GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC—The government and opposition Monday urged unity in Guyana as the country celebrates the 187th anniversary of the arrival of the first batch of East Indian indentured immigrants.
In a message to mark the occasion, President Irfaan Ali said the “day honors the fore-parents who arrived on these shores, following Emancipation, most as indentured laborers. Their arrival was not just a matter of circumstance or history.
“It is built upon the contributions of those who were here before, and it helped to lay the foundation for Guyana we know today,” he said, noting that “this year, however, as we commemorate Arrival Day, we do so not only to look back but to urge a deeper recommitment to the future we wish to build.”
He said it should be a “future where all Guyanese, regardless of race, heritage, religion, or background, can feel a sense of belonging, pride, and purpose. No heritage must feel hidden. No voice must feel unheard”.
He said in many parts of the world today, there is a rise in intolerance and discrimination against immigrants.
“People who have built nations, powered economies, and enriched cultures are being targeted, vilified, and excluded. Let us never make that mistake. Let us cherish each other and uplift one another.
“Here in Guyana, let us continue to celebrate and value the sacrifices and contributions of our people. We are proud of our multicultural character. Diversity is not our weakness—it is our greatest strength.”
President Ali said the country needs to “build a Guyana where no one is made to feel like a stranger in their land, and where every child, regardless of their community, can aspire to greatness.”
In its message, the opposition grouping, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), called on the Guyanese nation to reflect on the theme in the Constitution’s preamble: “Celebrating our culture and racial diversity while strengthening our unity.”
“We take this opportunity to re-pledge our support for May 5th to be officially recognized henceforth as Indian Arrival Day,” the APNU said, noting that such a designation would respect “the historical fact that the date specifically marks the arrival of the first Indian Indentured laborers to these shores.
“May 5th, therefore, should be wholly devoted to celebrating the valuable contribution that our East Indian brothers and sisters have made to the development of our country and the shaping of its rich cultural tapestry.”
For its part, the smaller opposition party, the Alliance for Change (AFC), Arrival Day, while rooted in a specific historical moment, must be understood within the broader context of all those who came to these shores and those who were already here.
“We cannot mark this day meaningfully without acknowledging the other peoples who contributed so significantly to the making of Guyana.”
The AFC said long before the arrival of indentured laborers, enslaved Africans were brought here “under one of the most brutal systems known to humankind.
“They built the foundations of this country with their blood, sweat, and stolen freedom. Their suffering was unique in its total denial of personhood, and the legacy of slavery still lives with us today.
“We also remember the Indigenous peoples — the first inhabitants of this land — whose existence predates colonization and conquest and whose stewardship of these lands stretches back centuries. Their presence was never an arrival; it was an origin. Their rights, cultures, and lives must be continuously honored and protected.”
The AFC said that it is essential, especially today, to make a clear and honest distinction in that “while indentureship was exploitative, coercive, and deeply unjust, it cannot and must never be equated with slavery.
“Slavery was a system of total ownership of human beings, passed down from generation to generation, denying even the most basic rights. Indentureship, though oppressive, functioned within a different structure, often under contractual terms, and did not carry the same permanence or absolute dehumanization.”
The party said that acknowledging this difference does not diminish anyone’s pain or sacrifice.
“It is to respect the truth of each people’s journey and to ensure that our history is told accurately, dignified, and clearly.”
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