Dear Editor,
An editorial titled “Indentureship abolition” appeared in the local media recently. It adds to the celebration of the centenary of the abolition of indentureship of East Indians, and is timely. 
If I may, allow me to add a few remarks regarding its comment about East Indians and their contribution to Guyana’s “plural society.” It is right to note that textbooks in our schools have failed to provide schoolchildren with something “substantial about the contribution of the Indian foreparents to our society.”
In that vein, a long time ago, writing a master’s thesis on Salman Rushdie’s controversial novel, the “Satanic Verses” – which includes a few Caribbean characters – it became clear, after having examined a substantial amount of post-colonial literature that emerged from the English-speaking Caribbean by that point in time, that only a handful of East Indians had been published.
Later, I wrote a letter in our media about the failure; for example, regarding compilations of Caribbean poetry, to adequately include the works of East Indian poets. Mr Jeremy Poynting of the Peepal Tree Press, to whom East Indian authors owe appropriate gratitude, objected to this observation by noting that Peepal Tree had published a number of East Indian writers.
Part of the problem exists with East Indians themselves. In regard to the centenary of the abolition of indentureship of East Indians, I wish to respectfully recommend that the East Indians continue their forward journey with a greater embrace of literature, in order to better document their lives and their primary challenges, especially in regard to crime.
There is a greater need for documentation and an embrace of literature; meaning more writing, more storytelling, poetry, journals, reports, essays. And publication is essential if they are to exist with respect in the “plural society” identified in the editorial; existence without respect is not enough.
There is an extraordinary need to document the legacy of criminal disobedience that has confronted, and continues to confront, East Indian life. I am referring to all sorts of crime; here there is no exception. Without this, there will be no respect for East Indians.
East Indian professionals in Guyana – especially doctors, lawyers, accountants, auditors, former judges, and economists – have failed to participate in this process. The journey forward has little room for professionals who ride for free. They must begin to produce literature from their experiences in dealing with crime and its varied effects. Historians need to reveal the history of criminal disobedience in Guyana; economists need to produce reports about the effects on the economy historically.
Otherwise, crime will continue to be the destructive force it is against the contributions of the indentured servants to the Guyanese society, such as the almost extinction of the use of certain jewelry in East Indian customs. And, of course, it will continue to destroy other sections of the Guyanese society also.
Sincerely,
Rakesh Rampertab
