biggest crop of Baby
Boomers in the world – about ten million
people just entering their peak income
years, who have been raised their entire
lives as real estate Believers. They watched
their parents grow wealth primarily through
Indo-Caribbean Times
the appreciation of residential real estate
values.
Five years from now the average Boomer
will be sixty years old and downsizing.
Those big houses, especially in the suburbs,
could be falling in value as demand disap-
pears. More in favour will be smaller bun-
galows, townhomes and condos in near-city
locations, recreational property and adult
communities on golf course.
So, think hard about whether you want to
keep your equity in your home, or get it out
now, while real estate is still a viable com-
modity. Think hard about the long-term
wisdom of a home equity loan, which I con-
sider to be good debt.
If you borrow to invest in growth assets,
like stocks or mutual (segregated) funds,
the interest is tax-deductible. You get a sig-
nificant tax break at the same time your eq-
uity is put into things that will grow in value
over the coming years. So, how do you
cope with the cash flow demands of having
a home equity loan in place? After all, you
need to make interest-only monthly pay-
ments. Well there is a way for your advisor
to set this up at no additional cost to you.
But, what if you borrow against your
home, and buy funds that decline in value?
This is a question the critics often toss out,
but without much validity. Unless history is
absolutely no guide, funds based on the per-
formance of companies which are part of
the economy increase in value over the long
haul. Of course, there are years when mar-
kets decline, but they are far outnumbered
by years of gains.
So you may well buy assets with a
HELOC than temporarily fall in value. But
because your loan is secured by the value
of your home, and not the value of the funds
you buy, there will never be a margin call to
make up the shortfall (as is the case with
borrowing money to buy stocks from a bro-
ker). Meanwhile, of course, you continue to
write the interest on the loan off your tax-
able income, for a net benefit.
Finally, you will never take a loss on
funds that have gone down in value unless
you take the wrong advice, and sell. The
proper strategy is to wait out any market
correction and ignore the wimps who con-
fuse short-term events with long-term
trends. They know not what they do.
Ijaz Hosein is a financial advisor with
Boosterlink Financial Inc. and can be
reached at 647-401-1608
It pays to
advertise in the
Indo-Caribbean
Times
SEPTEMBER 2007
By Rudy Lochan
A
40-year amortization is relatively
new to the Canadian market. It's
designed to help people enter the
housing market and cope with high house
prices. (Fifty-year amortizations are being
offered by smaller lenders that don't require
mortgage insurance, such as that provided
by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.)
Toronto financial planner Wayne Bryson
points out that the smaller payments with
a 40-year amortization give consumers
more flexibility and choice.
These products make a home — or a
larger home — more affordable, he adds.
"These days, people live longer and they
work longer and they want to afford differ-
ent things. Depending on their cash flow,
they can repay the mortgage more quickly
as their income grows. Perhaps they will
get a bonus or inherit [money]. This will be
attractive to a younger market that does not
have a lot of cash. Home prices are way up
there."
Using the TD Canada Trust mortgage
calculator, a $300,000 mortgage at 7 per
cent interest would cost about $260 less a
month with a 40-year amortization than it
would with a 25-year amortization
($1,842.56 compared with $2,101.25). To
take a phrase from David Suzuki's com-
mercials on energy conservation, you could
buy a lot of beer with that.
But the downside is the total interest paid
over the life of the mortgage. Using the
same mortgage as an example, the total in-
terest with a 40-year amortization would be
$385,038, compared with $257,868 with
the 25-year amortization, a difference of
$127,170.
Mortgages come up for renewal every
few years, of course, and a homeowner
may decide to opt for a less-expensive
overall option when his or her financial sit-
uation changes.
John Caprara, who as Eastern Canada
sales manager for TD Bank Financial
Group deals with real estate and personal
lending, points out that some people who
may want to own homes may also be tied
down to significant financial obligations
that will be temporary. Their earning po-
tential may, however, be excellent.
"A professional with a large student debt
who is setting up a practice is a good ex-
ample," he says. "The 40-year amortization
mortgage option will give them access to a
home. But they do not necessarily have to
carry the mortgage debt for that long. They
can accelerate or increase their payments
as the situation changes. The previous gen-
eration was focused on paying off debts as
quickly as possible. This generation is ac-
cepting of this type of planning."
But he stresses: "People need to do some
homework when they are planning their fi-
nances."
Ms. McIntosh agrees that a long amorti-
zation could be beneficial for some people.
Page 9
"There are a lot of aggressive and creative
lending options in the [United] States," she
points out. "This type of product could help
a young couple with a few kids. Say both
the husband and wife work and they have
three kids. It's hard to bring up a family in
an apartment. This could enable them to
buy a home."
But if the market changes and house
prices fall, this method of financing could
spell bad news for that family.
Giles Osborne, Toronto manager with
Parker Prins Seel Chartered Accountants,
feels that because the family or individual
who purchases a home with 40-or 50-year
financing may have less available cash
(which perhaps led to the decision in the
first place), they will be more vulnerable
should interest rates rise or house prices
fall. The payments could rise, but the bor-
rower might not have the funds to meet
them.
"If house prices fall, and someone has to
sell a house for less than they paid, that can
be a very difficult situation," Mr. Osborne
says.
"If borrowers do not have sufficient fi-
nancial resources, perhaps they shouldn't be
buying a home in the first place," he adds.
"Buying a home without a down payment,
with a high-ratio mortgage or with an ex-
tended amortization period all expose the
buyer, and are detrimental to the housing
market. What can happen is that buyers are
purchasing homes that they really can't af-
ford.
"In the States, you can see the situation.
Interest rates have gone up, investment has
gone down along with consumer spending
and there is unemployment. In this situa-
tion, people stop buying houses and there is
a glut of unsold homes that builders have to
get rid of."
Circumstances alter cases, however. "Say
you would save $200 a month with a 40-
year mortgage," Mr. Osborne says. "If you
will get your foot in the door and in two
years the house you are buying will be
worth twice as much and you will be earn-
ing twice as much, this could be valid. You
have to ask yourself why you need to save
that money. Are you really stretched? Keep
in mind though, tons and tons of people lose
their houses by getting overextended."
There don't seem to any hard numbers,
but industry sources say that the interest in
40-year mortgages has been higher than ex-
pected, and they don't think there is a unac-
ceptable risk in such products.
"The 40-year mortgages are quite popu-
lar," says Steve Mennill, director of prod-
uct and strategic direction for Canada
Mortgage and Housing. "People get more
cash flow to use at their discretion for a
longer payment period [with the longer
amortization periods]. We are very careful
when we qualify a buyer. We check their
credit history and their debt ratio. We would
not view this as more risky for us or for the
consumer."
Rudy Lochan is the President and Broker
for Anava Financing Inc. He has been in
Real Estate Investment and Financing for
20 years.He can be contacted directly at
416-410-7501 or by e-mail at
anava@rogers.com
ANNIVERSARY OF ANTI INDIAN RIOT
Bellingham drove out “Hindus” Sept. 4, 1907
T
he headlines in the Bellingham Her-
ald said everything. “Horde of Hin-
dus landing at Vancouver”, “ British
Columbia threatens to secede” meant that
the people of BC were so terriifed of the
Hindus (really Punjabi Sikhs) coming to
live in Canada that they were ready to break
away from the country.
It was worse in America. On September
4, 1907, a
huge mob
gathered
in the
town of
Belling-
h a m
across the
border
from BC
and drove
out all the
Indians.
“Hindus
hounded
from city” said the headline the next day.
So did the early Indians leave Belling-
ham and most of California. And so did
many of the Indians in British Columbia, as
that government began restricting the entry
of Indians through discriminatory laws and
outright bans.
Today we remember the agony of the In-
dians in the West Coast in those early days
and remember that through these dark times
did the settlement of Indians in Canada sur-
vive
.On Sept. 4, 1907, roving gangs of thugs
walked from mill to mill, from boarding
house to boarding house, hauling out “Hin-
dus,” roughing them up and ordering
them to get out of town. hundreds of men
huddled together all night in the stuffy
basement of the city’s new red brick City
Hall, worried the mob that had rousted
them from their beds and their jobs ato the
town jail would have worse in store for
them as dawn broke.
The next day, city officials decried the
use of force and hooliganism on the immi-
grants,But most people were pleased with
the result.
“While any good citizen must be unal-
terably opposed to the means employed,”
editorialized The Reveille soon after the
riot, “the result of the crusade against the
Hindus cannot but cause a general and in-
tense satisfaction.”
Within a couple of days, most of the
city’s estimated 250 Indian immigrants had
boarded trains for points north and south.
By the end of the week, an even larger
body of thugs in Vancouver, B.C., embold-
ened by an anti-Asian rally there and, per-
haps, Bellingham’s evictions, trashed the
city’s Chinatown district. By the end of the
year similar riots erupted along the Pacific
Coast. Within a decade, the U.S. would
pass restrictions barring most Asians from
immigrating at all.
It would be nearly the end of the 20th
century before significant numbers of East
Indians would call Whatcom County home
again.
“Bellingham and a few other places had
a reputation as a place that wasn’t really
welcoming to Asians,” said Paul Engles-
berg, director of the Asian American Cur-
riculum and Research Project at Western
Washington University.
LABOR FEARS FUEL RACISM
By 1907, hostility against Asian immi-
grants had long been brewing in the Pacific
Indo-Caribbean Times
Northwest. Many of Bellingham’s residents
could remember when the town’s Chinese
immigrants had been thrown out in 1885.
Asian immigrants provided cheap labor for
the physically demanding fishing and tim-
ber jobs that fueled the booming economy.
But white workers also feared the immi-
grants posed competition for jobs.
Chinese immi-
gration to the U.S.
had been cut off in
1902, but immi-
grants from Japan,
India and the
Philippines were
arriving to take
their places in the
region’s resource-
based industries.
South Asian mi-
gration was
particularly sud-
den that year, Lee
said, with about
600 East Indians arriving in the Pacific
Northwest in the summer of 1907.
The tensions rolled into violence in the
days leading up to Sept. 4. ,
Union representatives had warned mill
owners to fire their East Indian workers by
Labor Day, Sept. 2. A Labor Day parade
drew a thousand union supporters to the
streets of Bellingham, but the East Indian
workers reported for work the following
day nonetheless.
That night, police received reports of
vandalism and assaults targeting East Indi-
ans, setting the scene for the next night’s
riot.
According to newspaper accounts, the
riots began about 10 p.m., when police
were told a “drunken mob was on the ram-
page, baiting Hindus, destroying property
as well.” The rioters apparently got the sig-
nal the police wouldn’t interfere. The group
rousted East Indians from a second house
on C Street, then another house on D Street,
where their landlord turned his partially
dressed tenants out into the street. The mob
chased the men down the railroad tracks
over Squalicum Creek, the city limits, and
told them to never return.
“Finding the police unable to cope with
the situation,” the Bellingham Herald re-
ported, “the mob ran amuck. With whoops
of glee they gathered together the Hindus
of old town and escorted them to the station
where Judge Williams’ old courtroom was
turned over for their use and there the
men from India were herded like so many
cattle.”
Descriptions vary of who made up the
mob. Some reports say they were teens
while others list them as boys and men of
all ages. They don’t all appear to have been
white. The Herald reported the mob in-
cluded several Filipino and black men.
Many of the East Indian immigrants of
the time were men in their 20s to 40s who
hoped to earn some money for themselves
and their families as well as raise money,
collect weapons and return to India to fight
the British, said Satpal Sidhu, a Whatcom
County resident and leader at the Sikh tem-
ple Guru Nanak Gursikh Gurudwara.
Vancouver, B.C., was typically the first
stop, and many were on their way to San
Francisco, a center for Sikh revolutionaries.
But while many mill owners hired East
Indians in droves, the workmen got little re-
spect from them. In the aftermath of the
riots, one mill owner called them “the poor-
est workmen we have,” complaining, “We
SEPTEMBER 2007
are forced to have men and cannot secure
the proper number otherwise.”
“The Indians were in good demand be-
cause they were known for their work
excellence,” he said. “They were bright and
they were coming from India — many of
them could speak English.”
“The mob was wild with its success,”
the Herald wrote, “and while dragging
and shoving the unfortunate darkskinned
workmen through the streets, yelled and
sang songs at the top of their voices.
Straight to the station they marched, shov-
ing the thirtyfive with the others into the al-
ready stifling room.”
They were joined soon by about 20
more workers from the E.K. Wood Lumber
Co., where Boulevard Park is today. By the
end of the night, about 200 men were
crowded into the basement of City Hall.
“The Hindu is not a good citizen,” the
Herald editorialized the day after the riots.
“It would require centuries to assimilate
him, and this country need not take the trou-
ble.”
A photo of the crowded City Hall base-
ment that night shows many men in suits. A
few wore turbans, but most wore Western-
style hats. Some were clean-shaven.
Some Sikhs in that era sacrificed their tur-
bans and beards, which hold deep religious
significance, for the chance to pass as dark-
skinned Italians or Portuguese.
The next morning, the Bellingham City
Council held an emergency meeting.
Mayor Alfred L. Black, aware that the
night’s melee against British subjects might
have international implications, assured
three English-speaking East Indian men
brought up from the basement that the
city would protect them. He deputized 50
special officers to help keep the peace. That
day, most of the city’s East Indians would
leave.
A JEERING SEND-OFF
The Reveille reported 135 people left on
three trains the day after the riot. Many
Bellingham residents reportedly lingered at
the train station, gawking at the East Indi-
ans leaving on trains toward Vancouver,
B.C., or Oakland, Calif.
Many of the East Indian workmen’s
homes were ransacked in their absence.
The police said the mob took bank books,
cash and several hundred dollars’ worth of
gold jewelry.
A few days after the riots against East
Indians, the City Council issued its report
on the matter. “Hindus,” they found, were
mostly “peaceful and quiet” in Bellingham.
But in keeping with the racial rhetoric
of the day, the council found that their man-
ner of living was “demoralizing to family
ties, and thus lowers not only the economic,
but also the moral standards of the white
workman.”
No one went to trial for the riots. The
five arrested men were soon cleared of all
charges. No witnesses could be found to
testify against them
Page 10
Scary immigration
news today
Swiss want to
expel immigrant
families
The. Swiss People's Party (SVP, the largest
party in the government, is workijng to
raise the 100,000 signatures necessary to
force a referendum to reintroduce into the
penal code a measure to allow judges to de-
port foreigners who commit serious crimes
once they have served their jail sentence.
That’s not all. The SVP has announced its
intention to lay before parliament a law al-
lowing the entire family of a criminal under
the age of 18 to be deported as soon as sen-
tence is passed.
SVP has also launched a campaign for
a referendum to ban the building of Mus-
lim minarets, which has seriously alarmed
many of Switzerland's Muslims (some 4.3
per cent of the 7.5 million population).
"We're not against mosques but the
minaret is not mentioned in the Koran or
other important Islamic texts. It just sym-
bolises a place where Islamic law is estab-
lished," said an SVP spokesman. He added
that Islamic law is incompatible with
Switzerland's legal system.
To date there are only two mosques in the
country with minarets but planners are turn-
ing down applications for more, after opin-
ion polls showed almost half the population
favours a ban.
Switzerland has the toughest naturalisation
rules in Europe. To apply, you must live in
the country legally for at least 12 years, pay
taxes, and have no criminal record. The ap-
plication can still be turned down by your
local commune which meets to ask "Can
you speak German? Do you work? Are you
integrated with Swiss people?"
Guyana wants 600
senior teachers
The Teaching Service Com-mission (TSC)
has advertised over 600 vacancies for sen-
ior teachers at all levels of the public edu-
cation system countrywide.
Over 340 of the vacancies are for head
teachers and deputy head teachers at nurs-
ery, primary and secondary schools and
practical instruction centres countrywide.
The other vacancies are for senior masters
and mistress and heads of department for
several subject areas.
Some 157 of those vacancies are in the
Georgetown Education District, while va-
cancies in Region Three (Essequibo Islands
/West Demerara) surpass the other regions.
In Region Three alone, there are some 87
vacancies, most of which are for head
teachers at the nursery, primary and sec-
ondary levels, while the others are for sen-
ior teachers and heads of department.
Region Nine (Upper Takutu /Upper Esse-
quibo) has the next highest number of va-
cancies. And though for most of the
acancies advertised, housingwill be pro-
vided for teachers who take up the posts,
the TSC has in the past faced the chal-
lenge of getting teachers to go into hinter-
land regions to offer their services.
The other regions with high vacancy rates
are Regions Five, Ten and Eight.
 ACHIEVERS

