As an Indo-Trinidadian, I literally experienced a cultural/ethnic orgasm over the last weekend when the monument of the late, great Sundar Popo was unveiled in Penal. This feat will leave an indelible mark in our annals because it is the first East Indian figure to be monumentalised in the South and moreover the first Indo-Trinidadian sta- tue in our 49 years of our independence. At the hands of the powers that existed before, our community, which consisted of talent, intellectual prowess in every discipline and sphere of life (music, law, medicine, business, information technology, agricultural science, engineering), was subjected to glaring discrimination and repudiation.
Imagine in our 49 years of independence there is not one statue/ monument of a celebrated Indo-Trinidadian who has contributed to the development of T&T. What about Rudranath Capildeo, Lionel Seukaran, Noor Hassanali, Sir Vidia Naipaul, or even Bhadase Maharaj or Errol Mahabir?
I ask my fellow citizens to leave your comfort zones for a moment and put yourself in the shoes of an East Indian. I sometimes feel like I am living during the apartheid era in South Africa, where I am condemned and destined to doom because of my race/ethnicity. People should be judged by the content of their character and not the colour of their skin nor their race/ethnicity.
Standing in the crowd with thousands of people viewing the unveiling was very touching and moving. What was even more touching was to witness Emmanuel George, Jearlean John and Herbert Volney share in the experience. And to see the elation in their countenances and warm embraces distributed was an extremely touching moment. All I did was walk away from the masses to a spot where I could weep silently, tears running down my cheeks and me saying softly: "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last." Thank you to the great orator Dr Roodal Moonilal and all the private donors and sponsors for making this historic moment a resounding success.
Goulowtee Ramlackhansingh
San Juan