The Bamboo No. 1 Mandir of Valsayn and the Tryambakeshwar Mahadev Mandir of Charlieville, Chaguanas will be lighting deeyas to honor the late Basdeo Panday and former Prime Minister in its program to mark the opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India.
“ Basdeo Panday’s long history of struggle to improve the lives of the common people can be likened to Sri Ram’s struggle against the demonic forces to restore dharma,” said Pandit Satyanand Mahabir Dube, spiritual head of the Tryambakeshwar Mahadev Mandir.
Basdeo Panday started his struggles with sugar workers for better wages and full-year work. For this the sugar cane workers and their descendants still share a sense of gratitude. He went on to serve as the 5th Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Basdeo Panday, with humility fought many battles and won and I want my devotees to always feel grateful and indebted to him,” Pandit Satyanand Mahabir Dube said.
Ram is an iconic personality and central to Indian civilization. His selfless services were always for the greater welfare of his subjects and even at the discomfort of his wife Sita and two sons.
“Panday always put the welfare of the people first and never compromised on his principles,” said Wayne Lalchan, President of the Bamboo No 1 Mandir. Lalchan continued: “ We are proud of him and his family’s identification with Hindu dharma and this was borne out in the funeral service.”
Panday died on 1st January 2024 and was cremated in a State funeral with thousands coming out to bid their final farewell last Tuesday January 09, 2024.
The legacy of Bas must be kept alive, and there is no better way than on Sunday January 21 and Monday January 22, 2024 at Bamboo and Charlieville respectively when he would stand on the altar with Sri Ram of Ayodhya.
The opening of the Ram Mandir is the result of 501 years of struggles for the return of the mandir that was destroyed by an iconoclast. To represent this long struggle 501 deeyas would be lit.
Hindus never accepted this injustice and thousands were martyred in the struggles to reclaim the site until the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Hindus.
The Ram Mandir of Ayodha is a symbol of resistance and struggle as much as Panday’s to improve the welfare of the people both as a trade unionist and a Prime Minister.
Jai Sri Ram
