K 462: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 5, 2025, as Indian Arrival Day in Guyana, in the State of New York

 Assembly Resolution No. 462 BY: M. of A. Rajkumar MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 5, 2025, as Indian Arrival Day in Guyana, in the State of New York WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay just tribute to the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups which comprise and contribute to the richness and diversity of the community of the State of New York; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in keeping with its time-honored traditions, it is the intent of this Legislative Body to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 5, 2025, as Indian Arrival Day in Guyana, in the State of New York; and WHEREAS, A public holiday in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Indian Arrival Day celebrates the rich history, cultural importance, and incredible contributions of the Indo-Guyanese; and WHEREAS, The day marks the anniversary of the arrival of the first Indians at what was then the colony of British Guiana on May 5, 1838, when two ships, the Whitby and the Hesperus, landed carrying 396 Indians from Calcutta to work on the sugar plantations as indentured laborers; and WHEREAS, The Indian population continued to grow, with about 240,000 people coming from the Indian subcontinent to British Guiana by 1917; and WHEREAS, The Indian population flourished and now contributes to all facets of life in Guyana, constituting almost 40 percent of the population and the largest ethnic group in the country; and WHEREAS, New York City is home to the largest Guyanese expatriate community in the world, with a population of over 140,000, comprising one of the largest international-born populations in the city, and living predominantly in Queens, with a large concentration of Indo-Guyanese residing in Richmond Hill and Ozone Park; and WHEREAS, In addition to Guyana, numerous nations in the Americas, Oceania, and Africa celebrate their own versions of Indian Arrival Day, demonstrating the worldwide reverence for the outstanding contributions of the global Indian diaspora; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity to recognize such events of significance which foster ethnic pride and exemplify the cultural diversity that represents and strengthens the fabric of the people and the State of New York; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 5, 2025, as Indian Arrival Day in Guyana, in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York; the Consuls General of India and Guyana, and various Indian and Guyanese organizations in the State of New York.