Caribbean Airlines Extends Warm Diwali Wishes to Caribbean Nations

Caribbean Airlines Marks Diwali Across the Caribbean

Caribbean Airlines Limited, the flag carrier of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, has wished Hindus in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname on Diwali in a post. “As we celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, our Caribbean Airlines family extends warm wishes to you and your loved ones for a joyous and blessed Divali,” the airline noted in a post on X. “Shubh Divali to Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname from all of us at Caribbean Airlines!” the post concluded.

Caribbean Airlines Limited is a state-owned airline. Headquartered in Iere House in Piarco, the airline operates flights to the Caribbean, North America and South America from its base at Piarco International Airport, Trinidad.

Historical Context of Diwali in the Region

Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname are home to the Indo-Trinidadian, Indo-Guyanese and Indo-Surinamese communities. These are descendants of indentured labourers brought over from the Indian subcontinent by colonial entities like the British Empire to work in the sugarcane fields of the region in the 1800s and 1900s. The demand for labour arose in the Caribbean after the British Empire formally abolished slavery through the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

Demographics of the Indo-Caribbean Community

As African-origin slaves throughout the region were granted their freedom, indentured labourers from the Indian subcontinent filled the gap. Indo-Trinidadians today form the largest ethnic group in Trinidad and Tobago and accounted for about 35.43 per cent of the population in 2011. In Guyana, Indo-Guyanese people make up approximately 39.8% to 44% of the country’s total population, numbering roughly 321,000 to over 440,000 individuals. And in Suriname, Indo-Surinamese make up roughly 27.4% of the country’s total population.

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