All of Trinidad and Tobago was engulfed in celebration on August 31, 1962 as the people rejoiced over the country's Independence from the hands of the British.

But the birth of the nation, though the most significant event of national interest at that time, was not the only significant event taking place in Charlieville, Chaguanas.

The birth of Vijay Singh also occurred on that day.

Being born on the same day that the country gained its independence has indeed been significant, but according to Singh. It hasn't served to make the last 50 years any easier for him or his family.

"Nobody has never really done anything for me. Although I was born on Independence Day, there was no recognition. I came from a very large family, and I am the eldest of the 13 children who were born in Charlieville, Cunupia, and grew up there. I didn't have much schooling, and I worked with my father as a farmer most of my life.

"Life has been very rough for me because I have never had a steady job. I have always worked here and there. The closest I ever came to having a steady income was the 25 years that I sold cane to Caroni (1975) Ltd. I had my own cane and so I sold them."

Losing that business with Caroni was the most devastating experience for Singh because that was his first and last steady job. "It took a burden off of me (selling cane to Caroni Ltd) because when the morning came, I knew where I was going. I knew that I had an income to support my family. So this really impacted upon my life as it relates to financial security," he said in an interview with the Express last week.

Fifty years later, now a husband and father of two, Singh said nothing much has changed for him financially, yet his love for his country still flows abundantly.

"Life is a routine thing and the struggle continues. Cost of living is very, very high, but this country itself is the most beautiful place to live. I would not give up this for no other place, even with the crime. Because when compared to other places, the crime is not as bad. I love my country very, very much," he said.

Although he admitted his life has not had much change over the years, a lot has changed around him.

"The community has expanded, and there are a lot more houses and traffic. The changes have been good, but I miss the open spaces that once existed in the Central area," he said.

"Long time, you could have gone and picked mangoes and other fruits; now, they have built houses on those lands, so the place is more crowded."

Singh said as a young man, he reared a lot of animals, but now, because of the changes in the land use, there was no place for that type of activity anymore.

"We have grown very rapidly. Take Chaguanas, for example; a few years ago, there weren't as many buildings, now, it's so crowded, it is like Port of Spain. We have developed; it has taken away from what we knew long ago, but that is what happens when development takes place," he said.

—continued tomorrow