In the days when T&T was a plantation society, an enormous bell summoned the African workmen to rise at 5 am. For their Indian brethren the bell tolled after 1845. The bell, a symbol of bonding, no longer tolls to extract their blood, sweat and toil. In fact, the bell, a sugar cane stalk and a sign indicating the way to Esperanza Estate claimed its space on the stage at the launch of the Sugar Heritage Village and Museum Project. Among those present at the launch which took place at Brechin Castle, Couva, on Wednesday were Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Tourism Minister Rupert Griffith, Minister in the Ministry of Labour Rudy Indarsingh and an indentured "queen" Soomandarie (born at sea). At 99, she is the last of the indentured immigrants. Chairman of the Steering Committee/historian Prof Brinsley Samaroo delivered a detailed and impassioned feature address in which he outlined the plans for the project. As expected, the bell will be among the treasured artifacts. The project is expected to come to fruition in about three years. The launch featured the Unveiling of the Project Site Map and the Distribution of Letters of Appointment.
Samaroo said: "We are putting tangible and visible physical form to some two centuries of our making as a people. That creation of ourselves started with African slaves long before Emancipation (1838) and continued with that African input long afterwards. "Many remained as mechanics, boilermen, coppers, cane weighers and policemen. Even those who fled the plantations, many became cane farmers, who up to the 1950s sold cane to factories, particularly in the Naparimas." Samaroo added: "It was on these foundations laid by the sons and daughters of Guinea, Dahomey and Benin, the Chinese, Portuguese and Indians were to proceed to create Brechin Castle, Basta Hall, Milton, Forres Park and Waterloo, carving out a whole culture of sugar which dominated the landscape of central and southern Trinidad."
Eventually, T&T acquired the Caroni (1975) Ltd. In 2003, the establishment was closed down, retrenching 9,000 workers directly and 35,000 citizens who were dependent on the industry. It left about 75,000 acres of lands available for other uses, said Samaroo.
Samaroo: Preserve rich heritage
Samaroo paid kudos to stakeholders including Prof Ken Julien, Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston Peters, CEO Neil Jagroop, Prof Ken Ramchand and Prof Hollis Liverpool, and Ministry of Tourism's Samdaye Rampersad for their contribution. The project, which enlists the aid of NGC, UWI, European Union and others, was endorsed by Cabinet in February. In 2008 and 2010, the Academy collected a vast amount of estate records, union proceedings, health files, sugar newspapers and tapes, thousands of photographs and books. In 2009, a small planning committee was formed and the project gained momentum as more and more people including the remaining staff at Brechin joined the work. As the steering committee moves toward the historic milestone, Samaroo said they were driven by the need "to prevent the rich heritage from disappearing and retrieve the past."
Kamla: Preserving the legacy of our forefathers
Heralded by tassa drummers, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she was offered a sample of sugar cane juice which she described as "sweet." In her address, she commended the efforts of those engaged in preserving "king sugar." She said: "The closure of the industry saw the end of an historic era, the fracturing of their social economic sugar culture that was so profoundly entrenched in the lives of so many citizens. "While we cannot restore that industry and the livelihood of all these people, which was the historical bulwark of our economic prosperity, we can preserve the great legacy of hard work of our forefathers in this industry. We can preserve the legacy of cultural diversity and preservation and we can capture, archive, preserve and showcase the remnants of this once great industry," she added. At the Visitors' Centre which cost about $300,000, Persad-Bissessar noted it was a welcome initiative dedicated to the sterling contribution of the nation's forefathers.
Griffith: The sugar story told
In his address, Griffith said the tourism potential was full since it ensured "our sugar story is told to more people for years to come. This venture without a doubt brings a different kind of energy and excitement to our tourism project inventory." Parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism Nela Khan reminded the august gathering the international theme on May 18 was Museums and Memory: Objects Tell Our Story. She said: "Sugar's history is long and could be described as painful for those who lived through that era that began with the period of enslavement of Africans, included indentureship and continued until the recent closure of Caroni. The story has the potential to bind us as we seek to come to terms with a difficult history and map our way forward." Like Khan, Indarsingh reminded the gathering he was the son of sugar workers and forged his career in the fires of the industry. He made reference to the bell and the sound and chatter that would have emanated from this labour supply.
The Projects
Samaroo outlined the projects: Sugar archives-Currently housed in the former health centre, the work is proceeding towards the improvement of the building housing these records. Sugar museum-Sevilla House, the former residence of Capt Watson, first general manager of Caroni, will be converted into a modern-day sugar museum. It will be complemented by a living museum bearing the various species of sugar canes. Multi-purpose buildings-They will be converted into a conference room and include apartments which will be used by researchers and guests who wish to spend time enjoying the Heritage Village attractions.
Heritage Village-It will consist of the reconstructed Brechin Castle sugar factory and showcase the processes involved like extraction, milling, clarification, crystallisation, steam and power generation. Utilitarian artifacts like the jata (mill), musar (mortar) and okhri (pestle) will find a space. Four Ponds area will be converted into an entertainment area complete with facilities for fishing, cooking and relaxation in carat sheds. n Documenting the culture of sugar-UWI grads have been interviewing various categories of workers on trade union activity, gender relations and the diversification project (citrus, prawns).