General elections are rapidly approaching in Trinidad and any time now we can expect to hear the jungle drums sounding the same old lies. African slaves built Trinidad in chains and suffered greatly, so their descendants deserve to rule now that massa day is done and the white man gone.
Black people in Trinidad treasure this fantasy as if it’s gospel, and their brethren in Guyana too. The subtitle is that Indians who came later, didn’t build anything like the slaves and suffered less, should not have political power or any kind of power for that matter.
It’s really embarrassing to have to deal with such nonsense 182 years after slavery ended in 1838. But such a fantasy like slaves built Trinidad can have great power in certain quarters today in 2020.
If by building Trinidad it’s meant building the ports, the towns, the roads, the railways, the estate houses and sugar factories and initially preparing the sugar cane, cocoa and other estates for cultivation, then clearly slaves did not do that.
Why then were slaves brought to Trinidad by the Spanish, French or British? They came as unskilled labour to plant, tend and reap agricultural crops on already established estates and to do other tasks related to the estates, in a colony with infrastructure already in place.
I emphasize, African slaves did not come to build anything and were not used as builders for the estates or the infrastructure. They were slaves taken from Africa or born in slavery in other colonies, remember. They had no building or construction skills like carpentry, masonry, road construction, building sugar factories, railways, houses, boats, piers, furniture, no clerical, architectural, cooking, medical, dental, legal, gardening or any kind of skill useful in building an estate colony.
They were taken and put into already constructed slave homes, put to work planting, weeding, cutting cane, some of them working in the great houses as servants, some working the carts and punts, some working in the sugar factories later, some in maintenance of the estates. They had to be taught everything and their work entailed only the simplest skill level in most cases.
Ergo, slaves didn’t build a damn thing.
They may have helped expand the existing structure they found, and later learned to do some maintenance, but great builders they were not.
That is a fantasy black people have been peddling for years that their ancestors built Guyana and Trinidad and Suriname and we Indians are some kind of Johnny come lately interlopers who should play second banana to them.
Truth is that we Indians built the network of rural towns and villages in these southern Caribbean and South American nations, with our own sweat and toil, with no help from anybody.
When we came the colonies were no more than a few ports and small towns joined by road and rail to many estates out in the country areas. Other than that, there was nothing.
Under slavery the slaves spent their whole lives on the estates, except for a tiny few who escaped and lived in the forests as maroons or bush negroes. After slavery ended 1838 and the ex slaves left the estates, they mostly went to the towns to beg for crumbs.
When Indians came from 1838 in Guyana and 1845 in Trinidad the colonies were essentially empty except for the few towns and estates. We Indians built all the rest that you see now. Pretty much all of rural Trinidad development is our doing.
Where does this leave the descendants of those African slaves? Out in the rain with their “black man turn to rule”, I believe.
And what about “black people suffer more than Indians, black people get nothing after slavery end but Indians get free land when indenture end, black people lose we culture but Indian get to keep their culture”?
The proper reply is that we Indians didn’t do anything to the slaves, we weren’t even in the country, so why should we take the rap for problems created by long departed white estate owners?
Descendants of the slaves have to build something better that this slave builders’ delusion for the coming election and forever after.
What a damn ignorant jack ass. He needs to go back to school. And the sad part is that there are going to more jack asses that will read this and say “true talk”. This is the problem in Trinidad and Guyana right now and unless we educate our youth and break the chain of ignorance and deception, this will never change. SAD!
The thing for me is, he did not even leave a reference or source of information for us to go into and analyse if his findings are true. He is so Ignorant. I studied labour history which taught me about slavery, the sugar industry among other things including Caribbean Studies and no where did I see in handouts and my own research on the topics anything about what he claim in the Caribbean.
I refuse to offer him any of my time! Just ain’t worth it!