Shabnam Radio presents Trinidad & Tobago

Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 11

Independence Awards to eight achievers

Amarnath Binda Haroon Salamat

Photographs by Tony Sladden

A
Colin Mason (left) of CIBC presents the plaque to Amarmath Binda Haroon (right) receives his award from Ric Pir, with ShabnamRadio host Richard Aziz

marnath Binda was born December
18th 1950 in Pluck Road, San Fran-
cique, in the district of Penal, in the country
of Trinidad & Tobago. He is the son of the
late Paryag and Sonia Binda and was the
7th boy-child born in a family of 11 broth-
ers and 4 sisters. He attended Woodland
Hindu School and San Francique Presbyte-
rian School where he received his Primary
education. He also attended the ASJA Boys
College in San Fernando, South Trinidad.
After graduating he went on to study Me-
chanical Trade at ACME Engineering for
five years. In June of 1972, he moved to
Canada and started his first job at Alcan
Aluminum from July 1972 to August 2006.
He attended George Brown College from
1972 to 1977 to further his trade skills as a
Mechanic & Pipe fitter.
Today, he is recognized as a leader in the
Hindu Community after starting the Devi
Mandir in June 1988 under the banner of
the Satya Sanatan Dharma Cultural Sabha.
Together with a group of families and a vi-
sion he received from the Divine Mother,
Durga Maa, this organization was started.
The Devi Mandir is one of the fastest
growing organizations in the Greater
Toronto Area and located at 2590 Brock
Rd. in Pickering. The Devi Mandir is rec-
ognized in the community as more than a
place of worship where they have a strong
Community Outreach program that sup-
ports various organizations of the many
religious faiths in the Durham Region.
The Devi Mandir is a proud recipient of
two Civic Awards, the highest honour
given by the City of Pickering, in the Cat-
egories of Cultural Diversity and Envi-
ronment in two consecutive years.
Amarnath Binda is proudly supported
by his wife Kalawati Binda and his three
children Rishe, Shawn and Anita Binda.
This family has been strong proponents of
Sanatan Dharma and with the Divine
Mother’s blessings this tradition will con-
tinue for future generations.
H
showing strong approval
aroon Salamat was born in Trinidad.
He completed his secondary education
there and graduated from Mc Gill Univer-
sity with a Bahelor of Science Degree.
After working as a high school science
teacher for two years in Trinidad, Haroon
moved to Canada where he pursued further
his academic training in Chemical Engi-
neering.
As a professional engineer he has been
employed in pulp and paper research at the
University of Toronto, paint research with
CIL and in water treatment with Rohm and
Haas Canada Ltd and Betz Canada Inc.
Presently, he is president of his own com-
pany-Chemitec Inc. specializing in the de-
sign and sales of equipment for industrial,
process and potable water.
Haroon Salamat’s academic and profes-
sional success did not deter him from mak-
ing inroads into the cultural sphere within
his community.
In 1977, with a handful of other Muslims,
he founded the Toronto and Region Islamic
Congregation(TARIC) to provide pro-
grammes and facilities for Muslims in the
GTA. As chairman, he steered the organi-
zation to what is today one of the largest
Muslim congregations in Canada.
In 1991, the first phase of the Taric Is-
lamic Centre was opened at the intersection
of Highways 400 and 401. The second
phase is in the planning stage and construc-
tion is expected to begin soon.
Haroon Salamat was treasurer of The
Council of Muslim Communities of
Canada, a national Muslim umbrella group
representing over one hundred organiza-
tions.
He is chairman of Al Shura, the Muslim
Consultative Council of the GTA and pres-
ident of the Canadian Muslim Relief Coun-
cil ( CMRC).
Internationally, he is an assistant secre-
tary general of the World Islamic People’s
Leadership and a member of the World Is-
lamic Call Council, both benevolent
NGO’s.

Call:905-454-4477
Ask for JOE CARIBBEAN
83 Kennedy Rd, South CHINESE PHILLIP
Unit 29 (Upper Level)
Brampton, Ontario CUISINE 905-794-5551
SAY IT IN PICTURES
Imzan Hosein
Imzan Hosein (right) and presenter Shobha Maharaj
I mzan Hosein’s broadcasting career began
at a very early age. He attributes his en-
chantment with the world of broadcasting
to his mentor and initial guru in the field,
Moean Mohammed. During an apprentice-
ship with the cultural pioneer, Imzan
quickly gained expertise in scripting pro-
grams and commercials.
It was in the early 1960’s that Imzam Ho-
sein made his debut on a program entitled
“Indian Talent on Parade”. He would go on
to study broadcasting at Humber College in
Toronto.
Imzan immigrated to Toronto, Canada in
1971 and became involved in the Travel In-
dustry as Manager of a Travel Agency. His
overwhelming love for Indian music and
culture would move him to open an Indian
record store-the first of its kind, in Kens-
ington Market.
Imzan Hosein’s lists of firsts also include
Indo-Caribbean Times
hosting an Indian program on the popular
Chin Radio as well as a television program
catering to Indo-Caribbean culture. This, he
co produced with Ken Singh and Brightstar
Productions and it was aired on City TV.
In 1993, Imzan accepted a position with
The Guyana Broadcasting Corporation as
an announcer and producer. Subsequently,
he was appointed to the positions of Mar-
keting Supervisor and Marketing Manager
by the Board of Directors.
Currently, Imzan resides in Toronto with
his wife and family.
A most worthy son of Trinidad and To-
bago, he has undoubtedly made a signifi-
cant contribution to the propagation and
preservation of Indo-Caribbean music and
culture in Canada.
SEPTEMBER 2007
Verendra Persaud
Verendra Maharaj (right) and presenter Joan Pierre are al smiles at the ceremony.
M any of us will remember when, in the
Caribbean, there were either Indian
Orchestras or Afro-Caribbean orchestras.
The two never met. One man and one band
changed it all.
Veerendra Persad has led the JMC
Triveni to become the first successful
crossover Indian orchestra in the Caribbean
and all over the world.
He started playing the harmonium at the
tender age of seven. Over the last thirty
years Veerendra has become one of the
most recognized musicians in the
Caribbean.
At age twelve, he was mainly playing
with Hindu religious groups and earned his
popularity as the fastest left-handed key-
boardist in his time. In the nineteen eighties
he joined the up and coming Triveni Indian
Orchestra and by 1983 became the leader
of the band.
In 1985, Veerendra won the ever popular
Mastana Bahaar talent competition, taking
the top prize of a Toyota Cressida. By the
time he became a full time member of the
band, he was already, from the music in-
Tel: (905) 789-8990
Page 12
dustry-a household name.
Veerendra Persad started producing and
doing musical arrangements for CD’s and
to date has an amazing 100 CD’s to his
credit. He has played with all the top Indian
artists in Trinidad and Guyana and many of
the top singers from India.
Dominating the Indian music scene was
not enough for Veerendra. He started play-
ing calypso and soca music throughout the
Caribbean and abroad. Triveni was soon
competing successfully in all arenas of
Caribbean music. He is still a popular fea-
ture in Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival,
playing annually at most prestigious fetes
and accompanying the ever popular Trini-
Revellers Masquerade band.
Under the expertise of Veerendra 3 Veni
has made major breakthroughs with
crossover music that mark a milestone in
the evolution of Caribbean culture.
Based in Toronto, Veerendra has given cre-
dence to Indian music in places where it did
not exist before. He has proven that there
are no boundaries for Indian music and mu-
sicians from the Caribbean.

