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Thousands in euphoric celebrations of President Jagdeo’s visit to ancestral village

Georgetown, GINA, August 25, 2003

On his first day of his visit to India, President Bharrat Jagdeo was taken to Pura Thakurain Masra Nawawa, Uttar Pradesh, the village from where his foreparents came to work as indentured labourers on the sugar plantations in Guyana.

President Jagdeo’s grandfather came from the village and using Indentureship records in Guyana and India, the Indian authorities were able to trace his ancestral village and relatives. He was able to meet four of his surviving relatives.

Thousands of people lined the roadway to the village to welcome President Jagdeo who was transported there in an Indian Air Force helicopter.

Prior to his visit, the Indian Government combed the nation’s heartland, questioning old folks in an effort to trace the ancestral relatives of the Guyanese President.

President Jagdeo was received with extreme emotions by the villagers. Some of them climbed on trees and rooftops to get a glimpse of President Jagdeo. While others were screaming, “long live Bharrat” in Hindi as Police officers had difficulty restraining the crowd from converging in the path of the President to touch his hands or to offer malas. The Guyanese leader was also showered with petals.
Indian government officials said that they did not expect this euphoric response to President Jagdeo’s visit to his ancestral village.

In a brief comment to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Associated Press (AP) President Jagdeo described the visit as one filled with emotions and thanked the Indian Government for tracing his ancestry. He also indicated that he would be staying in contact with his relatives.
The President also launched a website which could assist persons of Indian ancestry to trace their roots.
After his visit to Uttar Pradesh, President Jagdeo toured India’s National Informatics Centre in New Delhi. The Centre links via satellite and computers, government and public service agencies across India’s vast territories.

Today President Jagdeo will officially meet the President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During the day there will be substantial bilateral discussions on enhancing Guyana-India relations.

Guyana and India have had long and cordial relations, dating back to 1838 when the first batch of Indian Indentured immigrants arrived on two ships, the Hesperus and the Whitby. Today the descendants of those indentured immigrants occupy positions in every stratum of the Guyanese society.
Formal diplomatic relations were established on May 26, 1966. In 1974, the two countries signed a Cultural Agreement and in 1977, the Agreement on Economic, Scientific and Co-operation between Guyana and India was signed.

In 2001, there was an agreement for co-operation in the fields of science and technology between the Institute of Science and Technology of Guyana and the Council of Science and Industrial Research of India.

In January this year, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for collaborative research in Agriculture.
Like Guyana, India is a large producer of agricultural commodities. It is the world’s second largest producer of rice and also ranks first in production of raw sugar, coconuts and banana.

President Jagdeo and his delegation departed for India on Thursday, August 21 for a six-day visit. The President had accepted an invitation to visit India, that was extended by former President Shri Kocheril Raman Narayanan.

Accompanying the President are: Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Clement Rohee, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Gail Teixeira, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Doodnauth Singh, the Adviser to the President on Investment Maniram Prashad, Information Liaison to the President Robert Persaud, Director-General of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Elizabeth Harper, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Edward Boyer; President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress Carvil Duncan and businessman and President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana Fazal Ferouze.

Picture 1:A female relative of President Jagdeo presents him with a gift on the
occasion of his visit to his ancestral village.

Picture 2: President Jagdeo launches the website to assist persons of Indian
ancestry across the globe to trace their ancestry

Picture 3: President Jagdeo having a close look at satellite images at the
National Informatics Centre which he inspected

Government Information Agency (GINA).