I am surprised that this insolent East Indian mouthpiece even gives credence to the presence of Black Slaves in Guyana or Trinidad. Where did he do his research to come forward with his racist narrative? The physical work was done by black slaves. The canals were dug with Black slave labour. We are fighting to rule our country, simply because this is our country, we did not arrive here yesterday, and in no way should we allow or will allow racists of his stripe to relegate us to slavery. In Guyana, at least their foreparents ought to have returned to their country at the end of their contracts. Instead, they were given support by the Whites to become a barrier between themselves and the blacks who were numerically superior. None of the Indians who landed in the new world were engineers or experts in construction. They originated from the lowest caste in India, those who cleaned toilets with their bare hands. They were introduced here and in Trinidad and to a lesser extent the other West Indian countries, to undermine the efforts and bargaining power of the Black slaves post-emancipation. ‘Blacks went into the town to beg, from whom? This Racist does not realize the full extent of his words which will galvanize us to not lie down and roll over and allow them to re-enslave us. I remind and inform those of us that they tried a similar tactic in Fiji many years ago. they arrived uninvited and having prospered, importing, and selling trash merchandise to the native Fijians, combined with over-breeding they soon acquired population numbers, as well as financial clout. When they gained political power in that country, the Fijians quite correctly overthrew their government and decreed that Indians could not rule there ever again. This mutton- head had better take warning, his temperament, and those of his ilk were responsible for the rise of Idi Amin in Uganda. He ought to not be surprised if in Trinidad and Guyana we take similar steps to ensure that we remain free from the machinations of this would be ‘ubermensch’
You racist, uneducated fool. You don’t even warrant the time it took to type this.
The fact that this debate is still around in 2020, is a clear indication the colonial strategy of divide and rule, still enslaves the minds the minds of the descendants of ex colonial subjects. To quote, the late great Bob Marley, ” free your mind from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds”! In the current atmosphere where leaders of certain countries are racing to see who can be the latest and greatest facist, such an article is not surprising just profoundly disappointing.
Apologies, “emancipate yourselves from mental slavery ” none but ourselves can free our minds”.
Anyone who believes this bit of revisionist history needs to have their heads examined. So this joker would have folks believe that the slaves dropped from a slave ship with no prior knowledge of farming, building etc? I suppose he would have us believe that the Ameriandians, the English, Spanish, French or Portugese built the infrastructure right? Then these slaves did nothing but waited for the Indians from India to come and do the rest. What hog wash. Nothing but Fake News. It is spreading like COVID. Lets see what other garbage they would have us believe. Thank God for a brain.
In my whole life, I have never read such false information. This author is not just racist, but is also vulgar, he should have kept his missive to what happened in Trinidad.
What transpired in Guyana is well documented, for starters, all three canals in Guyana were dug by the slaves, all and I repeat all the roads in eighteen century and nineteen century Guyana were built by the negroes. All the plantation houses were constructed by the black people, even the building where the indentured labourers were housed. Its indeed a fantasy, but on the part of this ill informed racist.
Its a shame people of his elks exists, at a time when the world is fighting a pandemic, we have these Individuals surfacing, to create confusion.
This man is a racist and a is attempting to subvert history. So sad. I am well read and know a different.
Wether Black slaves built or planted must not negate the facts that we deserve our place as heirs to Tiinidad & Tobago and will fight for that right till the end. What Indians did and didn’t do is what it was. Our history has shown from the beginning is that all Trinbagonians have an equal place on our country and if anyone don’t like it, the airport will not turn them around.
I can only speak for T&T. This sort of rhetoric is what continues to hold back the Indo Trinbagonians when coming to the politics. An election cannot possibly be won in T&T by a 100% Indo political party. Why? because practically 85% of the card carriers live in Central and South Trinidad. Call it tradition to congregate for hundreds of years in one are of T&T. In T&T the East Indian community is geographically unable to win a clear vote without a coalition. Another aspect one must consider is that many Indo-Trinbagonians have embraced the Christian religions. You have Indo Christian priests all over the place and on TV. Hindus have abandoned the traditional way of life. The mistake also being made is that of assuming that all African Slaves are still slaves. There is also a cross over vote from the educated sophisticated Indo citizens.
I spent many years in the UK and made friends of Indians and Pakistanis. I know all about the caste system and how it has ruined the mental psyche. We do not have caste in T&t but the mental/emotional bruising is there. The Dalits take pride in being better than African slaves? Wake up people. It will take centuries to remove the horrible inhuman stigma. No race is better than the other. there is only the Human Race. Death is the only leveller. I have always been aware that East Indians allegedly appear to be afraid of White people. If Africans are so lowly please take note that an African man was a President of the United State for eight years. They would have him back in the blink of an eye.
I was in the UK at the time of 9/11. I was shocked to see English people stop speaking to Indian people and keeping away from their businesses. How you view yourself is not the same as other people. Beauty, political and otherwise, rests in the eyes of the believers.