Karamchand Maharaj
T T
Karamchand Maharaj (right) after receiving his award from Dr. R. Buckridan
his maestro of Indian music started his
music journey one fateful day in the
early sixties when he found an echo-vam-
per harmonica on library-corner in San Fer-
nando, Trinidad. Not long before, this
eight-year-old child had an unfortunate
near-death experience when he was trying
to scale pieces of wood. The harmonica was
his solace, comfort and companionship dur-
ing the recovery period. Later on, he grew
more confident and played the harmonica
and Tabla in the Mandir in his grand-
mother’s home.
His sick-bed provided to be the maturing
soil for his fertile imagination and early
love for melodious music and adoration for
Indian musicians who excelled in various
instruments like the flute, violin, piano and
accordion. This experience was nourished
by four of his uncles who were avid collec-
tors of film records, especially the
youngest, Uncle Baldeo Maharaj, with
whom he interacted more than the rest.
While still quite a young man, he started
searching and listening intently to Indian’s
great instrumentalists, each one providing
a different level of fascination.
One fateful night, he listened to Acme
Dil-E-Nadan orchestra playing at a wed-
ding house and he asked, and was allowed,
to play with the instruments. This led to a
most rewarding relationship with the broth-
ers Bisram and Ramnarine Moonilal, from
whom he learned many techniques. He suc-
cessfully competed in Mastana Bahar,
played the Clavolin with Harry Mahabir
and the BWIA national Indian Orchestra.
He then joined with some friends and rela-
tives to form the Melo Bugs Orchestra, with
whom he played the keyboard until he mi-
grated to Canada in 1972. In Canada, he
played with Bobby’s Naya Afsana for five
years and then covered a wide spectrum of
musical experiences.
Canada provided a wide-ranged avenue
for the talents of this gifted young man. He
has mastered the keyboard, but remains fas-
cinated with the Tabla and have experi-
mented with Bongos, Dholak, guitar, and
even the harpsichord. The synthesis of this
wide-ranged exposure to various instru-
ments has resulted in him finding common
system in all instruments which allows him
to improvise and innovate. He also learned
Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 13
Mukesh Mahabir
Mukesh Mahabir (right) and presenter Gary Khan
as much as possible about Ragas and their he first son of the legendary Harry Ma- including Calypso, Middle Eastern and
qualities. habir, Mukesh Mahabir began playing Spanish music.
His musical creativity and personal mag- the xylophone at age thirteen. He turned to He has accompanied internationally fa-
netism has endeared him to artists from the keyboard as he undertook formal train- mous performers such as Jagjit and Chitra
India, Pakistan, and the Caribbean, for ing in piano. Later on he would include the Singh, Hari Om Sharan and Enoch Daniel.
whom he provided musical accompani- saxophone in his repertoire. On his arrival in Canada, Mukesh did not
ment. These include Hemant Kumar, Encouraged by his father, he joined The readily find the opportunity to perform in
Manna Dey, Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, BWIA National Indian Orchestra as a music. His passion however, would move
Pankaj Udhas, Mussarat Majeed, and Ra- teenager. He would play with them until he him to revisit Trinidad just to perform for
jkumar Rizvi. Caribbean artists include left Trinidad for Canada in 1988. select gigs.
Sundar Popo, Rehman and Reena Rajan, Although his first love is for Indian Mukesh Mahabir has performed interna-
Anand Yankaran, Polly Sookraj, Ramraji music, Mukesh’s versatility has been ex- tionally: in Guyana, Surinam, Jamaica,
Prabhu, Ramdeo Chaitoo and Chris emplified by his performances with a vari- England and North America.
Ramkhelawan. He has provided music for ety of bands within a variety of genres
over twenty musical albums for some of
these singers.
His last recording is Karamchand’s fifth
musical instrumental album. Innovations 1
to 4 include instrumentals of film songs,
covering a wide array of delightful music.
A personal audition with the legendary
Naushad a few years ago sparked his cre-
ativity to a new dimension. His last album
is Karamchand’s own musical composition.
He has now acquired the ability to recog-
nize, compare and classify music based on
Ragas. This allows him to move away from
other people’s music to his own composi-
tions.
His concept is modern and traditional
rhythms, melodies and songs. The songs are
not based on individual ragas, but rather an
incorporation to produce the melody in
each. Karamchand reflects his musical ex-
periences as playing, recording, mixing en-
gineering and now, composing music. His Shamla Persad dancers Leanna, Kayla, Sherini, Menisha and Sara were great
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latest production is designed to provide
rhythms and songs to appeal to the younger
generation, while the raga-based melodies
are designed to appeal to the older and more
musically-inclined listeners. Indeed, a truly
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COMMUNITY
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Vedic Cultural Centre holds its Annual Din-
ner and Awards Presentation on Saturday,
September 29 at 4345-14th Avenue in
Markham. Philantropist and Community
Worker Dhaman Kissoon will receive the
main award. Cocktails and Reception begin
at 6:30 pm, Dinner is at 7:30 pm and the
Presentation and Cultural Program begins
at 8:30 pm. All proceeds go to charity. Tick-
ets are $50 per personAdit Kumar. For tick-
ets and information call Adit Kumar at 647-
866-1926 or email at adkum35@hot-
mail.com.
A Grand Banquet and Dance in aid of Mani
Singh’s election campaign comes off on
Saturday September 22, at the Elite Ban-
quet Hall, 1850 Albion Road, from 6:00
p.m. A cosmopolitan dinner of Guyanese,
Chinese, Indian, Canadian & Italian food
starts at 7.00 pm, and the cultural presenta-
tion at 8.00 pm. Music is by DJ Impulse,
and tickets are adults- $50, children from 5-
18 are $25. For info call Bibi at 647-339-
9719; Anna at 905-686-4711, Rampi at
905-204-024, or the 905-794-9948.
Federation of Hindu Temples presents Shri
Ganesh Visarjan, a family boat cruise in
Lake Ontario on Saturday September 29,
starting at 12 noon. Cruise aboard the Ele-
gant Enterprise 200 Cruise Line from Pier
25 on Cherry Street, Toronto, and take part
in Shri Ganesh Pooja and Satsang. Lunch
buffet and live entertainment is offered.
Tickets are $35 adult and $20 children
under 12, available from Tara at 905-696-
9257, Sam at 905-686-8534 or from the
Federation at 905-670-8439.
SAAZ-O-AWAAZ Academy of Indian
Music presents An Evening of Dinner and
Music in honour of Guruji Dev Bansraj at
the Woodbine Banquet and Convention
Centre, 30 Vice Regent Blvd, Rexdale, on
Sunday October 14. from 4 p.m. Dev Ban-
sraj will be accompanied on the tabla by
his son Dev Bansraj Jr., and supported by
students of the academy. Avegetarian and
non vegetarian buffet are included. Tickets
at $35 per person can be obtained by calling
Dhaman Kissoon at 416-234-1904 or Ann
Ramkissoon at 905-789-4949
Dulahin Dulaha Indo Caribbean Bridal
Expo takes place at Elite Banquet Hall,
1850 Albion Road, Etobicoke on Sunday
October 28, starting at 12 noon. The expo is
a one stop shop for every thing related to
the Indo Caribbean wedding. Admission is
$5. For info contact Cookie Khan at 905-
782-9579 or Julie Ranbali at 416-840-
FKS OPTICAL
3209, or online at www.ddexpo.com.
FREDERICK K. SEEPERSAD R.O.
LICENSED OPTICIAN
CERTIFIED CONTACT LENS FITTER
Eye ExaminationsKeele Ingram
Keele Ingram Professional Centre
Suite #209, 2221 Keele Street, Toronto M6M 3Z5
Tel/Fax: 416-242-3595
Indo-Caribbean Times
jPAKARAIMA Guyanese Canadian Writ-
ers and Artists Association invites you to
their 2nd Anniversay Dinner and Social
Evening for friends, associates and sup-
porters. It will be held on Saturday, No-
vember 3 from 6:00 pm at the Scarlet Ibis
Restaurant , 1880 O'Connor Drive , Toronto
(O'Connor & Victoria Park ). Cost is
$20.00 per person (includes Chinese and
West Indian buffet dinner). RSVP By Sep-
tember 26, 2007 to Shirley - 416-284-
6591, Janet - 905-780-8866 or Roop -
416-915-7533
BHARAT TEERATH YATRA
Discover Mother India in 22 days under the
giudance of Swami Askharananda, princi-
pal of Saraswati Vidya Niketan, Guyana ,
from Sept. 14 to October 5, 2007. Visit
historical sites including Kanyakumari,
Rameshwaram, Benares, Agra, Brindavan,
Agra, Haridwar, Rishikesh, and the famous
Kurusrhetra location of discourse between
Lord Krishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad-
gita.
There are a few seats remaining. To reserve
your place or for more info call Kishoree
Prashad at 905-794-4952.
BHAGVAD GITA FOR EACH HOME
Bulk distribution centres.
The Gita can be available in bulk at the fol-
lowing contacts: Donations are expected to
fund further copies; any individual or or-
ganization wishing to assist in this project
can contact us.
CANADA
Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton
Ramnarine Sahadeo 905 671 9233 e-mail
ramjihindu@rogers.com, Omesh Sharma
Omesh@flexomark.com, Chandan
Persaud at 416-754-2382, Gulcharan at
416 481-5777 gmohabir@hotmail.com,
Ram Jagessar at 416 289 9088 or
ram@eol.ca
RICHMOND HILL
Omo Persaud at omo@globalspectru-
minc.com 905-886-1724
WINNIPEG:
Ajodhya Mahadeo 204-661-6643
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Chameli Seegobin 604-945-9510, e-mail
address maylee34@hotmail.com, and
Naraine Mohabir at 604-274-8938
GUYANA: Saraswati Vidya Niketan ph.
2760013/14
SEPTEMBER 2007
Shabnam Radio Awards 2007
Harold Boodhoo Lutchman Bissoon
Harold Boodhoo shows his talents at the
keyboard during the program
W L
henever we think of arranging a
show in Canada one name is sure to
come up. That name is Harold Boodoo. He
looks like a quiet man but when he gets on
that synthesizer and applies his 30 years of
music experience we know why he is such
a respected musician.
Harold, who was born in St. Augustine,
Trinidad, had an interest in music from the
time he was a young boy. When his father
saw it, he bought Harold a harmonium, and
the boy started teaching himself music. The
world opened up for him after that.
He started playing with the famous In-
dian orchestra Jit Sitahai Melody Makers,
and the equally famous BWIA national In-
dian orchestra with Harry Mahabir. He
played for internationally known artistes
like Anoop Jalota, Mana Dey, the playback
singer Bherose Chatterji and devotional
singer Hari Om Sharan.
Harold came to Canada in 1987, and has
been a stalwart in the music scene here. He
free lances, but plays regularly with the
Canadian National Indian Orchesestra.
He plays religious oldies, and film songs,
and strives for excellence in music. He
loves to work with professionals, and is
well known and respected by musicians and
colleagues.
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE
IN THE
INDO-
CARIBBEAN
TIMES
416-289-3898
Page 14
Lutchman Bissoon performs at the
Shabnam Radio Awards 2007
atchman Bissoon was born in the vil-
lage of El Dorado, Trinidad.
As an infant, his mother would sing him
to sleep. He claims this as his initial inspi-
ration. As he grew up however, he was fur-
ther exposed to Indian music and singing
through the media of radio and film. Thus
began his love affair with music.
At the early age of five, as a student of El
Dorado Hindu School, Latchman was
taught bhajans and Hindu prayers. Soon
enough, his teachers discovered that this
young child had a special talent and he was
chosen to perform at special functions at
school.
At the age of fourteen, while attending
Hillview College in Tunapuna Latchman
entered and won a Students Talent Show.
He was accompanied by the Mala Sangeet
Orchestra. He was then asked to team up
with this orchestra to take part in a compe-
tition involving many of the prominent
bands in Trinidad. This was yet another
winning performance which earned him an
invitation to join the Naya Zamanaa Or-
chestra led by Narsaloo Ramaya. Immedi-
ately after joining them, he made his debut
on national television. Later in his life,
Latchman would successfully compete on
the ever popular Mastana Bahar and
Taraana.
Latchman Bissoon took time off from
music as he read for a Bachelor of Science
Degree in Civil Engineering at The Univer-
sity of the West Indies. As long as his aca-
demic training was complete he resumed
his passion of singing.
He sought to refine his style of singing in-
spired by Manna Dey and eventually earned
his popularity as ‘The Local Manna Dey’.
The ever ambitious singer and musician,
Latchman ventured to train himself in
ghazal singing imitating the likes of Jagjit
Singh and Mehdi Hassan. His excellence
earned him a place on stage with Mehdi
Hassan of Pakistan and Nihaarikaa Naidu
of India.
Latchman Bissoon did not neglect his
contribution to local culture. He is fluent in
Hindi and Sanskrit and has joined with his
guru Pundit Latchmee Persad in the read-
ing of scriptures in Ramayan and Gita Yaj-
nas throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
His recordings include, ‘Excerpts from
the Raamcharitramaanas”, Songs of
Kishore Kumar and Mukesh. Yet to be re-
leased are selections previously done by
other famous playback singers as well as re-
ligious tunes which he has composed him-
self.
Today, Latchman Bissoon is the manager
of the Khazana Orchestra.
 GUYANA REPORTS Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 15
Guyanese Canadian finds long Believe it! Canada has 200,000 of
lost ancestors in Faizabad, India 960,000 Guyanese living abroad
I
By Shubha Singh, New Delhi After hearing tales about the Resurgent
t’s official. There are more Guyanese about 10,000 persons per year emigrated
from her grandfather, Nalini decided to un- within the 1975-79 period. Between 1969
Two women, strangers to each other but on dertake an academic project to locate the living abroad than those remaining at
a similar mission to trace links between passengers on the Resurgent or their de- home. and 1976, 48,639 Guyanese migrated over-
India and the South American nation of scendents in India. Writer Prem Misir, in an article in the seas, with 40.8% to the U.S., 30.7% to
Guyana, spent the summer months touring Guyana Chronicle on August 25, quotes Canada, and 11.3% to the United Kingdom.
But as she packed her bags to fly to India, Today, the Guyanese Diaspora is huge,
villages in Bihar statistics from the Guyanese Consulate in
her father as depicted in this table.
and Uttar Toronto showing that in 2007 there are
asked her to
Pradesh. 960,000 Guyanese living abroad, as op-
visit their an- GUYANA DIASPORA
Leena Ramo- posed to 769,000 remaining in Guyana,
cestral vil- United Kingdom 85,000
tar, a resident of Guyanaguide.com gives the ethnic dis-
lage and United States 400,000
New York, and tribution of Guyana as 49% Indian and 32%
bring back a Canada 200,000
Nalini Mohabir black, which would mean that 376,810
bottle full of Suriname 40,000
from Canada Indo-Guyanese and 246,080 Afro-
soil Venezuela 50, 000
have ties in Guyanese live in Guyana.
from the vil- Brazil 10,000
Guyana that What percentage of the Guyanese living
lage some- Caribbean Islands 150,000
stretch back to abroad are Indian and African is not offi-
where in Other 25,000
India. Though cially known. Some Guyanese observers
Faizabad, Total 960,000
they have never note that more Indo-Guyanese have mi-
about 700 km Source: The Guyana Consulate, Toronto,
met each other, grated, as much as 60% of the total. That
east of New Canada, 2007
both Nalini and 60% figure would mean Indo-Guyanese
Delhi.
Leena's family abroad number as much as 576,000, a full
The search The emigration rates of skilled workers of
history have a Nalini Mohabir and her late grandfather Chhablal 200,000 more than those living in Guyana.
took Nalini Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, and Haiti were
similar trajectory - their ancestors went to to Ajmer but she could not find any links to It would also mean that 120,000 of the
British Guiana (now called Guyana) as in- her great grandmother, Moonie. She was, 200,000 Guyanese in Canada are Indo- in excess of 80% in 2000; the Philippines,
dentured workers from villages in Uttar however, luckier with her great grandfather' Guyanese, and 240,000 of the 400,000 India, and China have 1,260,879,
Pradesh, their parents emigrated from s village Dewarya. Guyanese in the United States are Indo- 1,012,613, and 906,337, respectively; the
Guyana to seek better opportunities in the Guyanese. Indo-Guyanese in North Amer- largest pool of overseas talent, huge dias-
Her great grandfather, Ramcharan, son poras.
West. And they grew up in Britain and of Sheoraj, left Faizabad in 1896. A local ica would therefore add up to 360,000.
Canada. One surprising figure is that of 150,000 The Global Economic Prospects 2006, a
contact well versed in local lore informed World Bank publication, indicates that
In recent times, issues of identity, race her that Dewarya village was now part of Guyanese living in the Caribbean island,
and migration have gained importance for Barunbazar. and another is the relatively low figure of about 200 million people live outside of
both the women, who are part of a second- 50,000 given for Guyanese in Venezuela. In their home countries; their remittances to-
A tour of Barunbazar did not provide any talling about US$225 billion in 2005; a
ary migration but whose ties to the original clues till one man directed her to a locality April this year Guyana’s Ambassador to
homeland are linked through the question called Ranibazar where she met a young Venezuela Dr Odeen Ishmael, disclosed tremendous booster for poverty alleviation.
of race. that about 80,000 Guyanese are living in Anyway, it’s good that we have Balasub-
man called Vipin Jaiswal. His 95-year old ramanyam and Wei of the University of
Both of them have been moved to search grandmother, Bagdai, was still alive, her Venezuela’s border areas, many of them as
for their roots and have made a trip to India memory was fading but she gave the names illegal immigrants. Lancaster, bearers of good tidings, amid the
to look for the villages from where they an- of her parents-in-law as Shivraj and In his article quoted in part below, Prem shocking news of 86% of graduates fleeing
cestors migrated. Unlike Indian migrants to Latchmi. Misir suggests that the support of non resi- Guyana and the rest of CARICOM; they
Mauritius and Trinidad, people in Guyana dent Guyanese is crucial to developing and propose that the rate of return to a unit of
She also said that that her husband Dukhi investment by the diaspora may be greater
lost touch with India because of the dis- had an older brother Ramcharan, who had transforming Guyana. Foreign based
tance and the political situation in that gone away. This was the family Nalini was Guyana could provide financial invest- than that of the traditional foreign direct in-
country. ments, and access to technology and know vestment (FDI) from non-diasporans.
looking for. Dukhi had two sons, Om

