The Maha Sabha invited Sixth Form students to participate in an essay competition on multiculturalism. The first place winner received a cash prize of $5,000. We produce Part 2 of the essay of Lakshana Mahabir, Lower 6L, Lakshmi Girls Hindu College.
Linguistic provisions in a multicultural policy
Another way in which a government may seek to pursue a multicultural policy can be through the integration of the native languages. During the days of slavery, the enslaved were encouraged to abandon their traditional West African languages and adopt English. The Indian indentured immigrant workers, for the same reasons, eventually gave up their Hindi and Urdu languages over time; only a few, mostly elders, can fluently speak the languages. The youth of Trinidad feel in no way compelled to regain this now lost linguistic culture of theirs.
A multiculturalistic approach to Hindi, Arabic and West African (or at least patios) languages may revive a desire in the youth to pursue these languages, in that it can educate the youth on the advantages of not only reconnecting with their ancestry, but the wonders of multilingualism on the world stage in an increasingly glo-balised world. Critics of multiculturalism ar-gue whether this adoption and promotion of the native languages can actually unite the people of Trinidad.
Certainly, some fallbacks of this may be the lack of interest in the population in re- adopting their native languages. They may also feel that an emphasis on each separate, unique language/dialect may do the opposite of the intended integration: it may separate people, in that each group would be further divided along the lines of linguistics. Proponents of a multilingual policy in multiculturalism can argue that people live with ease and with great pride in their country, even with numerous languages spoken.
The small European country of Luxembourg is a perfect example of this, having three languages officially recognised (German, French, Luxembourgish). The population is not divided along these linguistic differences, rather, they speak all three, putting them at a greater advantage in the world to attain jobs as translators and interpre-ters. Lastly, multilingual abilities of Trinbagonians can instil a sense of pride in who they really are, and from whom and what culture they were descended.
Hence, a new identity can be born, of a people who not only bow to the pressures of confronting an old outdated colonial system, or Euro-centricity. The multicultural approach to linguistics can in fact unite the Trinbagonians. Tolerance to immigration is another major aspect in multicultural shifts in Trinidadian policy. Canada is an archetypical paradigm for such strategies, letting into their country some 200,000 immigrants of different cultures from all over the globe, broadening their religious and ethnic demographic. Trinidad, though small, faces great desires of people from other countries seeking permanent work and residence here.
One possible disadvantage of this can be the shifting of jobs to immigrants, such as the Chinese workers brought to work on various construction sites. Many have complained that this exacerbated a growing unemployment problem in the country. Additionally, immigration policies very rarely create a perfect melting pot of a society, where each social/cultural group co-operates and unites. Instead, greater divisions occur, with members of a certain group staying together, very rarely venturing out into the wider society, due to the restraints of language or social standing. Such examples of this can be seen in the mid to late 1800s migration of the Irish to northeastern US.
The Trinidadian population statistics indicate a highly diverse society, with roughly 42 per cent East Indians, 38 per cent Africans, 10 per cent identifying as mixed and about 10 per cent as Cauca-sian, Chinese, Syrian or Lebanese. Thus far, Trinidad has not been proactive in accommodating these differing ethnic groups, in terms of granting them national days to mark certain achievements. If a multicultural approach to these various ethnicities existed, one would expect that an equal allocation of public holidays may be granted.
This is necessary for integration of the population, as well as patriotism. It can also instil a sense of unity into the population as a whole, for it can give light to the fact that most of our ancestors were brought either as enslaved or indentured labourers, in a brutal transatlantic journey. In conclusion, it can be surmised that multicultural policies ought to be adopted in Trinidadian society, for it nourishes a sense of tolerance and acceptance for future generations. It instils a sense of pride in our unique and differing heritages, revitalises and enriches our culture, thus widening our possibilities for expanding the tourism sector. Additionally, it can bring our people closer together and encourage a sense of patriotism.
However, multicultural policies within T&T must be dealt with delicately, so as not to give rise to any exclusive neo-culture. After years on the plantations, both the indentured labourers and enslaved were stripped of most of the traditional culture of their respective homelands. What developed after was somewhat of a hybrid of cultures, of surviving traditions combined with an Eurocentric way of life (take Carnival for instance, combining the free-spirited African revelry of drumming with French masquerades). Hence, a multicultural policy must take into consideration that very few Trinidadian people still fully identify with the Indian and African homeland.
Satnarayan Maharaj is the
secretary general of the
Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha