As the initiator of the India Communication in Borger, Teja van Geenen has been committed to the Indies Remember in Borger for five years. Although more and more audience is coming to the memorial, she still notices that the knowledge about her mother’s history is lagging behind. “I feel more and more her anger.”
This year Van Geenen takes a step back at the India Remembrance. “I was always the only one who has to pull the cart. I do have people who help me, but volunteers fall off because of health reasons, for example.” She also noticed that she had to abandon the commemoration. “Gradually it turned out that it would not work. I wanted to put something good and that it was in jugs and jugs. But I couldn’t guarantee that.”
And so Van Geenen wanted to blow off the commemoration this year. But luckily there was Romy van der Pool from Gasselternijveen, who came to the rescue and took over the organization. Although Van Geenen is happy with the help, it is significant for the Indian community in the Netherlands, she thinks.
“I am not saying that it is not alive, more and more people are coming to the commemoration. But if I don’t pull the cart, it is flat. Volunteers are hard to find. It lives underground, that is Indo-own. The Indo community has assimilated itself enormously (adapted to society, ed.), They couldn’t do it differently. The third generation has been with it.”