Toward
In 1868, the SS Trevelyn sailed from Cal- Prakash, Jaiswal's father, and Ganga Prasad how to their native land. Balasubramanyam and Wei noted that the
cutta (now Kolkata) to Guyana carrying a who lives in Mumbai. diaspora is more than a source of funds; the
shipload of indentured workers to work on diaspora also is a source of skills and ex-
Leena Ramotar was not as fortunate in

developing
thesugarcane plantations. In 1955, the MV her quest. After having no luck in Buxar pertise.
Resurgent was the last shipfrom Guyana and Rae Bareli, Leena toured the area Therefore, we now have to locate the
that repatriated the descendents of the in- around Ballia tolook for the village her fa- Non-Resident Guyanese (NRGs), espe-
cially those in the U.S., Canada, and the

Guyana
dentured workers to India. ther's maternal grandmother Deepani came
Leena Ramotar's great grandmother, from. United Kingdom, if we are to economically
Deepani was on board the Trevelyn to transform Guyana. India and China thrive
In the Ballia record room she located a on their diasporas. Why can’t Guyana?
Guyana and Nalini Mohabir's grandfather, reference to Lalo, the name listed as Deep-
Chhablal Ramcharan, was the Repatriation ani's father's name in the immigration pass. How can NRGs help?

A
Officer who accompanied the Resurgent to ButLalo's descendants did not have recol- NRGs can make technology and know-
By Prem Misir
India. how available to Guyana; in the same way
lection of his sister Deepani or what hap- n important consequence of global- that Indian software firms outsource with
A schoolteacher in New York, 54-year- pened to her. ization is the constant migration of
old Leena Ramotar wanted to learn more diaspora firms in the U.S.; local Guyanese
Leena was not quite convinced about the skilled professionals from Guyana into companies could strive to effect business
about her ancestry. Her voyage of discov- connection because she could not find any mainly developed nations; it is a phenome-
ery began aftershe managed to get copies of reference to her ancestor Deepani in the arrangements with Guyanese diaspora
non that affects all developing economies. firms.
immigration passes for three of her ances- land records. People tried to explain to her I want to present the usefulness of the
tors from the National Achieves in George- that in those days, the names of women NRGs can make direct investments to
Guyanese Diaspora, Guyanese living Guyana; again, some diaspora packaging
town, Guyana, last year. rarely appeared on official records. abroad, to development in this country. The
The immigration passes gave the name of investments already have arrived and have
Leena Ramotar's ancestor left her village Government of Guyana cannot coerce its been activated; perhaps, Guyana may now
the individual, his caste and father's and home about 130 years ago and memories of people to return as remigrants; but through
mother's names together with the home ad- her departure had faded; Nalini's great see the beginnings of diaspora joint ven-
its National Competitiveness Strategy, the tures or acquisitions.
dress in India. grandfather left 111 years ago and there was Government may be able to tap into the Di-
It zeroed down her search to three dis- still someone left to remember his name. NRGs’ involvement in Guyana may be
aspora resources for this country’s devel- guided not only by the profit motive, but by
tricts -- Buxar in Bihar and Rae Bareli and Nalini said: "For the first time I con- opment. And why not?
Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. Nalini also obtained nected with India. But I was so over- a genuine desire for establishing and sus-
A report that 86% of Guyana's graduates taining a base in their country of origin, that
copies of the immigration passes for her whelmed at meeting all those people that I are emigrants has become an important pas-
great grandparents, who came from Faiz- forgot to take the soil that my father asked could be of mutual benefit to both groups
time and exudes considerable excitement of stakeholders. NRGs through a sustained
abad in Uttar Pradesh and Ajmer in Ra- for." for some.
jasthan. engagement in their country of origin may
Leena Ramotar did not have the same sat- The brain drain phenomenon has been a in the end reduce permanent migration.
Nalini Mohabir knew little about her isfaction at locating some who remembered recurring decimal throughout the 20th cen-
links to India. She explained: "I grew up in family history. She had to cut short her visit But NRGs have to be mobilized, so that
tury in different parts of the globe. In fact, professionally-skilled people that emigrate
Canada, I knew that I had a Guyana con- because of her mother's illness, but she the 20th century is the century of refugees;
nection, had vivid memories of meeting plans to return to India to do some further are not completely lost to the sending coun-
the century of migration. try. Some policy is necessary to intensify
aunts, uncles and lots of cousins during vis- research. The rate of Guyanese emigration has con-
its to Guyana. I had little idea of the India the creation of brain circulation networks;
Nalini is also sure she will return, and sistently increased since the early 1950s. and eliminate this constant brooding over
connection but in Canada I was an Indo- probably bring her father to Dewarya to Official statistics show that 32,000 persons
Canadian. As I grew up I wanted to know collect the handful of soil that would con- brain drain. And, indeed, greater tapping of
emigrated between 1960 and 1970; and the Guyanese diaspora resources will bol-
how I was connected to India." nect him with his roots. ster macroeconomic stability.
Plastic in the
HEALTH AND FASHION
microwave not
recommended
Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Pro-
gram Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a
TV program to explain this health hazard.
He talked about dioxins and how bad they
are for us.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of
our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles
with water in them as this releases dioxins
from the plastic.
He said that we should not be heating our
food in the microwave using plastic con-
tainers...
This especially applies to foods that contain
fat.
He said that the combination of fat, high
heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the
food and ultimately into the cells of the
body...
Instead, he recommends using glass, such
as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic con-
tainers for heating food... You get the same
results, only without the dioxin. So such
things as TV dinners, instant ramen and
soups, etc., should be removed from the
container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is
in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered
glass, Corning Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of
the fast food restaurants moved away from
the foam containers to paper. The dioxin
problem is one of the reasons...
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such
as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed
over foods to be cooked in the microwave.
As the food is nuked, the high heat causes
poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the
plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Pop-even diet-may
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
not be good for you
F
or those who drink diet pops in the be-
lief that sugar-free beverages are health-
ier than regular soft drinks, new
research suggests they should think again.
A huge U.S. study of middle-aged adults
has found that drinking more than one soft
drink a day - even a sugar-free diet brand -
may be associated with an elevated risk for
metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors
that significantly boosts the chance of hav-
ing a heart attack or stroke and developing
diabetes.
"We found that one or more sodas per day
increases your risk of new-onset metabolic
syndrome by about 45 per cent, and it did
not seem to matter if it was regular or diet,"
Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, senior investiga-
tor for the Framingham Heart Study, said
from Boston.
Because the corn syrup that sweetens
most regular soft drinks can cause weight
gain and lead to insulin resistance and dia-
betes, "you would expect to see an associa-
Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 16
Fall fashions for 2007
Grey is the new black,
baggy pants are back
This Canadian summer is almost gone, and
its time for new fashions to greet our glori-
ous autumn. From feathers to sequins to
tweed and knits, full figures pants to skinny
belts, these are the 12 trends to look out for
in fall 2007..
1. All that glitters
Sequins are turning up in bright colours,
like purple and aqua, but paired with more
subdued separates—which makes them
easier to pull off. Not just for evening; try a
7. Fur
Fake or otherwise, it’s trimming jackets,
coats, sweaters, even ear flaps. Fans of DIY
can pick up faux-fur trim and sew it on to
cardigan collars and the ends of sleeves.
8. Knits
Imagine your granny clicking her knitting
needles under Karl Lagerfeld’s tutelage.
Upscale knits that somehow look home-
made, these sweaters and tunics are comfy
and chic when the temperature drops. Think
chunky but streamlined.
glimpse of sequined camisole peaking out
of a grey business jacket (see number 3 on 9. Street yoga
our list).
No, not as self-defence; we mean fitness
2. Skinny belts togs on the street. Try pairing your yoga
pants with a chunky sweater—more stylish
Put away those wide belts, at least for now. than tracksuit bottoms, and an easy way to
Cinch a slender one over a jacket, dress, go from downward dog to picking-up-after-
sweater, or blouse, for a waist-defining dog.
look.
3. Grey
Grey is this season’s black; think of it as a
background for vibrant colour and
sparkling touches. Match a canary-yellow
blouse with slate pants; pair azure blue with
charcoal. Try wearing that sequined
turquoise camisole with a grey skirt for an
unexpected evening look.
4. Hats 10. Tweed
Hats are back, just in time for the cooler Take your fashion cue from the Queen.
weather! Ditch the toque and pick elegant Nothing is more autumnal than this nubby
tion with regular soft drinks - but not diet
shapes—cloche, beret, and fedora. Russian- fabric, especially in a streamlined coat.
soft drinks," he said. "Our findings suggest
style fur (faux, of course) hats will see you Also look for plaid to put in an appearance.
that this is not the case."
into winter, and they’re romantic, too.
Metabolic syndrome is associated with
11. Platforms
five specific health indicators: excess ab-
5. Extra large pants
dominal fat; high blood sugar; high triglyc-
Platform shoes are holding their ground for
erides; low levels of the good cholesterol
Slouchy pants are the antidote to skinny fall 2007, especially in pumps. You’ll be
HDL; and elevated blood pressure.
jeans—no need to worry about anything walking tall.
"And other than high blood pressure, the
spilling out where it shouldn’t. You don’t
other four . . . all were associated with
have to go XXL, but do add a pair of wide- 12. Feathers
drinking one or more sodas per day," said
legged pants to your wardrobe. Keep your
Vasan, a professor of medicine at Boston
top streamlined when you go baggy! Feather trim on evening dresses—think
University.
Penelope Cruz at the Oscars—are taking off
The researchers found that compared to
6. Black tights and patterned hose this season. They’re on skirts and bodices,
those who drank less than one canper day,
dyed to match. We hope you’re not tick-
subjects who downed one or more soft
A nod to the sixties, and a chic way to keep lish…
drinks daily had a 31 per cent greater risk of
your legs warm this fall. If you prefer skirts
becoming obese (with a body mass index of
to pants but don’t want to court hypother-
30 or more),-30 per cent increased risk of
mia, invest in ribbed wool tights.
adding on belly fat, 25 per cent higher risk
of developing high blood triglycerides or
high blood sugar, 32 per cent higher risk of
having low HDL levels.
RELIGION
TT Hindus
say PM’s
prayer room
is insulting
T
he main Hindu group in Trinidad, the
Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, is cry-
ing foul on the new prayer room at the
Prime Minister's residence, which it said is
insulting to Hindus and other non Chris-
tian groups.
Prime Minister Manning’s prayer room
Maha Sabha secretary Sat Maharaj said
the prayer room in the prime mimister's
residence and diplomatic center looks like
a Christian chapel and does not take all re-
ligions into consideration.
The prayer room contains stained glass
windows and wooden pews common to
many Christian churches. It does not ap-
