Scores turn out to honour the life of cultural pioneer and advocate Dr Hansley Hanoomansigh, He was remembered for his tireless pursuit for an inclusive Trinidad and Tobago.
00:00The legacy of cultural icon Dr. Hans Hanuman Singh was honored at the Curab Presbyterian
00:06Church as family, friends and well-wishers celebrated his life.
00:11Dr. Hanuman Singh was remembered firstly for his love for culture and the way he encouraged
00:17others to be proud ambassadors of their heritage.
00:20There was a time, for example, in Trinidad and Tobago, when children who went to school
00:30are highly rooted in fun life, a little bit of a body, they might be insulated and ridiculed
00:38by classmates.
00:40Some of them may not know what I'm talking about, but perhaps they're older people.
00:46And through, along with his word, and then he realized that dimensions of your culture,
00:57instead of being embarrassed about you, you can celebrate them.
01:01His brother Gideon recalled Dr. Hanuman Singh's early days.
01:06He was not just a big brother to us.
01:10He was the father figure, a role he involuntarily assumed at the age of 12 when our father passed
01:19in 1954.
01:22Unlike any young boy, he too would have his moods and never spared the wit when it came
01:30to our schoolwork and particularly Bible lessons.
01:34At 24, Dr. Hanuman Singh, a graduate of Presentation College, went on to become the youngest parliamentarian
01:43in the Commonwealth as the member of parliament for Karani East.
01:46He moved a motion for Hindi to be included in the school curriculum.
01:53He introduced Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to the parliament of Trinidad and Tobago in a private member's
02:01motion, accepted by all, he said, except Dr. Eric Williams.
02:08But the broadcaster-slash-businessman didn't stop there.
02:12He argued for Roti to be part of the menu on VWIA.
02:19Hans was the quintessential example of a third-generation Indo-Trinidadian pilgrim.
02:28His passionate love for Indian culture led to many more groundbreaking achievements, which
02:34paved the way for much of the modern-day Indian programming still existing today.
02:39He was a founding director of 103FM, the first radio station in the West Indies to broadcast
02:48a daily 24-hour schedule of Indian music.
02:53It created a renaissance of Indian consciousness in Trinidad and Tobago.
03:00In 1970, Hanuman Singh was elected as president of the National Council of Indian Culture and
03:06it was under his leadership the first Diwali Nagar was conceptualized.
03:11His nephew, senior counsel Rani Basasa, could not be present for the Hummingbird medalist's
03:16send-off.
03:17But his thoughts were shared by another cousin, Jovan Sankar Paul.
03:21Uncle Hans was modest and conservative.
03:24And if he was alive, he would not want or encourage anyone to seek honors on his behalf.
03:29But notwithstanding that, and I believe I speak for many of us, I cannot think of someone more
03:37deserving of a posthumous award of the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
03:42The legendary broadcaster fell ill at his Valsain home last week.
03:47It was recounted by his son Ravi.
03:50Dad had an emergency in Toronto, maybe last year, a year before, a medical emergency.
03:54An ambulance was called, it was there within minutes.
03:57On Wednesday, 2nd July, my dad really had an emergency.
04:01Hazel, his caregiver, called and said, I'm concerned if we take him to a public hospital
04:06because it may take forever to admit him.
04:08So I called, I said, no, let's call a private hospital because it would be quicker.
04:12The ambulance took over an hour.
04:14I asked, why, could you explain, why, could you be apologetic?
04:18Still no, still no reason.
04:20During his career, Dr. Hanuman Singh interviewed the who's who internationally,
04:25including South Africa's Bishop Desmond Tutu and Calcutta's Mother Teresa.
04:31He also interviewed so many more here at home.
04:34The first time I interviewed Dr. Keith Rowley, as he came into the studio, he told me the
04:47story of his growing up in Tobago, listening while he's doing his homework to 610 Radio and
04:58melodies of India, and identified for me the song that he still remembers, Rahe Na Rahe Hum, by Lathamagesh
05:10In the end, the voice so many grew to love, the voice that for decades, Grace Radio and TV, and through which much of the Caribbean Indian diaspora established its presence, it may have gone silent.
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