29/05/2018
MEDIA RELEASE
29/05/2018
A TRIBUTE TO INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY
THUS THEY CAME
BY NIRVAN MAHARAJ
OUT OF THE DEPTS OF UNRELENTING POVERTY, IN SEARCH OF AN OASIS,
OTHERS VOLUNTARILY, A BURNING DESIRE TO EXPLORE NEW OPPORTUNITIES
SEEKING-SEARCHING-WANTING-HOPING-
WITH A COURAGE UNBOUND, A DETERMINATION UNMATCHED,
BREAKING FALSE TABOO SEVERING ORTHODOX COERCION,
FEARLESSLY THEY PLUNGED, HEADLONG INTO SEEMING OBSCURITY,
AND CROSSED THE BLACK WATER-THE KALA PANI
THUS THE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS OUT OF INDIA CAME AND THEY CAME
OUT OF AN ANCIENT LAND, BRINGING WITH THEM THEIR PAST,
AS PROTECTION TO SURVIVE, ON THE FRONTIERS OF THEIR NEW EXISTENCE,
KOLKATTA-MADRAS.MUMBAI-BIHAR-UTAR PRADESH-THE PUNJAB-SOME AS FAR AWAY AS THE FOOTHILLS OF NEPAL,
WITH NOTHING BUT DREAMS-AMBITIONS-AN UNDYING FAITH-AND THE PROTECTION OF THEIR GODS
TO THE CARIBBEAN-TRINIDAD-GUYANA-SURINAME-JAMAICA-ST LUCIA- THEY CAME AND THEY STAYED, YET NEVER FORGETTING THE PSYCHIC TIES THAT BOUND THEM TO THEIR ORIGINAL MOTHERLAND, NAME, RELIGION, FOOD, ART, MUSIC,DANCE, CLOTHING, THEIR SOCIAL AND MORAL VALUES, THEIR RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE.
THUS THE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS OUT OF INDIA CAME AND THEY STAYED
BASDEO, ANAND, KISHAN, RAVI AND VISHAL
SALIM, ABDUL, IMRAN, HASSANALI AND WASIM
NALINI, INDIRA, DEVI, GAAYATREE AND PAVITHRA
AKLIMA, SHAMEDA, AMIRA, FAREEDA AND SHAKIRA
FROM THE SPIRITUAL ABYSS OF THEIR SOULS, THE RELIGIOUS WEALTH OF INDIA CAME
HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, SIKHISM AND ISLAM PROJECTING THE INFINITE PHILOSOPHY OF
PRINCIPLE, HONOUR, LOVE, BEAUTY, GOD, DHARMA AND KARMA
EMANATING FROM THE AGELESS EPICS, THE RAMAYAN, THE MAHABHARAT, VEDAS AND UPANISHADAS, THE TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA AND THE HOLY QURAN
THUS THE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS OUT OF INDIA CAME AND THEY STAYED
OUT OF THE NEVERENDING SOUND OF AUM, WAS THE MUSIC THAT THEY BROUGHT
FROM THE ROLLING DRUMS OF THE TASSA, THE SOOTHING CHORDS OF THE SITAR,
ENMESHED, WITH THE MELODIOUS SOUNDS OF THE TABLA, DOLAK AND HARMONIUM
BRINGING MIND, BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER, EXPERIENCING THE ILLIMITABLE, PROJECTING THE MOODS OF NATURE AND MAN, THIS WAS THEIR MUSIC
WITH MUSIC THERE WAS DANCE, NO RANDOM MOVEMENT OF ARMS AND LEGS
BUT, FULLY CONTROLLED MOTION OF BODY, EVERY MOVEMENT FROM TOE TO EYEBROW,
A SYMBOL, AN ASPECT OF HUMAN NATURE, SPRINGING FROM THE LEGENDS, THE EPICS, MYTHOLOGY, DANCES MANIFESTED
BHARATANATYAM, KATHAK, MANIPURI, ODISSI AND KATHAKALI
THUS THE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS OUT OF INDIA CAME AND THEY STAYED
AND LIGHT SHALL DISPERSE DARKNESS AND GOOD SHALL TRIUMPH OVER EVIL
FROM THE HEART OF INDIA, THEIR FESTIVALS APPEARED, SHINING BRIGHT,
ILLUMINATING A NEW LAND, AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND CULTURES
HEARTS JOINED TOGETHER, CELEBRATING, DIVALI, EID, PHAGWA AND HOSAY
HEARTS ENCHANTED, EYES DAZZLED, AS BEAUTY AND SIMPLICITY PORTRAYED ITSELF
SUNDAR CAPRA, AND TRADITIONS THOUSANDS OF YEARS, EXALTED
SARI, DHOTI, KURTA AND SHALWAR, GANGRA, HIJAB AND OURINI
THUS THE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS OUT OF INDIA CAME AND THEY STAYED
THEY STAYED AND THEY TOILED, FROM MUDDY DEPTHS TO THE BRIGHTEST APEX,
FARMERS, DOCTORS, LAWYERS, TEACHERS, BUSINESSMEN, POLITICANS AND PRIME MINISTERS
FIRST GENERATION, SECOND GENERATION, THIRD GENERATION
ASSUMING THEIR ROLE AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SOCIETY, CONTRIBUTING AND BUILDING A NATION
LIKE THE PHOENIX, RISING FROM THE ASHES, THEY EMERGED FROM THE DOLDRUMS,
OF DISEASE, LOW WAGES, RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION, DISCRIMINATION AND DESTITUTION
FROM THE STIGMA OF SECOND CLASS CITIZEN, LOW DOWN CANE CUTTER
“COOLIE MAN, WEY YUH ROTI AND BHAGI” THE FLAMES OF THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE LEAPT SKYWARDS, AND THE VERY ESSENCE, FRABRIC OF TRINIDADIAN AND TOBAGONIAN SOCIETY WAS CHANGED FOREVER
THUS THE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS OUT OF INDIA CAME AND THEY STAYED AND WILL STAY
YOURS SINCERELY,
NIRVAN MAHARAJ
(ATTORNEY-AT-LAW)
POLITICAL LEADER (NATIONAL SOLIDARITY ASSEMBLY)
PRESIDENT GENERAL, (ALL TRINIDAD GENERAL WORKERS TRADE UNION)
2ND VICE PRESIDENT (NATIONAL TRADE UNION CENTRE}