pear to have taken into consideration the
practice of Hindus and Muslims of sitting
on the floor for prayers and rituals. There
are no specific religious symbols on the
walls or front of the room.
The Global Organization of People of
Indian Origin (GOPIO) has described the
prayer room as a "wilful act of exclusion"
of the Muslim and Hindu communities in
this country. All taxpayers contributed to
the construction and financing of the offi-
cial residence, yet only one religious seg-
ment of our nation is being represented,"
GOPIO added.
However, in an immediate response,
the Urban Development Corporation of
Trinidad and Tobago Limited (UDCOTT)
said: "The room is designated as a prayer
room and not a chapel, church or Christian
place of worship as it has been recently re-
ferred to in some quarters.
"The room was designed with some ar-
chitectural features including archways
and stained glass, which may be miscon-
strued as Christian representations, but
which are, in fact, not unique to buildings
aligned with the Christian faith."
Hindu tilak banned at
Indian workplace
A senior official in India's Bihar state
faces suspension for wearing the Hindu red
mark on his forehead at work.
Lakshman Mishra, deputy director of the
agriculture department, is accused of
breaching a new government dress code
. He says he has worn the mark, or tilak,
on his forehead at work for 30 years and it
is his religious right to do so. His col-
leagues support him - nearly all of them
have been arriving at work wearing red
marks in protest, and unions are threaten-
ing mass action.
Lakshman is threatening suicide if he is
dismissed for wearning the tilak.
Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 17
Ramadan begins Offering sacred milk at
Ganga Puja in Brampton
this month
Ramadan 1,1428 will begin September 13,
2007 (To be confirmed by moon sighting),
according to the TARIC Islamic Centre.
First Taraweeh will be after Isha September
12, 2007.
Canada’s Muslim population today is es-
timated to be over 783,000, with 60% or
469,000 living in Ontario. Quebec has a
signicicant Muslim population of over
100,000, while both British Columbia and
Alberta have over 50,000 Muslims each.
Roughly 10 per cent or 20,000 are Indo-
Caribbean Muslims concentrated in On-
tario and Quebec.
A Ramadan timetable for the month of
fasting is available online at
www.taric.org.., giving the times for start-
ing and breaking the fast at sunrise and sun-
set.
ICTIMES MONTHLY QUIZ
Ramadan greetings Guess the length of the laukie in the picture
to all Muslims and win 10 pocket sized Gitas from the Gita
for Each Home Project.
The month of Ramadan is upon us again
bringing with it bargain opportunities for
ensuring a happy afterlife.
Normally regarded as the month for
greater striving, it is in fact the month in
which the least striving brings the greatest
rewards.
The admonition in Sura Asr “Surely man
is in a state of loss except those who believe Hint: The tallest person in the picture is 5’
and do good deeds, inviting to the Truth and 6”, The shorter person is 4 years old.
to patience” encapsulates the loss we suffer The laukie was grown in Brampton and
when we permit Ramadan to pass without picked in the last week of July this year. IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE
availing of its bounties. The secret was good old fashioned cow
What we are commanded to do in Ra-
dung, the fertilizer used by our parents for IN THE
madan is essentially to change our eating generations in many countries. Is it so dif-
habits by bringing breakfast forward to sun- ficult to understand by cattle are so revered
INDO-
set rather than after sunrise. Thus we are among Hindus the world over?
simply required to feast at night when we
CARIBBEAN
would have fasted, and to fast in daylight Email your answers to the Indo-Caribbean
hours when we would have feasted. Times at ictimes @rogers.com with your
And this command applies only to such
TIMES
name and address. The winner's name will
as are enjoying good health and not to the be published in the next issue of the paper.
ill or infirm. Those normally eligible to fast
and who may be ill or traveling on a jour-
ney are permitted to defer the fast until later
416-289-3898
when returned to normalcy. Expiation may
be made by feeding the poor for days
missed, but to keep the Fast later is better
than expiation.
For this effort to alter our fasting hours
from night to day, we receive the promise
of unimaginable rewards.
Other than the Fast, as Muslims we must
continue to conduct ourselves as sincere be-
lievers, helping others rather than injuring
or obstructing others. All good deeds re-
ceive magnified rewards in this bargain
month and all actions are recorded as al-
ways.
The offering of supererogatory acts of
worship carry additional opportunities for
doing good but additional devotions must
not be forced on anyone. No act of piety
done under duress is of any benefit. One
must desire with one’s own heart to observe
extra devotions.
As always we should observe the contin-
uing Commandments of Prayers and Char-
ity.
May we all be inspired to observe this
month of Ramadan with obedience to the
Divine Commands.
Ramadan Mobarak to all.
MFRahman, Trinidad .
YOUTH
Taking care of our seniors is a sacred duty
S
By Kanayalal Raina
ome time back I saw a movie Bhagb-
han, this is a tale of a family where
the parents (Amitabh Bachan and
Hema Malini ) sacrifice everything to take
care of their four children, only to be left
uncared for when they grow old.
The movie taught us do not depend on
anyone or anything. However their chil-
dren are not completely at fault in this
movie, as we are at the dawn of the 21st
century and the value system has changed a
lot. As such parents, should not accept too
much from children.
When we were young we were advised
by our elders to live in total harmony at all
times with each and every member of our
family, the ideal being "tolerance for dishar-
monious conditions." Positive discipline,
the art of raising children based on treating
each other with dignity and respect, is in-
valuable. These same positive discipline
guidelines, used to raise our children and
grandchildren without violence, are per-
fectly adaptable to all situations and all age
groups.
Having an aging parent is like raising a
teenager, only in reverse. Responsibilities
and duties are only to be taken over when it
becomes absolutely necessary. It can be
very hard to give up one's independence.
Often the tendency of the son or daughter
is to do everything for the parent. But what
seems to be kindness by the caretaker can
be very debilitating and insulting, making
the parent feel useless.
But true service is about the person or
persons being served, not about the person
doing the serving. Clearly, service is not
about imposing our own beliefs, ideals and
standards on anyone else; rather, it is about
honouring those we serve exactly as they
are. As adult care-
giving children, we
need all the skills we
could acquire for
successfully and lov-
ingly dealing with
our aging parents.
They should be left
to do their own type
of work which they
feel they are in posi-
tion to do at an age
without imposing
conditions. They
should be left to bal-
ance their own fi-
nances and dole out their own medications
as long as they can do so accurately. And
yet, the son or daughter should not hesitate
to take over any or all responsibilities and
duties as it becomes necessary. It is a very
delicate dance, and much prayer and sensi-
tivity is needed.
Care for elders is needed every day and
in every way and in negotiation with them.
Hence communication skills are essential
here to make them comfortable and one has
to take extra care not to condescend in any
way. Being in total harmony all of the time
takes attention, constant inner vigilance,
practice, persistence and patience. In living
with others there are always these little
things that can drive one another crazy.
These are easily and quickly identified!
Recognize what they are on your side and
see that they never happen again. Make a
happy game out of this.
Let's face it, living with parent(s) again as
an adult is weird! Many of our younger
generation have spent decades living apart
Indo-Caribbean Times
from our parents, in Canada or USA, all the
time evolving into adults by virtue of our
own life experiences. Some things are just
as we remember them, and other things are
completely different. Meanwhile, our par-
ents have evolved from healthy, all-know-
ing and confident adults into frail, unsure
and dependent elders. Their children have
gray hair and already one or two children
have been added to the family. The relent-
less and inevitable changes of time are ev-
ident to all. When the parents migrate to a
new country, they suddenly are faced with
a different life-style by different standards
and choices than they are accustomed, and
this makes for a challenging experience.
They feel out of place, especially when
their own grand children talk to them with
an accent and language much different to
what they are used to.
When the parent is no longer able to
safely drive an automobile, the adult care-
giving child should cheerfully take the par-
ent wherever he or she needs to go, safely
and on time. This becomes the joyful job of
the caretaker. Enjoy your parents' friends
and get books on how to take care of your
parents at the library.
Parents need to be lovingly encouraged to
get out of the house. If no longer able to
drive, they may feel they are a burden and
be reluctant to bother you with going any-
where that is "unnecessary." Short, local
trips can be planned regularly, and you can
invite your parent to accompany you on er-
rands or to visit with your friends, too. Tak-
ing mom or dad along to school where the
grand children are studying or a shopping
trip can be fun for both of you.
It helps to understand where and how,
they, as members of their own generation,
and products of their own life experiences,
have formed their beliefs. Living with an
aging parent is not about trying to change
his or her mind about anything. Futility is a
good teacher. As a general rule, answer the
questions you are asked as simply as possi-
SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 18
Dead man wakes
up during his
ble and wait for another question. It is not a
own autopsy!
good idea to constantly tell a parent what
we think about issues.
Having no money is the biggest hardship
that faces seniors living with their children,
but our seniors don't talk about these issues, A Venezuelan man who had been de-
choosing instead to suffer on in silence. clared dead woke up in the morgue in ex-
It is not necessarily poverty they face, for cruciating pain after medical examiners
their children take good care of them-- or at began their autopsy.Carlos Camejo, 33, was
least as best they can. But it is, rather, a declared dead after a highway accident and
sense of powerlessness, and the inability to taken to the morgue, where examiners
be able to take one’s own decisions when it began an autopsy only to realize something
involves any money, even if this is just a was amiss when he started bleeding. They
small amount. quickly sought to stitch up the incision on
his face.
"I woke up because the pain was unbear-
able," Camejo said, according to a report y
in leading local newspaper El Universal.
His grieving wife turned up at the morgue
to identify her husband's body only to find
him moved into a corridor -- and alive.
Reuters could not immediately reach hos-
pital officials to confirm the events. But
Camejo showed the newspaper his facial
scar and a document ordering the autopsy.
"There are other challenges unique faced
by our seniors. Our children may in some
instances do not want to get them here to
Canada/ USA... or are unable to due to var-
ious procedures adopted by Govt... But
these seniors are needed, to baby-sit, walk
the grandkids to school and pick them up,
cook, and generally help out around the
house.
"There are yet
other challenges on
an entirely different
level; for instance,
seniors within our
community are re-
quired to wait 10
years here before
they can apply for
state benefits (un-
like some other
communities who
qualify after just
three years). Again,
getting the visas or
PR cards might
prove a challenge and frustration even be-
fore arriving to a new country."
Kanayalal Raina, Brampton
klsraina@rogers.com
Selling or buying?
Trust the business of Real Estate to a Realtor
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Lisa Maharaj
Sales Representative
Cell: 416-458-5683; Office: 905-277-0771
Re/Max Realty One Inc.
102-50 Burnhamthorpe Rd W. Mississauga, ON L5B 3C2
 Suriname Indians in the Netherlands
INDIANS IN THE CARIBBEAN Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 19

