The East Indians in British Guiana. 63 



Many causes might have operated in the past to account for this 

 apparent lack of interest. A political life at best is not a very attractive 

 one and to men struggling to maintain a precarious existence, politics do 

 not offer much attraction. 



Secondly there were not sufficient educated leaders among them to 

 suggest lines of action. But now that we have a strong community of 

 intelligent and educated young East Indians, the demands of a political 

 life could not be overlooked. Already there is a representative in the 

 Combined Court of East Indian descent, and we Lope in the future to 

 see the number added to in a degree commensurate with our increasing 

 numbers and importance. 



We are also proud of the fact that in the Ancient County of Berbice 

 we have an E:ist Indian gentleman, a member of the Municipality, who 

 has several times rilled the Mayoral chair and proved his capacity in 

 many ways to steer the Municipal ship. 



There are less than six per cent, of East Indians on the Voter's List 

 though a larger number is qualified to enjoy the political franchise. In 

 proportion as they realise their importance as factors in the life of the 

 Community to that extent we hope to see their political privileges availed 

 of. One of the objects of the British Guiana East Indian Association is j 

 to encourage interest in matters political as affecting the welfare of East / 

 Indians. We feel the necessity of being fully represented in every depart- I 

 ment of Activity in the life of the Colony. / 



The hope has been expressed by the Commissioners, to whom I must 

 again refer " that when the interests of the East Indian Community 

 indicate the need for political activity they will avail themselves more 

 fully of the rights which they enjoy." 



That the time has now arrived the tendency of things seems to 

 fully indicate ; and it is also remarkable that this social, intellectual and 

 Political awakening should almost synchronize with the fall of the inden- 

 ture system. 



Conclusion. 



Xo one can deny the fact that through the advent of East Indian 

 Immigrants, the labour difficulty which had confronted the Colony 

 through the abolition of negro slavery, was largely solved, and the 

 threatened extinction of the sugar industry completely averted. 



The conclusions of the Lord Sanderson Cnmmittee is significant on 

 this point. 



It states : — "There can be no doubt that Indian Immigration has ren- 

 dered valuable services to those of our Colonies in which on the 

 emancipation of negro slaves, the sugar industry was threatened with 

 ruin, in which a steady application of labour has been required for the 

 development of the Colonies by methods of work to which the native 

 population is averse." 



