Tableland celebrates Arrival Day in grand style

Some may have thought Indian Arrival celebrations were concluded on March 30. But the constituency of Moruga/Tableland celebrated the 167 years since the arrival of East Indians in grand style on Sunday. The late celebrations drew massive crowds from all parts of the country to the Rochard Douglas Recreation Grounds in Barrackpore. It was the second Indian Arrival celebrations in the constituency hosted by Member of Parliament for Moruga/Tableland Clifton De Coteau. A curried duck and pepper roti competition kicked off the day’s activities with some 20 teams vying for the trophy. While the mouth watering taste of curry, corn soup and a variety of Indian dishes filled the air, a large parade made its way onto the grounds followed by beautifully decorated bull-carts. 

 

 

Artefacts ranging from cooking utensils to footwear were on display and several people were awarded for their hard work and contributions to East Indian culture, including well known historian Shamshu Deen and drama stalwart Sita Persad. De Coteau encouraged the audience to continue to celebrate and appreciate the invaluable contribution of East Indians to the country. De Coteau, who is also Minister in the Ministry of Education, applauded the school children in the district for their high level of involvement in the celebrations. The crowds took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy late Indian Arrival celebrations, and under the floodlights at the grounds they cheered late into the night to the dynamic performances of Bollywood Dance Company, tassa drummers, Satnarine Ragoo, Rishi Ram and members of the live band.