S
base. Yet there is an unseen barrier among even with a Dutch passport is: which is
T. VINCENTIAN PIO
The Indian in them lives on the communities. In spite of their common preferable - complete acceptance of the new
origin and cultural heritage, the two groups home by integration and assimilation, or ELECTED MAYOR OF
By Wahid Saleh

I
of Indians in the Netherlands have different rather remaining aloof and keeping a cau- LUTON, UK
tious distance? St. Vincent's born PIO Norris Lincoln
t is difficult to determine when Indians
The Suri- Bullock has been elected Mayor of Luton
started their emigration to the Nether-
namese Indians in the United Kingdom. The 61-year old
lands. Contact between India and the
don’t have this Councilor, married and father of two grown
Netherlands goes back to many centuries.
problem. They sons, contested the election as a represen-
After 1600, the Dutch East India Company
know that their tative of the Labor Party. The newly elected
took over the spice trade from the Por-
forefathers left mayor has served in many community po-
tuguese. There is no record showing that In-
India and they sitions over the years, including: Lifelong
dians visited or came to the Netherlands
belong to their Learning Scrutiny, North Luton Area Com-
during that period.
present country mittee, African Caribbean Elders working
A Dutch TV programme on Azad Hind
of residence. group, Starlight Youth Club, Limbury Com-
Brigade stationed in German-occupied Hol-
Being born and munity Center, Early Years Development
land mentioned that a brigade of Sikhs ar-
brought up in and Childcare Partnership, the Partnership
rived in German-occupied Holland back in
Suriname, they Improvement Board, and School Governor
June of 1943. This brigade had been formed
are loyal to their at Norton Road Primary School.
at the instigation of Netaji Subash Chandra
motherland. For Mayor Bullock stated that "I am quite
Bose, following a meeting with Hitler. Newly arrived Indians in Suriname in the 19th century the Surinamese pleased - it is something I have always
Three thousand of them trained in Dresden
characteristics and cultural differences. Hindus, India has a special meaning. India wanted to do. I have done voluntary work
and were stationed in the
They also differ in the level of their in- is the centre of their religion; it gives them in the town for the past 25 years so I think
north of the Nether-
tegration with the Dutch society. Due to a special identity. I well deserve it." Mayor Bullock has stated
lands. From there, they
their colonial past and knowledge of the It seems one is more that he intends to focus on healthcare issues
moved to the south of
Dutch language, the Surinamese Indians are easily an Indian during his term as Mayor of Luton.
France.
more integrated in the Dutch society than abroad than in India. If
The emigration of In-
the Indians. They are also politically in- one speaks of an In-
dians to the Netherlands
volved - at local as well as at national level. dian diaspora in the
is actually a post-World

17 for chutney
The Indians who came directly from Netherlands, it is be-
War II phenomenon.
Former Indian India or migrated from other countries to cause other forces
At present, the

finals
prime minister Netherlands has the sec- the Netherlands also adapted themselves to have emerged to ce-
Latchman the Dutch way of life. But, socio-cultural ment the widely differ-
ond largest population of
interaction between the Surinamese Indians ent elements from
people of Indian origin
and Indian communities hardly takes place. Jules Ajodhia, India into an "Indian
(PIOs) in Europe. There are two very dis-
One of the reasons may be the language current Vice community". This is a
tinct groups among the Indian community
barrier. Among the NRIs, English is the President combination of "na SEVENTEEN artistes have been se-
in the Netherlands - the PIOs from Suri-
tionalism", which can be translated as pa-
name (whose roots are mainly in Uttar usual medium of communication while the
triotism, combined with love for the coun-
lected for the finals of the 2007
Surinamese Indians communicate either in
Pradesh and Bihar) and the non-resident In-
try, its heritage and its culture. They are National Chutney Monarch compe-
dians (NRIs). Dutch or in Sarnami Hindustani or Sarnami
Hindi as spoken in Suriname. Sarnami Hin- proud to be Indian. tition.
Most of the PIOs from Suriname mi-
dustani is a blend of Bhojpuri and Awadhi. For them, it is ‘Sare jahhan se accha Hin-
grated to the Netherlands when Suriname
became independent in 1975. Before the in- It has also some influence of Dutch and dustan hamara’ (My India is better then the Ramdeen "Falco" Maharaj, winner
rest of the world). They might be holding
dependence of Suriname, the main motiva- other languages.
Dutch, English or American passports.
of the 2006 finals, is the defending
But both communities do share the age-
tion for Hindustanis to migrate to the
They may be from the first, second or third champ.
Netherlands was the increased opportuni- old customs and traditions and observe
them in festivities and bereavements. Even generation. But during the flag hoisting cer-
ties of higher education as compared to
Suriname. In more recent years, Indians the Indian "arranged marriage" system has emony at the Indian Embassy, they all sing "The name of my song is "The Mis-
from India have joined them. not completely lost its popularity within the very proudly India’s national anthem. sion", said Maharaj.
communities. Both the communities share The diasporic Indians in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has a total population of
cultural programmes of well-known Indian appear to know the meaning and contours
about 16 million. Out of this, the Suri-
of religion better than the Indians in India. "I'm singing about facts. So you
namese Indians (Sarnami Hindustanis as artists of classical music and dance and the
regular performances of the Bollywood The same way, they routinely mention In- have to listen to the lyrics,'' he said
they call themselves) are about 200,000 in
stars. dian civilisation.
number. It is estimated that there are about
15,000 NRIs, apart from 1,000 or 2,000 il- If there is an Indian diaspora in the To quote Shashi Tharoor, ‘NRI’ now "And I'm coming ten times bigger
stands for ‘Never Relinquished India’. No
legal immigrants. According to the Central Netherlands, we must then inquire what
matter how we dress or where we were ed-
and better this year,'' he cautioned.
makes it "Indian". What is common to the
Database of Statistics in Netherlands, at the
ucated or from where we come, the Indian .
end of the year 2005, there were 3,745 In- Indians migrating from different states from
India? What is common to the PIOs mi- flag, Gandhi, Nehru - our icons - belong to
dian passport holders and the number of
people of Indian origin (first and second grating from Suriname to the Netherlands us all. Neither language nor religion binds The 16 other Chutney Monarch fi-
generation Indians), including Indians hold- and the first generation Indians who came the Indian community in the Netherlands nalists are Neeshan Prabhoo, Bu
together. We know that India, being more
ing passports of other countries was 13,800. directly from India? Outside India, the
of a continent in size and diversity, an
dram Holass, Hansraj Ramkissoon,
question of the "Indianness or the diasporic
Highly qualified professionals and entre-
Urdu-speaking Muslim from Delhi and a Edward Ramdass, Mohip Poon-
preneurs largely constitute the recent wave identity" of these Indians gets a particular
meaning as Indians abroad are supposed to Malayalam -speaking Brahmin from Ker- wassie, Jagdeo Phagoo, Marva
of Indians who came to seek their fortunes
in the Netherlands. Many of them have re- leave their regional, ethnic and linguistic ala would have even less in common than Mckenzie, Heeralal Rampertap,
tained Indian citizenship. They have gained identities except the more general identity an Egyptian or someone from Nigeria. Kenneth Seepersad, Lynn Khan,
One speaks Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, or any
considerable expertise in important spheres of being an Indian.
of the Indian languages or one follows
Lolly Dookie, Michael Salloum,
The expatriate Indians have mixed loyal-
of economic and professional life.
one’s own faith, but still they preserve their Carlyle Chen, Herman Seepersad,
In 1972, during the dictatorship of Idi ties - to India and to their adopted country,
the Netherlands. What is so extraordinary Indianness their diasporic identity. In their Nirmal "Massive" Gosein and Ra-
Amin, a few hundred Indians migrated
from Uganda to the Netherlands. In the re- in our Indian culture or in our history or our hearts, they are still Indian. To quote Vay- jcumar Raymond.
motherland that exerts such a strong pull? alar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Af-
cent past, PIOs from Afghanistan arrived in
fairs, for a member of Indian diaspora, it is
the Netherlands. There are also PIOs from At a time when the Government of the
not only ‘Dil hai Hindustani’ but ‘demaag
Tthe finals scheduled to take place
Netherlands is implementing very strict im-
Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius and Trinidad.
vee Hindustani’ (Both my heart and soul at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre
Besides the above, the Dutch have been migration rules and introducing various
plans to integrate the immigrants into the belong to India). on September 22.
adopting Indian children more or less on a
regular basis. Dutch society, the Indian diaspora is being
The Surinamese Indians are mostly con- praised for its silent integration into the (The writer is an engineer by profession.
centrated in and around the four big cities - mainstream Dutch society, especially for its After taking early retirement from the Dutch “
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and the ability to integrate accepting the values of company he was working in, he is now in-
Hague. the Dutch society and yet retaining its own volved in social work and is an active mem-
identity. ber of the Indian community in the
The Surinamese Indians in the Nether-
lands and the NRIs have a common cultural The question for NRIs in the Netherlands, Netherlands.)
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
ICTimes Book Club
Images of a Journey pictures the
T
25 million person Indian diaspora diversity ourthatlanguage
he way we express ourselves has al-
ways fascinated others because of how
colourful
A Hindu woman dressed in a colorful "shalwar kamiz," a traditional northern In-
I
dian costume, leaves a small shrine attached to a private home in Princes Town, a
Trinidadian city of more than 90,000. This is one of the many photographs in Steve
Raymer’s book Images of a Journey: India in Diaspora
mages of a Journey: India in Diaspora
is Steve Raymer's tribute to Desis or the
people of South Asian origin "who gen-
erally think of themselves as Indian and are
tied to the culture of India no matter where
they might live." But it is by no means an
encyclopedic account of the diaspora.
Rather, it is a sometimes larger-than-life
story that begins with Great Britain's need
for cheap and efficient laborers building
railroads and working plantations, as well
as for soldiers, policemen, coal miners,
managers, and English-speaking teachers
across the Empire.
Raymer observes that not every Indian
went abroad willingly, nor were they uni-
versally welcomed. "Hundreds of prisoners
were shackled in irons and sent to help
build, and later settle, colonial outposts like
Singapore, today one of the world's marvels
of trade, tourism, and material comfort for
most of its citizens. Other Indians were
known as notorious moneylenders, so
loathed in places like Burma that they were
expelled."
He acknowledges that "Indians, for all
their insularity and attachment to the cul-
ture of their homeland, have been the foot
soldiers in the advance of free markets, free
trade, widespread access to technology, and
democratic ideals in many parts of the
globe." and that they have become "key
players in the rise and fall of the British
Empire, the creation of new states in the
Middle East rich in oil and natural gas, and,
in the end, a globalized world that today
stretches from the villages of rural India to
the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies."
Raymer notes that the success of Indians
has come at a price. "In some former out-
posts of the British Empire, Indians today
are seen as uninvited guests whose days are
numbered and opportunities limited. Hence,
the term "brown brain drain" has gained
currency over the past several decades in
parts of Africa, the Caribbean, Southeast
Asia and Oceania."
Raymer's account of the diaspora ends in
Bangalore, the high-technology capital of a
resurgent India.
But far from engineering the wholesale
transfer of jobs from the United States and
Great Britain, the Indian returnees of the so-
called "reverse diaspora" are helping create
a new Indian middle class, hiring educated
Indians who, in turn, are buying Dell and
Indo-Caribbean Times
takes tongues from India, Gson of a pastor in the Lutheran Church
is as well as the rich uyanese born PIO Samuel Singh, the
in New York, has published a compilation
Apple computers, Domino's pizza, and
DaimlerChrysler Jeep Grand Cherokees.
In the end, this story puts a human face
on some of the notable, but more often than
not, the ordinary people of the Indian dias-
pora, "people who have changed the way
the world sees Indians," and hence India.
Certainly the diaspora is an ongoing
story, acknowledges Raymer. "Some Indi-
ans will cling to the culture of India or con-
struct, as Mukherjee calls it, a "phantom
identity, more Indian-than-Indians-in-
India," as a defense against discrimination.
But the young will adapt, walking the
tightrope between two competing worlds
until they are transformed in ways unimag-
ined by their parents and grandparents.
Some will return home with foreign pass-
ports and money to invest in moving India
forward. But immigrant dreams die hard.
Indians will continue to leave home with
visions of a better life for themselves and
their families. And if history is any guide,
many will succeed. Some will surely dis-
tinguish themselves, earning still more
Nobel Prizes and the like. And nearly all of
the Indians of the diaspora will change the
culture of their adopted lands just as those
lands will, in the end, surely change them."
It is to Raymer's credit that he has also
documented the less prosperous Indians in
the diaspora. Raymer dispels the notion that
Indians in the diaspora are only affluent and
ultra-successful. He highlights the middle-
tier, blue-collar laborer class that is so often
overlooked.
Perhaps the most successful migration in
recent human history, the Indian Diaspora
reaches across all of the world’s oceans and
to every continent, including Antarctica,
where India has a permanent research sta-
tion. For the 20-to-25 million people of In-
dian origin living in a hundred or more
countries around the globe, the sun never
sets on this Diaspora.
Images of a Journey documents the strug-
gle of Indian immigrants to survive and
succeed, beginning in the 19th century with
the British Empire’s need for cheap labor,
skilled managers, and English-speaking
teachers. In between, Steve Raymer takes
readers to the sugar plantations of the
Caribbean and the hand-scrabble neighbor-
hoods of England, and inside top U.S. hos-
pitals and Fortune 500 companies.
SEPTEMBER 2007
“Badjohns, Bhaji and
Banknotes” looks at
Trinidad language
Africa and Europe to fashion a unique
speak. One of those persons who has fallen
in love with the linguistic styles of Trinidad
and Tobago is Lise Winer, an associate pro-
fessor in the Department of Integrated Stud-
ies in Education at McGill University,
Canada who has been studying the linguis-
tics in Trinidad since 1980.
Winer received her Ph.D. in linguistics
from UWI in 1982 and is now considered
to be the world's foremost scholar of the
historical development of language in
Trinidad and Tobago. She has published a
number of essays and articles on the lan-
guage, literature and culture of this nation
in magazines and journals across the globe.
She is also about to launch a book entitled
Dictionary of the English/Creole of
Trinidad and Tobago, which is being pub-
lished by McGill-Queens University Press.
Winer, however, launched at the School
of Continuing Studies of the University of
the West Indies a book entitled Badjohns,
Bhaaji and Banknote Blue recently. The
publication features a series of essays ex-
ploring the social history of language in
Trinidad and Tobago. Through the articles
published in the book, Winer takes an in-
depth look into the unique way the peoples
of this nation communicate, crossing cul-
tural and social boundaries.
A native of Canada, Miner also has de-
grees in anthropology, English,East Asian
Studies and Teaching English as a Second
Language. Over the past twenty years and
more she has been working steadily to high-
light the richness of literature from Trinidad
and Tobago as well as the beauty of the var-
ious dialects and manners of speaking.
Winer has also been involved in the pub-
lishing of annotated song lyrics from
Trinidad and Tobago originated works such
as "Peter Was A Fisherman," "The Toco
Recordings of Melville and Frances Her-
skovits," "Rastling Jacob" and "The Music
of the Spiritual Baptist of Trinidad."
IC Times
Book Club
Recommendations
Guyana. Editor Arif Ali, publisher Hansib
Hardback, 284 pages
$50.00 Canadian, postage in Canada $6
In Pursuit of Justice, by Shakoor Man-
raj,
Hardback, 297 pages
$30.00 Canadian, including postage in
Canada. US .
Two books of poetry
Winged Heart, by Janet Naidu
$13 plus $2 postage
Rainwater, by Janet Naidu
$15, plus $2 postage
Layers of the Rainforest by Shirley
Najhram
Hardback, children’s book
$15, postage in Canada $2.55
To obtain a copy of any of these books,
call ICTimes Book Club at 416-289-3898
or e-mail ictimes@rogers.com
Page 20
Samuel Singh
chronicles
Life in Guyana
of thematic poetry on life in Guyana and its
culture. The title of the publication is "MY
VOICE" and it has received positive re-
views from various quarters as a unique
compilation of poems inspired by life of the
author while growing up as a PIO in
Guyana.
"It took time in crafting this collection of
poems to show great beauty, thought and
personal conviction", said author Samuel
Singh. "This book is a collection of poems
inspired by my homeland, Guyana. For
many years there were incidents and stories,
both good and bad, that attracted the atten-
tion of Guyanese and Guyanese related
people the world over", added Singh.
Samuel Singh was born in 1981 on the
Corentyne coast of Guyana, South America
where he spent his childhood. The family
then moved to Jamaica, West Indies where
he lived for four years and was also where
he found a love for writing. He retuned to
Guyana in 1996 where he completed sec-
ondary education and during that time he
developed more of a passion for creative
writing and poetry. In 1999, he emigrated
with his family to New York where he con-
tinued his education and graduated from
Queens.
First Caribbean
Indian Music Artist
Music Awards held
in New York
T
he first ever Caribbean Indian Music
Awards event was held on July 15 at
the famous Club Tobago in Richmond Hill,
New York, to honor local artistes in the per-
forming arts, chutney and filmy songs. The
historic red carpet event was organized by
the Dheeraj Cultural Foundation in associ-
ation with Achievers, Inc.
Popular Kathak dancer and head of the
Dheeraj Cultural Foundation, Guyanese-
born Mr. Dheeraj said that the idea of the
awards show was born about five months
ago. He, along with many other like-
minded people in the West Indian commu-
nity, worked assiduously to put together this
spectacular awards package, which was
reminiscent of the Bollywood Musical
Awards show.
Many community leaders, including
prominent civic leader and businessman
Ramesh Kalicharran, turned out to support
this once-of-its-kind event. Mr. Kalicharran
remarked that "this program recognizes the
sterling contributions made by the local
artistes to promote the this unique culture
was long overdue"
There were many categories up for nom-
ination namely, filmy songs, chutney, TV
talk show hosts, DJs and radio talk show
hosts.
The event culminated with a scintillating
cultural presentation showcasing a mixture
of talents in the community. Performers,
such as Anand Yankarran, Sharon Ghanny,
Neal Mohammed, the Jumping Jack Danny
and the little dancing princess, Nikita
wowed the packed audience.

Crime Wave
From Page 8
September 3
Robbery spree in East
Coast Demerara
Bandits, armed with handguns and cut-
lasses, went on a 30-minute robbery spree
in three East Coast Demerara villages,
chopping one man in the head and wound-
ing another who had come to his assistance.
The attacks took place in Annandale ,
Strathspey and Coldingen.
The first attack occurred at around 9:30
pm at the home of Track ‘A', Coldingen res-
ident Kishore Mohamed, who was cornered
in his yard by three men and chopped in the
head and on the left hand.The robbers re-
portedly attempted to enter Mohamed's
house but, fortunately, Mohamed's wife had
heard her husband's screams and shut the
door. The robbers eventually fled with
$3,000 that they had taken from their first
victim.
Some 15 minutes after chopping and rob-
bing Mohamed, two bandits, armed with a
handgun and a cutlass, struck at Annandale
Ishwari Jeffrey, 40, a businessman of 187
Droom Street , Annandale , was walking
with a friend along the Annandale Market
Road , at around 9:45 pm, when two men
attacked them.The friend fled but the men
relieved Jeffrey of $10,000 before escaping.
Police say that Hemraj Pooran, of Strath-
spey Line Top, was in a hammock in his
yard when four men, armed with cutlasses
and guns, pounced on him.
One of the bandits reportedly placed a
cutlass to Pooran's neck and ordered him to
tell his sister, Khempattie Pooran, to open
the door.When she did, the bandits barged
in, held Khempattie at gunpoint, and re-
lieved her of $50,000, two gold chains, two
rings and two pairs of earrings, before flee-
ing.
September 14
Victim shoots Agricola
bandit
An Agricola, East Bank Demerara busi-
nessman shot and wounded one of six ban-
dits who had previously robbed him. Two
businessmen were waling along Remus
Street in Agricola around 10.30 pm when
they met the six youths all armed with
handguns. They relieved the men of
$500,000 in jewellery and a cellular phone,
and gun butted one of the businessmen. As
the robbers were leaving the injured busi-
nessman fired his gun at the gang, hitting
one.
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE
IN THE
INDO-
CARIBBEAN
TIMES
416-289-3898
Azim is richest Muslim businessman
T
he world's richest Muslim entrepreneur
defies conventional wisdom about Is-
lamic tycoons: He doesn't hail from the Per-
sian Gulf, he didn't make his money in
petroleum, and he definitely doesn't wear
his faith on his sleeve.
A native of Mumbai, Azim Premji has
tapped India's abundant engineering talent
to transform a family veg-
etable-oil firm, Wipro Ltd.,
into a technology and out-
sourcing giant. By serving
Western manufacturers, air-
lines and utilities, the com-
pany has brought Mr. Premji
a fortune of some $17 billion
-- believed to be greater than
that of any other Muslim out-
side of Persian Gulf royalty.
Mr. Premji's rise is already
inspiring some Indian Mus-
lims to embrace the modern,
globalized world. "He's an icon. He shows
that excellence has no caste and no creed,
and that if one has excellence, one can
make it to the top," says Mohamed Javeed,
principal of Bangalore's predominantly
Muslim Al-Ameen College.
A role model like Mr. Premji might seem
to be what India's Muslims need. Though
the country's economy is growing at 9% a
year, the vast majority of India's estimated
150 million Muslims -- the largest Islamic
population in the world after Indonesia and
Pakistan -- remain socially marginalized,
badly educated and mired in deep poverty.
By and large, they're left out of the social
transformation that is propelling millions of
their Hindu compatriots into prosperity, as
barriers of caste disappear and India's new
corporate giants provide opportunities that
never existed before.
Yet, to many in India's Muslim commu-
nity, Mr. Premji's enormous wealth, far
from being inspiring, shows that success
comes at a price the truly faithful cannot ac-
cept. They resent that Mr. Premji plays
down his religious roots and declines to em-
brace Muslim causes -- in a nation where
people are pegged by their religion and
where Hindus freely flaunt theirs.
Mr. Premji has mentioned his Muslim
background so rarely in public that many
Indian Muslims don't even know he shares
their heritage.
In an interview at Wipro's sleek Banga-
lore campus Mr. Premji scoffed at the idea
he should display his Muslim identity or
champion the cause of Muslim advance-
ment in India. "We've always seen our-
selves as Indian. We've never seen
ourselves as Hindus, or Muslims, or Chris-
tians or Buddhists," he said.
These secularist values came to him nat-
urally. There was no madrassa in Mr. Pre-
mji's own education. He attended a Mumbai
Catholic school, St. Mary's, and then stud-
ied electrical engineering at Stanford Uni-
versity in Palo Alto, Calif.
After the death of his father in 1966, he
took the helm at Wipro at the age of 21,
against the wishes of board members who
wanted seasoned management. Long pub-
licly traded -- although controlled by the
Premji family with 81% of the stock -- the
company then had annual sales of only $2
million. It was known as Western India
Vegetable Product Ltd. and mostly pro-
duced a kind of sunflower oil called vanas-
pati, a staple of Indian cuisine.
Mr. Premji set out to diversify, and a
break came in 1977, when a coalition of
Hindu nationalists, Socialists and others
displaced the ruling Congress party. The
new government clamped down on multi-
Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007
nationals, prompting the exodus of corpo-
rate giants like International Business Ma-
chines Corp. and Coca-Cola Co. Mr. Premji
stepped in, beginning to manufacture com-
puters and other electronics.
"The space was opened because imports
were banned into India, or imports were
very expensive because of duty tariffs," he
recalls. He set up shop in
Bangalore, a southern
city whose dry highland
air is well suited for as-
sembling electronics. He
hired managers and engi-
neers from India's large
military industry. Wipro
became a major manu-
facturer of technology
hardware.
The bonanza ended in
the early 1990s as a dif-
ferent Indian govern-
ment, seeing capitalism rise in former
Eastern-bloc nations, abandoned socialism
and eased import restrictions. This created
something of a crisis for Wipro and other
electronics manufacturers. "The goods and
services that we produced were no longer
needed because customers could buy what's
best and available on the global market,"
says Wipro's Mr. Banerjee.
While many of Wipro's peers didn't sur-
vive the change, Mr. Premji spotted another
opportunity in the upheaval. Wipro went to
the foreign companies with which it did
business when it was a manufacturer, such
as General Electric Co. and Sun Microsys-
tems Inc., and offered a new relationship.
At relatively low cost, its high-quality en-
gineers could take on outsourced work such
as design, research and testing.
Wipro's outsourcing business now spans
the gamut. It has simple call-center man-
agement, but it also designs mobile phones
for leading international brands. It runs the
computer systems of European utilities and
does full-service business consulting. In the
fiscal year ended March 31, Wipro's profit
surged 44% to $677 million, as sales
climbed 41% to $3.47 billion. The shares,
which are also traded on the New York
Stock Exchange, have tripled in value over
the past five years, giving the company a
market value of some $20 billion.
Yet, as outsourcing giants like Wipro and
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Infosys Technologies Ltd. have grown and
hired, the attitudes of some Muslims toward
education are slowly beginning to change.
Bangalore's Al-Ameen college is run by a
movement that seeks to modernize the
Muslim community. About 360 graduate
and undergraduate students, both men and
women, are currently studying for com-
puter-science degrees. Most are Muslims,
including pious young men with long
beards and women with an Islamic hejab
that covers their hair.
10% of Guyana girls
sexually abused
A
bout 10 percent of girls and five per-
cent of boys in Guyana have been sex-
ually abused. This is the finding of a recent
study commissioned by the Ministry of
Labour, Human Services and Social Secu-
rity and UNICEF.
The survey found that the most common
perpetrators of sexual violence are fathers
and stepfathers. In some areas, teenaged
girls are being trafficked to work under ex-
ploitative conditions, often as prostitutes.
Girls are sometimes pushed by social or
economic pressures into sexually exploita-
tive relationships or prostitution.
About one-third of the children in
Guyana experience physical damage from
disciplinary violence and many more have
suffered from negative emotional impacts.
The study also concluded that the major-
ity of physical abuse perpetuated against
children in the home actually occurred as a
result of licks, beatings or other physical
punishments administered as discipline.
Some 33 per cent of children interviewed
had been physically harmed in a discipli-
nary context (including broken skin or
bones).
The most common perpetrators of phys-
ical violence against children in the home
are mothers. Of the children who reported
being physically hurt, 16 per cent had been
hurt by their mothers, seven per cent by
their fathers, two per cent by both parents,
five per cent by related caregivers (aunts,
uncles, grandparents) and three per cent by
step parents. The primary causes of domes-
tic violence were reported to be alcohol
abuse, financial pressures and infidelity.
SPORTS
SPORTS
Canada’s soccer
in some
women have a chance
C anada improved its chances for a quar-
terfinal berth by eliminating Ghana
from the Women's World Cup with a 4-0
win on Saturday, and captain Christine Sin-
clair broke her nation's World Cup scoring
record.
Sophie Schmidt and Martina Franko also
scored for Canada, while veteran Andrea
Neil came on as a late substitute to become
the player with the most international ap-
pearances in team history.
Two losses from two games means
Ghana cannot progress, while Canada's fate
will rest on the outcome of its last Group C
game against Australia on Wednesday.
Sinclair's two goals took her to five in
World Cups, passing the previous mark of
Charmaine Hooper.
The four goals could prove important to
Canada, as it exceeded by one the margin
by which Australia beat Ghana, and that
may be decisive if group standings come
down to goal difference.
Toronto FC can’t win
T
oronto FC couldn't have asked for a
more dominating performance against
Real Salt Lake. The Reds controlled the
pace of play for nearly the entire match,
they outshot Real 24-5 (including 13-1 in
shots on target) and even had a 55-minute
man advantage.
It was a game that had everything for
TFC -- except that elusive goal.
"You get the balls out wide, you get the
balls in the boxes, you get your shots in,"
said Toronto defender Jim Brennan. "I
couldn't even count the number of shots we
had. You do everything right, but it just
doesn't go in the back of the net."
The scoreless draw last Saturday after-
noon at BMO Field felt more like a loss to
the Reds, who saw one of their most im-
pressive performances of the season result
in only one point. The Real match is the lat-
est in a series of frustrations for Toronto FC,
who have now gone 10 games without a
win and an MLS-record 822 consecutive
minutes without a goal.
Coach Mo Johnston was impressed with
his side's effort, but said their finishing left
much to be desired. "We should've had
three points today, but we haven't," John-
ston said.
Johnston's comment seems to confirm
that the club is already looking ahead to the
2008 season. TFC entered the game nine
points behind eighth-place Chicago for the
last MLS playoff spot, and their slim play-
off hopes may have been ended after taking
only one point in a very winnable game.
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board game.
Registration information at
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Indians do well Two losses send Windies out
Indo-Caribbean Times
in top sports of Twenty20 tournament
W hat’s the most popular sports in the
world? You probably guessed soccer
as number one, but might not have realized
that cricket and field hockey are number
two and three. Ice hockey doesn’t make the
list.
Lawn tennis, volleyball, and table tennis
take the next three spots. You probably
find volleyball a major surprise at number
five, but you shouldn’t. When it comes to
spectator appeal and excitement, volleyball
easily beats out basketball.
If you have despaired about the perform-
ance of Indians and South Asians generally
in sport, take heart. Indians, Pakistanis, Sri
Lankans, Bangladeshis, and Indians in the
West Indies do quite well in the number two
sport of cricket, which has an astounding 3
billion fans.
India and Pakistan have been among the
best teams in the world in field hockey,
which has 2 billion fans.
That’s not bad for a group of people who
have been unduly criticized for not winning
medals in the Olympics. We can honestly
say that where it counts, with sports fans in
their numbers, South Asians are there to be
counted. Indians are up there in some of the
top sports in the world
World’s Most Popular Sports
1. Soccer
2. Cricket
3. Field hockey
4. Tennis
5. Volleyball
6. Table tennis
7. Baseball
8. Golf
9. American football
10. Basketball
1) Soccer has . 3.3-3.5 Billion Fans. (Eu-
rope, Africa, Americas,etc) 2) Cricket 3-3.3
Billion Fans.(India,U.K,Pakistan,Asia,Aus-
tralia,etc) 3) Field Hockey. 2-2.2 Bilion
Fans. (Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia) 4)
Tennis. Around 1 Billion Fans. (Europe,
Americas, Asia) 5) Volleyball Around 900
Million Fans. (Asia, Erope, Americas, Aus-
tralia) 6) Table Tennis Around 900 Million
Fans. (Asia, Europe, Africa, Americas) 7)
Baseball Around 500 Million Fans.
(U.S,Canada, Japan) 8) Golf Around 400
Million Fans. (U.S, Canada, Europe) 9)
Football 390-410 Million Fans. (U.S,
Canada mainly) 10) Basketball Not more
than 400M Fans. (U.S, Canada mainly)
SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 22
D
ifferent tournament, new format, demned West Indies to an eight-wicket de-
same old humiliation as the West feat to hosts South Africa in the opening
Indies became the first team dis- match of the Twenty20 World Cup..
missed from the inau- West Indies bowled loosely
gural ICC World and fielded sloppily, as they
Twenty20 with their failed to defend a target of
second defeat in three 206, after Gayle hit a typically
days last Saturday. belligerent 117 off 57 balls to
After handing hosts be immortalised in Twenty20
and second favourites history.
South Africa victory in West Indies gave up the
Tuesday night's open- ghost with 14 balls to spare,
ing match with their when Herschelle Gibbs,
record proliferation of whose 90 from 55 balls was
25 wides and three the top score for South Africa,
spilled catches, they lofted Dwayne Bravo for the
were just as convinc- last of his 14 fours to the long-
ingly walloped in their off boundary.
second match by lesser West Indies committed two
fancied Bangladesh, Chris Gayle die well in first costly errors that allowed
opponents who had game against South Africa Gibbs the comfort of leading
never previously beaten them in their four the South Africa charge, despite a strained
Tests and 10 ODIs. hamstring that meant he required a runner
The West Indies now return home in fa- for much of his innings.
miliar disappointment while South Africa The match however, was over as a gen-
and Bangladesh, who play the last, irrele- uine contest, when another reliable West In-
vant group match tomorrow, move onto the dies fielder Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Super Eight round. misjudged his proximity to the boundary
Although they were sent in and had to rope, and he palmed a skier from Gibbs,on
contend with a pitch so damp from the 43,into the boundary for four in the 12th
groundstaff's unnecessary overnight wet- over.
ting that the start was delayed an hour while West Indies greasy-palmed fielders com-
hair dryers were used to aid the hot morning bined with their wayward bowlers, who
sun, the West Indies were undone not by conceded two-dozen wides, effectively
conditions but by their well established killed any hopes of upstaging the South
frailty under pressure and by adventurous Africans as happened in the corresponding
opponents. match of the (50 overs) World Cup at the
Their 164 for eight was competitive but same venue four years ago.
two diminutive young Bangladeshi bats- Earlier, Gayle smashed seven fours and a
men, Mohammed Ashraful and Aftab World record ten sixes to set the tempo, as
Ahmed, reduced them to panicky submis- he shared a World record 145 for the first
sion with a succession of dazzling strokes wicket with fellow left-handed opener
in a third wicket partnership of 109 off 10.2 Devon Smith.
overs that effectively settled the issue. Gayle again entered the Twenty20 Inter-
national record books, when he drove
South Africa romp home by Shaun Pollock straight for two to reach a
8 wickets in opening game
landmark hundred which eclipsed
Ponting?s 98 not out against New Zealand
two years ago in Auckland as the highest
Slipshod cricket after Chris Gayle hit the score in this form of the game.
first Twenty20 International hundred con-
Vish Anand is world chess champ
T
he Linares super grandmaster chess of the elite chess club of just four players
tournament of 2007 was a mile stone in who had a rating of more than 2800 ever in
the life of the Indian chess prodigy the chess history, by achieving the fete in
Vishawanathan Anand. With the year 2006. This record holder of maxi-
this emphatic win, mum title in the Wijk and see chess tourna-
Viswananathan Anand, ment known as the Wimbledon of chess, by
known as Vishy anand, The
winning the tournament for a record 5th
Indian chess Genius has as- time, has now reached by the win at
cended the throne of the top Linares, the only other milestone that was
rated player of the world , of eluding him for sometime - The top rated
this intricate Brain game, bringing back to chess player of the planet earth-
his mother land, the past glory of the game, This super Grandmaster, who has been
that was originated in India, and flourished maintaining the position being one of the
under the Indian Royal patronage, before
the Game was spread to other parts of the
three top rated players of the world consis-
tently for many years, is the fastest ever
world. chess player the world has produced, and
In his illustrious chess career spanning the undisputed and uncrowned king of the
over a period of more than twenty four Rapid chess.
years, Anand, the Chennai (formerly Vishy stuns his opponents by the sheer
Madras) born best ever sports man, of the speed in his calculations of the combina-
country, won almost all the coveted awards
of world chess, starting from The world
tions of chess like a super computer,and in-
variably leaves maximum unused time on
Junior chess championship in the year his chess clock at the end of any match.
1987, to the FIDE world Chess champi- This gentleman of the sports world has
onship in the year 2000, thus establishing
won the highest recognition in chess, The
his supremacy in the field and ascending Chess Oscar three times
the zenith of the game.
Viswanathan anand became the member
MONUMENTS TO INDO-CARIBBBEANS
Time for a Canadian
Indo-Caribbean Times SEPTEMBER 2007 Page 23