This is a timely well said comment.
Yess.worldwide same problem.the smart africans became succesfull not complain.the vheaters robbers thieves liike all races always create chaos.while the newborns are getting succesfull, these minority will not find their discipline.indians not fight.thats our problem.maybe we should behave like arabs.
Mr. Jagesar, you forgot to add that Africans were wild people running around with spears and arrows who were nothing but cannibals living in trees and wearing grass skirts, hunting lions and tigers.
That such ignorance be allowed to be published is an affront to anyone who can simply google “Great Kingdoms of Africa.
Mr. Jagesar and his ilk are always quick to raise the specter of racial politics whenever there is an upcoming election.
You also forgot to mention that the Indians who were brought here were engineers, lawyers and doctors and members of the upper class of Indian society that’s why they were able to build Trinidad.
This is one of the most racist articles I have ever read in a long time. The fact that you can say “We Indians built”…clearly shows your frame of mind while writing it. Now, I’m not saying that Indians didn’t contribute to the infrastructure of Trinidad and Tobago. And I’m not saying Africans built more than Indians. If I did, that would do nothing but perpetuate a racist cycle, one that you seem desperate to continue based on your words.
Truly, I would love to know what research you did to come to such conclusions. I’d actually be very interested. As someone who who isn’t even from Trinidad and Tobago but studied its history, I’d like to understand your thought process.
I mean, are you forgetting that many Africans had livelihoods before they were brought as slaves to Trinidad? That Africa, before it was ravaged by colonialism, had kingdoms with irrigation systems? Also, let’s say people too young to learn any trades were brought to Trinidad. You don’t think they didn’t learn anything in that time? In many plantations, white men were overseers but slaves organized irrigation systems, tended to crops, created complex systems to evade the wrath of slave owners. You don’t think that’s without a certain level of intellect? Intellect that definitely played a part in building Trinidad and Tobago’s infrastructure and economy?
Now I’m not saying the Indians who came as Indentured laborers didn’t suffer and that they didn’t contribute. The white man’s anger and needs were redirected to those who came after. BUT you must admit, certainly not to the same extent. We can just look at the length of the African Slave Trade to the length of time Indentured laborers spent in Trinidad to understand the gravity of slavery and it’s effects on generations of Africans past and generations of Africans that followed. DESPITE THAT, I will say this —> Trinidad’s economy and infrastructure IS a culmination of EVERYONE’S EFFORTS. It’s not a game of who did more than who.
Really, it’s the thought process of the people like you and those who actually let you post something like this that’s wrong with Trinidad and Tobago. You imply black Trinidadians are operating with bias but you, sir, are doing the same thing.
Ah, boy! Jagessar is still as racist and intellectually dishonest as he has been from his early days. From since secondary school. At least he is consistent.
A quote from a book or historical authority would help. Without any research this just reads as a Facebook post. And one that exposes your ideology of a divided Trinidad. Is that what you want?
Perhaps by “build” what is attributed to is the economy and not the physical infrastructure. When a rich man builds a house, he is not doing the masonry. He is providing the money for supplies and labour.
Persons in charge, please upgrade the standard of journalism accepted for publishing.
I just read the rant of a racist!!! What utter shitttt!!!! Africans were brought her as slaves not indentured laborers!!! They helped build infrastructure in the this country under the forceful hands of the slave owners. Was this article based on facts? If so, a lot of other Important facts were purposely left out!!! Steupsssss
Its really embarrassing that after all these years of public education that one person could be so ill informed and racist as to write such drivel and call this raw manure an article. Just say that you are racist and done nah.. steups…
You’re a racist idiot. People like you use race to seek attention for your shallow egos, as you feel the need to belittle others in the hope it builds you up. Unfortunately, all it does is make you even smaller, except in the eyes of other who share your pathetic condition. It must truly be sad to be you.
And FYI, go read some scientific research – modern man originated in Africa. So as horrifying as this is to you, guess what – you’re the descendant of a black man. Poor racist…
https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/human-journey/
Obviously, you are creating your own twisted history of a reality that we all know to be true. It is clear to see your racist demeaning slant to your diatribe, that I will respectively call dogshit!
This bullshit must stop!!!!! When will these people take their head out the toilet and come up for air? Smelling your own shit from r too long will get you delirious like this racist pig!
