Thank you very much.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and everyone. Thank you so much for your kind reinvitation to present to you today on behalf of ICEN, the Indo-Caribbean Educators Network. I'm here about the concerns of ICEN vis-à-vis our letter in support of amendments to Bill C-65.
As you are all well aware, Canadian society has come a long way in recognizing the basic human rights of each of us, starting with the legal status of women, Canadians of African heritage, indigenous rights, queer rights, gender-expression rights and so on. As we have progressed, there has been a focus on recognizing peoples' lived experiences as a way to, if not eliminate, then at least ameliorate the effects of discrimination and exclusion of marginalized individuals and groups of people in our society.
Despite this, there's little information available about the peoples of the Caribbean diaspora in Canada. We know about specific countries there—for example, Jamaica or Guyana or Guadeloupe—but what is not known is that these countries comprise highly multicultural populations and that peoples on the subcontinent of India before partition make up the largest or the second-largest ethnic group in many of these countries. This is due to the colonial expansion of the English, French and Dutch empires, for example, which forced the migration of Indian workers, starting from the very early 1800s to the early 1900s. These peoples have contributed immensely to the cultures, languages, foods, politics, economies and the arts of each of the countries they were brought to.
In Trinidad, for example, where my family is originally from, the largest ethnic group is actually of Indian ancestry. The second-largest is of African ancestry. The culture is infused with strains of Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Syrian, Lebanese, Jewish and the last of the indigenous peoples, running through the heart and the history of the peoples of this island, which, for decades, was known as the most multicultural country in the world. That honour was bestowed on another country in the 1970s, and we're all, I believe, the richer for it.
These hybridized peoples of Trinidad have successfully exported calypso; soca, a blend of African and Indian musical traditions; chutney; and delicious curried chicken rotis and doubles to the rest of the world. It is my hope that, if you have never tried a good Trini roti, you will find a way to do it soon.
That said, the ancient country they came from, India, has a cultural and religious tradition that has been dated objectively back as far as 8,000 years ago. At its height, around the years 1500 to 3000 BCE, it produced vast works of literature, including the world's longest epic poem, the Mahabharata, dwarfing other epic poems hailing from Greece and Rome.
Prior to European colonization, India was the richest country on earth for well over a thousand years, with a GDP comprising almost one quarter of the world's GDP combined. Therefore, it will not surprise you to know that the highly developed cultural and religious traditions of classical India have endured in the practices of its peoples wherever and however they went. The Indian diaspora, whether in Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa and throughout the Caribbean, has contributed to and influenced the countries it has found itself in via its foods, music, dress and religions.
Hinduism, a religion that does not seek to convert, is the third-largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam. This is why we find it necessary to entreat you today. Although we Indians from the Caribbean are a minority group within the Caribbean and more so in Canada, we wish to share with you that Diwali, a major holy day, is practised, observed and celebrated by Hindus in every country they have shared their culture with.
Diwali, known as the festival of lights worldwide, is nationally recognized and celebrated across countries such as Trinidad and Guyana in the Caribbean, in Mauritius, Malaysia and Singapore, and in India, Nepal and other countries across the world. In other words, the whole country celebrates Diwali, not only people who identify as belonging to the Hindu tradition.
Diwali holds immense significance for the Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities and much of the Buddhist community, and symbolizes the triumphs of good over evil, deliberation over impetuousness and insight over ignorance. Diwali also marks the Hindu new year for some communities, thus making it a blessed occasion for new beginnings. In northern India, it is usually a five-day celebration. It is a time for families and friends to come together in celebration, reflection and prayer.
To provide some context of ICEN's involvement, I wish to share that—