monument to pioneers
In the Caribbean there are at least six monuments to the jahajis, the
Indian indentured immigrants who pioneered the settlement of Indians
in the region. Suriname has two, Jamaica has one, plus two special
stamps, Trinidad has one (plus an Indian museum), and Guadeloupe
has one. Trinidad has an opportunity to create another memorial by
designating Nelson Island, where the jahajis landed, as a historic site
in memory of the Indians.
The Indo-Caribbean Times shows all six of these rarely seen monu-
ments together for the first time, and asks a question. Where is the
Canadian memorial to the people who pioneered the settlement of
Indo-Caribbbeans in this country almost a hundred years ago? We
know that Trinidadian Kenneth Mahabir came to this country in 1908.
Next year will be the centenary of the arrival of Indo-Caribbeans, who
now number 200,000 in Canada.That’s a lot more than the Indians in
Jamaica or Guadeloupe, who have gone ahead and erected their mon-
uments years ago. We have some catching up to do, and 2008 looks
like the ideal time to act. We welcome your opinions and suggestions. Memorial to Indians in Suriname The Whitby in Georgetown, Guyana

Memorial in Manmohan Park, Trinidad, St Catherine’s in Jamaica Guadeloupe

Site where the 150th anniversary celebrations were

held in Grenada
Lalla Rukh in Suriname

Indentured Indians huddle on Nelson Island after completing Memorial to Punjabi soldiers who landed in Canada
the journey from India. Nelson Island today: an ideal spot for a
memorial to the Indians who spent time there
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