A system of National Honours needed!

I HAVE on different occasions suggested that a system of national awards or honours is needed.

This really should have gone along with the establishment of our first national hero. Every time the issue of having other national heroes arises, the public keeps suggesting a number of names of persons whose profiles do not necessarily fit what is specified in the National Heroes Act.

This has arisen because of the awareness of the contributions made to the country’s development by persons who deserve the nation’s commendation. Few persons can be or will be national heroes.

Moreover, one has to be dead. Shouldn’t we award citations or some form of honouring of persons who would have contributed to nation building and who are still alive?

Trinidad and Tobago has five awards which I believe are given annually. There is the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which is the country’s highest award. Then there are – The Trinity Cross, The Chaconia Medal of the Order of Trinity, The Humming Beard Medal, and the Public Service Medal of Merit. These awards are given to citizens, as well as non-citizens, who have contributed toward promoting the national welfare or strengthening the community spirit.

I particularly like the idea of strengthening the community spirit. These days when community spirit is sabotaged by partisan politics it will be good to be in a position to honour persons who have gotten around that and promoted a sense of community.

I am not suggesting that we follow Trinidad, but there are persons who have performed splendiferously in different areas of life and who deserve to be honoured nationally or by their communities.

I mention communities, but I am not sure how that could be done. In any event we hear all the time about outstanding teachers, nurses, police, were very much together.

In fact, until 1951, it was McIntosh and his team versus the planters. I have done enough research on McIntosh to be of the view that if by chance we decide to have another national hero he should be the one. He did outstanding work while he served as a member of the Legislative Council and Town Board and assisted the poorer people in numerous ways in his private capacity as a pharmacist and as one willing to assist in any way. But let us now put emphasis on creating a system of national honours. I know that deceased and former Minister of Culture had done a lot of work in creating such a system, but then we know what politics is like in our country so that is gone to the dustbin.

● Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian