International Events.qxd

The High Commission of India in Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain
DIASPORA
Kolkata Memorial to Restore Historic Legacy of the Past
Minister Vayalar Ravi with Minister of Railways Mamta Banerjee at the
inauguration of the Kolkata Memmorial
I
ndia’s Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi
inaugurated the Kolkata Memorial at Kidderpore
Depot along the Hoogly River in Kolkata on 11
January 2011.
It was attended by hundreds of people from several
countries including Guyana, Trinidad, Surname,
Guadeloupe, USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland,
South Africa, Kenya, Fiji, Mauritius, Reunion Island, New
Zealand, Australia and others countries where Indians and
people of Indian origin reside.
The Kolkata Memorial is inscribed with a memorial
plaque (in English and Hindi) that pays tribute to those
who left India as indentured Indian labourers from 1834
thru’ 1920. It is meant as “recognition and remembrance
of their journeys and as Indian indentured labourers to far
away lands seeking better livelihoods for themselves and
their descendants; for their pioneering spirit, determination,
resilience, endurance and perseverance amidst the
extremely harsh and demeaning conditions they encountered;
for their preservation of sense of origin, traditions,
culture and religion, and their promotion of the Indian
culture; for their achievements and successes despite
insurmountable odds”.
Due to the tremendous efforts and persistence by
Guyanese born Ashook Ramsaran, in his capacity as
Executive Vice- President of the Global Organization of
People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International), he
worked closely and continuously with the Ministry of
Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) to draft the inscription
and design the plaque, the Government of India accepted
the proposal and erected a memorial monument with the
inscription plaque contained within. The inscription on
the plaque was taken from the draft provided by Ashook
Ramsaran, though revised by the Ministry. However, the
spirit behind the project was eminent Diaspora Historian
Leela Gujadhur Sarup, an Indo-Mauritian who has with
her personal initiative done commendable research into
Panel of Speakers at the Seminar organized by the Global Indo Diaspora
Heritage Society in Kolkata
Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Civil Aviation, Shri Vayalar Ravi
with eminent historian-researcher Ms. Leela Gujadhur Sarup with a group
of people from Balia at the GIDHS gathering
High Commissioner in front of the Kolkata Memorial
Diaspora emigration and has moved the idea of setting up
the Global Indo-Diaspora Heritage Society (GIDHS).
The inauguration was preceded by a commemorative
luncheon hosted by GIDHS and attended by Minister Ravi
and MOIA officers at the Oberoi Grand Hotel in Kolkata.
Several remarks were made by those attending from vari-
YATRA | JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2011 | 23