The 160th anniversary of the arrival of the Indians to St. Vincent and the Grenadines is being celebrated today, June 1st 2021. To commemorate this occasion, Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Ralph Gonsalves made an address.
“The people of Indian descent in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have made an immense contribution to the development of our country. From a situation where they came as, in many cases, as illiterate labourers, their families have become quite skilled, their descendants, they’re doctors and teachers and engineers and business people, leaders in all fields, of course there are those that are still in small business, and in farming.
The people of Indian descent in our country are an industrious people and by and large, overwhelmingly are law abiding, patriotic, committed Vincentians.
They’ve had a history of real struggle and adversity but we’re a nation of one people now, our nation has become creolized with different strands, as I always put it metaphorically; by the songs of the indigenous people, the Kalinago and Garifuna; we are the rhythm of Africa, we are the melody of Europe, we are the chords of Asia, including and especially those from India and we are the home-grown lyrics of the Caribbean.”
In 2007 the Government of SVG, following the recommendation of then Minister of Culture Hon. Rene Baptiste, passed an Act of Parliament declaring June 1st Indian Arrival Day and October 7th Indian Heritage Day.
