- Attends 101st birth anniversary of Mahaicony resident
Georgetown, GINA, June 2, 2007
Ships from British India (1838-1917)
Acting President Samuel Hinds visited Mahaicony, his former home village to attend a special ceremony in celebration of the birth anniversary of Pandit Rampiaray Maraj who turned 101 today.
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Pandit Maraj who lived most of his life at Macouba in the Mahaicony River
is among the few centenarians who landed on the shores of British Guiana
during the indentureship period.
Pandit Maraj was at the tender age of six when he came with his mother,
who was 22 at the time, on the Indus ship in 1912. He still possesses his
birth certificate and articles printed by the British press about himself and
the early indentured servants.
Although physically stricken by age, Pandit Maraj is still boisterous and was
able to relay some of his experiences to the Acting President.
He has also influenced scores of family members and well wishers who converged
at his home to celebrate his birthday.
Special renditions and accolades were paid to the centenarian. The Acting
President said he was pleased to be a part of the occasion to celebrate the
life of a person who made significant achievements and continues to influence
those around him.
“I think as we reflect on Pandit Rampiaray Maraj’s life as a Pandit
and his birth anniversary we cannot help but be conscious of life moving along
and recognise that we are on earth for a special reason. In the period of time
we are on earth, it behoves us to do our best,” the Acting President noted.
In a brief conversation with Mr. Hinds, Pandit Maraj pointed out the numerous
lessons learned by the early indentured servants from the ex-African slaves
after their arrival in British Guiana.
The Acting President noted that these stories should serve as a lesson for all
Guyanese to find ways of working and living together which Government has been
advocating.
About 414 East Indian labourers
travelled from India on
the boats, Whitby and Hesperus to begin the
Indentureship system.
Government Information Agency (GINA)
