Controversy arises over President’s declaration of Chinese Arrival Day

President David Granger’s recent designation of January 12 as Chinese Arrival Day has left much confusion about the symbolism of May 5 – a national holiday which celebrated the arrival of all indentured immigrants to Guyana.
The Head of State announced on Friday that January 12 would be Chinese Arrival Day and that March 13 would be named Rose Hall Martyrs’ Day.
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan clarified to Guyana Times that these two days would not be recognised as national holidays.
Asked to explain why Government would assign a day to observe the arrival of only the Chinese to Guyana, Ramjattan posited that their contributions to the Guyanese society are valuable and they should therefore be recognised.
However, the national holiday of Arrival Day was designed to recognise the contributions of all foreparents from various parts of the world to Guyana.
This day was initially observed as Indian Arrival Day by the Indo-Guyanese community in commemoration of the first Indian emigrants who landed in the then British Guiana aboard the Whitby and the Hesperus on May 5, 1838.
The matter was submitted to a parliamentary committee and after extensive written and oral submissions from groups and individuals, it recommended that the day be declared a holiday.

The People’s National Congress did not participate in either the deliberations of the committee or in the later parliamentary vote on the committee’s recommendation. It objected to the presence of the then Home Affairs Minister, but noted that it had no problem with the holiday to acknowledge the contributions of “Indo-Guyanese”.
But somewhere between the recommendation and the Presidential approval, the holiday was declared and designated as “Arrival Day” to widen the significance of the day in order to encompass other groups that had also “arrived”. The Indian Action Committee (IAC) in a statement to the media on Saturday is asking that President Granger provide clarity on the nature of the two dates.
“Given that Arrival Day, a national holiday, coincides with Indian Arrival Day and the President’s designation of January 12 as Chinese Arrival Day, the IAC is confused as to what designation May 5 will now have,” the body noted.
President Granger, in his announcement, explained that “Since January 12, 1853, when they first arrived, Chinese have made significant contributions to the growth and development of Guyana. Many of them Christians, fleeing persecution in their motherland, the Chinese integrated quickly into the prevailing Guyanese society and by the start of the 20th century had come to be regarded as earnest, law-abiding, industrious citizens. Their imprint could readily be seen in Guyanese cuisine and in their involvement in commerce as shopkeepers and businessmen. It is hoped that Chinese Arrival Day will foster a greater appreciation for their history and contributions and further enrich the cosmopolitan nature of Guyana’s citizenry.”
Meanwhile, President Granger also commented on his designation of March 13 as Rose Hall’s Martyrs Day.