I really did appreciate those hostile comments, most of which did not attempt to deal with the points I raised.
For a little dessert, I offer these comments I made recently to another idiot critic on my Facebook page, which deals with the research on the Trinidad part of the story.
Gregory
Gregory “They had no building or construction skills like carpentry, masonry, road construction, building sugar factories, railways, houses, boats, piers, furniture, no clerical, architectural, cooking, medical, dental, legal, gardening or any kind of skill useful in building an estate colony.”
Looking forward to hearing your opinion on the Zimbabwe Walls and all those Pyramids in Sudan and Kemet.
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Ram Jagessar
Ram Jagessar Gregory You choose not to understand what I have written plain as day. Slaves in chains did not build the infrastructure of Trinidad or Guyana. The Africans who were taken from Africa and transported to these countries to work on sugar plantations were primitive tribes people with no building skills applicable to the colonies in the Caribbean. They could not read or write or count or measure squat in the languages used in the Caribbean. They were not picked to do any building of any sort but to act as brute labour on the estates. Ergo them fellers didn’t build shit. I am not talking about Africans who built Zimbabwe walls or any other structures in Africa but humble slaves chosen for their muscle power and lack of brain power. If we take Trinidad as our test case it’s clear that for the first couple centuries there were no African slaves at all, hence all the building was done by the Spanish and the Amerindians. In 1772, the Spanish capital of St. Joseph had a population of 326 Spaniards and 417 Amerindians. No Africans. Granted the condition of Trinidad infrastructure was poor at the time. But soon after in 1777 a unified captaincy of Venezuela which included Trinidad was created and the Spanish set about to develop the area, might I add without builders from Africa. So when did the Africans arrive in numbers and what did they find? That would be 1783 when the cedilla of population invited French planters from the French territories in the Caribbean to come and take up land in Trinidad, which they did, bringing their African slaves and also free coloured and mulattoes. This group greatly expanded the settlements of Trinidad and built upon the existing infrastructure, which I have acknowledged. “By the time the island was surrendered to the British in 1797 the population had increased to 17,643: 2,086 whites, 4,466 free people of colour, 1,082 Amerindians, and 10,009 African slaves. In addition, there were 159 sugar estates, 130 coffee estates, 60 cocoa estates, and 103 cotton estates.” So here we have it 6,500 whites and free people of colour and 10, 000 African slaves but 159 sugar estates, 130 coffee estates, 60 cocoa estates and 103 cotton estates. Would you be so bold to say that in 14 years from 1783-1797 those 10,000 African slaves “built” 452 estates from scratch, plus roads and docks and churches and homes as well as operating those 452 estates on 12 hour daily shifts six days a week? Go ahead and say yes if you is man! This was the emancipation period of course and soon after in 1833 slavery was abolished first phase and finished off in 1838. Upon emancipation of the slaves in 1838, Trinidad had only 17,439 slaves while Jamaica had 360,000. After that there were no more slaves. So here’s the crunch. Would you be praising to the skies these 17, 439 slaves as the people who built Trinidad, the 452 plus estates, and all the infrastructure of the colony? I wouldn’t and I haven’t. The few African slaves in Trinidad were not the primal builders of the estate colony, though they did have a hand later in expanding and operating the estates. Soon afterwards a huge mass of 143,000 Indians came and also expanded and operated the estates. When they left the estates they went into the forests and plains of Trinidad and with their own hands and no help from anybody, built up most of the villages and towns and farms and businesses of central, south and east Trinidad. They don’t claim to have built Trinidad, but they do claim with evidence to have built up large areas of the country that were empty and untouched on their arrival. Over to you my man, let me hear your sparkling repartee!
What the gentleman is not saying is that there are some Indo T&T citizens who may believe that because there are so many Doctors,lawyers, business millionaires and billionaires, that they feel an entitlement to also 100% govern T&T. But there is a lack of social mixing. These professionals only lime within their own communities. apart from Chutney music entrepreneurs and the always welcome doubles man, T&T Indos have ‘socially distanced’ themselves. Chaguanas will never be a replacement Port-of-Spain. The unfortunate illusion that T&T Indo citizens are not good mixers will always lose them important votes. The ‘Them’ and ‘Us’ factor is very divisive. You can win nothing without a significant slice of the African vote.