They came clutching reminders of their homeland wrapped in brightly coloured cotton, huddled together on a boat, fearful yet excited for the land and adventures that lay ahead and hopeful that they would find a better life for themselves.
Stepping off the Fatel Razack after a perilous three-month journey across the seas, the 200 or so East Indian indentured labourers were screened by local immigration as their tasks on the plantations of this strange land were to begin soon.
The East Indian indentured labourers came to Trinidad in ships by the thousands from 1845 to 1917 after African slaves fled the sugarcane and cocoa plantations and estate owners turned to India for cheap immigrant labour.
Yesterday, members of the Fyzabad constituency office of MP Dr Lackram Bodoe re-enacted the arrival, complete with tassa drummers at the Mosquito Creek in La Romaine.
The actors who played the parts of labourers bowed to the earth when they reached dry land, as their ancestors would have done 171 years ago to show their gratitude for a safe arrival.
They were quickly accosted by Micheal Chattergoon, who played the part of the dreaded immigration officer and would decide if any among them was to be sent back to their homeland.
Sookram Mungroo, whose grandfather came as an indentured labourer in 1906, carried with him the Hindu holy book, the Ramayanna.
Mungroo spoke of the times on the sea, as he delved into his character’s life. “We came here with the blessing of God and we are happy to be here,” he said. “We had some hardships on the way but we will not think of that now, we will look to the future.”
Rebecca Abder, one of the two women in the cast, was more forthcoming about the struggles the labourers faced on their journey. “A lot of people got sick, some of them even died and their bodies were thrown overboard,” she lamented. “A woman even gave birth at sea, it was not an easy experience. I am praying now that things go well for our people in this land.”
While it would take another 72 years for indentureship to be brought to an end in Trinidad, the labourers persevered through the hardships to make a better life for their family. Many of them, like Mungroo’s grandfather, chose to stay in Trinidad after their period of indentureship was over. Those labourers, both Muslims and Hindus, passed on their religious traditions and their rich influence is now a part of T&T’s culture. The re-enactment ended with a motorcade.