By Ravi Dev
Most might have heard about Ayube Mohammed Edun (1893-1957) as the founder of the first trade union for sugar workers in Guyana – the Man Power Citizen’s Association (MPCA) in 1937. But beyond that, he had long been an “Indian Rights Activist”, first as a goldsmith, President of the British Guiana East Indian Association (BGEIA), publisher of the Guiana Review newspaper.
In discussing “Specific Indian Problems”, he wrote, “The problems affecting the Indian community are many and varied, but chief among them would be the following: Cultural “Renaissance: The Indian population is fast losing their best national characteristics, and unless steps are taken to check further deterioration, the future holds dark and gloomy prospects. Except (for) class differences, there are no social or caste disabilities and distinctions.”
Ayube Mohammed Edun
INDIAN ASSOCIATIONS AND TRADE UNIONS
There is one political organization known as the British Guiana East Indian Association. The Man-Power Citizen’s Association, which is a registered trade union, represents all the sugar workers, 95 per cent of whom are Indians and 5 per cent Africans.
The British Guiana Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha represents the Hindu community, and the British Guiana Islamic Association and Sadr Anjuman-E-Islam represent the Muslim community in religious affairs. The American Aryan League also has a strong following among a section of the Hindus. There are several Christian denominational organizations, and many friendly societies abound in the cities, towns and villages.
TEMPLES AND MOSQUES
There are numerous temples and mosques scattered in the towns, villages and plantations. There are also Madrasas and Pathsbalas within their compounds, but owing to the lack of Hindi and Urdu teachers, there is much wastage in energy, time and money. It is all a question of qualified teachers, proper system of teaching, curriculum and school books.
PRESS AND PERIODICALS
He pointed out that while the MPCA produces The Labour Advocate – a weekly newspaper; the BGEIA the weekly Indian Opinion; the Islamic Association a monthly magazine – The Nur-e Islam; and the Sadr Anjuman-E-Islam a quarterly known as “Islam”, Indians own no daily newspaper. They’re at a great disadvantage (in) so far as newspaper representation is concerned. There are three daily newspapers: The Daily Chronicle and The Guiana Graphic – owned by the European and Coloured communities and while these are not altogether anti-Indian yet, they are not friendly to the Indians in British Guiana.
He wrote the first book by a Guyanese Indian after spending some time in England in 1928. He began: “I was born of pure-blooded Indian parentage, in a distant outpost of the British Empire, on a sugar plantation, far away in British Guiana, the only British possession on the South American mainland, in a home that had for its floor the bare earth.” His grandfather Edun had arrived from Indian in 1850 and was bound to Pln Philadelphia, EBE, and later bought Pln Orangestein.
Early in 1947, on a trip to India, he summarised his view of the Indians in British Guiana: “75,000 Indians reside on the sugar plantations, 50 per cent of whom are actual sugar workers; another 75,000 are engaged in other pursuits like production of rice, cattle, milk, greens etc. in the village settlements and river banks. The rest are professionals, landlords, businessmen, artisans, clerks and civil servants. There are also a number of Bengalee pedlars and film representatives from India.
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