I can stand proud as a Hindu woman today because Mr Satnarayan Maharaj paved the way for all Hindus throughout this twin-island Republic, to accept and embrace who we are.
I heard Fitzgerald Hinds say with reference to the Cambridge Analytica claim, that citizens were being spied on, that Indians should be more concerned about these allegations because we were born into technology while they are still learning. This made no sense to me either way but was a confirmation of how Indians are now perceived in this country compared to decades ago when we were referred to as illegitimates who were being educated in cowsheds.
During a presentation of his biography at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest South, in November 2014, Sat was asked by a member of the audience about his contribution as Secretary General.
He responded with candid buoyancy, that there was a time when young Hindu girls were not allowed an education, but today you can see these little Indian girls walking through the corridors of the hospitals with stethoscopes hanging around their necks.
Our progress is a combination of many factors including strong family values, cultural preservation and raising our children to appreciate what they have. It is even evident in the education system based on results, that denominational schools are more successful because God and family are a vital part of the curriculum.
If you have read Sat’s biography, you’ll appreciate the many struggles and glaring discrimination that he was forced to bear because of his religious beliefs and refusal to bow to pressure. This certainly must have been similar to that experienced by the late Dr Eric Williams, when he spoke of his experience of racism in his autobiography and the impact of it in his travels.
The sad reality is that persons tend to repeat what others say without reading or listening to the facts before forming their own opinions. Not once did Sat ever impose his beliefs on others the way certain sects continue to do.
Instead, he encouraged Hindus to preserve their own culture, beliefs, religious practices and traditions, which is quite frankly what he was entrusted to do as Secretary-General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. I also doubt, that anyone who has ranted against him can safely say that he has never desecrated another religion as opposed to simply defending his own. In fact, he worked closely with the IRO to ensure there was fairness and unity across the country.
It would be remiss of me if I did not add my contribution as we bid farewell to a great man who stood strong in his determination to educate and uplift the lives of his people while preserving the world’s most ancient surviving religion.
All this without any political or personal agendas.
Now that he is gone, there are not many who can fill Sat’s well-worn sandals; not even with a tight fit.