Page 51 - Man Ki Baat Nov 2024 (English)

Joseph Ruhomon’s dream
of an ethnic ‘combine’ to
produce a society with
dynamic ethnic relations
which is still evolving today.
Indo-Guyanese Clem
Shiwcharan in his PhD
thesis pointed out that the
Indians arriving in British
Guiana (1838-1917) mostly
originated from similar
geographic areas in India,
notably from the United
Provinces and Bihar with
a composition of over
83% Hindus and less than
17% Muslims. Mandirs and
Mosques exist in almost
every village across coastal
Guyana, and the festivals
of Phagwah and Diwali
are national holidays with
major celebratory activities
that have the participation
of all ethnic groups,
countrywide. Rangoli
exhibitions and contests
in schools, performing arts
stage shows, and Indo-
Guyanese song and dance
competitions are among
the many ways the Indian
presence permeates
contemporary Guyanese
society.

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