MESSAGE FROM HIGH COMMISSIONER H.E. R. MASAKUI

175 Years of Indians in Jamaica

It is my honour to address you on the completion of 175 years of the Indian community in Jamaica. Little did anyone know that a group of 261 Indians, landing at Old Harbour Bay in 1845, would inextricably link the fates of the people of India and Jamaica for all times to come.

I address you today as Jamaican-indians, for you have made the land your own, adopted its culture and contributed to its development. Jamaica has also welcomed you with open arms, provided its resources for you to grow and above all, bestowed you with dignity and respect. And yet, you are inalienably linked to India through ties of blood.

Some of your ancestors were forcibly taken out of the country while some others were taken out of the country by using allurement. The recent ones went abroad for business and education. They might have physically left India, but they had left a part of their soul, their mind on that land and India never went out of their hearts.

It is this Indianness in you that has kept alive your distinct way of life that marks Indians all over the globe. It is your Indianness that is discernible in the festivals of Phagwa and Hosay, the Mango and Neem trees, the spicy food, and the traditional dresses visible in Jamaica. Your Indianness also comes across in your entrepreneurial successes that benefits the economy and produces thousands of jobs. Believe it or not, your sense of service and patriotism for Jamaica is also a mark of your Indianness, that teaches faithfulness to the salt.

Friends, as you distinguish yourselves with your exemplary behaviour and success in Jamaica, I want you to know that India remembers you in her prayers. India, the motherland of your ancestors, is proud of you. Your achievements and successes are a matter of pride and respect for us. You deserve praise for giving us this happiness.

You must also remember that you are not just some thousand people of Indian origin living in Jamaica; you are part of the 18 million strong Indian diaspora present in every country of the world; a diaspora that controls the nerve centres of the global economy and polity. You are also an extended arm of a country that represents one-sixth of humanity and is one of the world’s largest economies.

Friends, the global spread of

COVID-19 has stalled economic activity and has affected people across the world. I request you to play your part by following all protocols of the Jamaican Government and assisting those in need through donation of groceries, medical equipment, etc.

As the Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica, my term is limited to a few years. But each one of you is a permanent Ambassador of India in Jamaica. On the completion of 175 years of your presence in Jamaica, I invite you to renew your cultural and economic bonds with India and strive to promote closer bonds between the two countries and your brethren back home.