2020-05-05 Tue

To celebrate the migration of the Indians and in recognition of their contribution to the overall development of Guyana, The Government declared May 5 as Indian Arrival Day.

With the abolition of Slavery plantation owners in the British West Indies were desperate to find a new source of labour for their sugar estates. the planters desired was an alternative and competitive labour force which would give them the same type of labour control they were accustomed to under slavery.

A batch of 396 Indian immigrants known as the ‘Gladstone Coolies’ landed in British Guiana on 5th May 1838. This was the beginning of the indenture system which was abolished in 1917, by which time a total of some 240,000 indentured servants from India came to Guyana under a system whose essential features were very reminiscent of slavery.

Most of the immigrants spoke a dialect of Hindi and came from the provinces of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madras (today'sTamil Nadu). Within a decade, Indian immigration was largely responsible for changing the fortunes of the sugar industry. East Indians evolved over the years to become the single largest ethnic group in Guyana and branched out of sugar into all aspects of economic and political life in Guyana.

In the year 1995, Guyana post issued a set of 9 stamps celebrating the national holiday of many countries. Among them is a stamp worth 60 Guyanese dollars. The stamp commemorates the National Holiday of India i.e. the Indian Independence Day. The Stamp features Gandhiji (the Father of the nation) amidst the crowd of his followers.

To know more about stamps Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.

Image Courtesy: Colnect