Independence is a process

EARLIER THIS WEEK NBC Radio aired an interview with Justice Adrian Saunders, arguably our country’s most outstanding legal luminary, who has just retired after 13 years as President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Justice Saunders is visiting his homeland and was the presenter of the annual Sir Dwight Venner Memorial lecture, one of the highlights of our annual Independence celebrations.

In preliminary comments during the interview, he made a profound observation on independence which must not be allowed to escape our attention. Justice Saunders reminded his listeners that independence is much more than an event to be celebrated annually. He emphasized that national independence “Is a process” and must be viewed as such. His observation is not only timely, but profound as well. It is timely in that it is very easy to treat independence as an occasion to organise activities to celebrate the reclamation in 1979 of our independent status after more than two centuries of British suzerainty over our country and people.

It is far more profound than that, and Justice Saunders is very well placed to make those comments, not only based on his legal status, but because as a young man, President of the National Youth Council at the time, he was actively involved in the pre-independence process. This included efforts on the part of civil society to ensure that the independence constitution was not simply a copy of many others bequeathed to former British colonies on their accession to independence. Despite the efforts of many mass organisations at the time, that process was short-circuited, and far more emphasis was placed on the trappings of independence than on its meaning and significance. It has left us deficient in our regard for independence, its significance and that of the various symbols of independence. It did not help either that, as in 1979, most of our national elections have been called within six weeks after the independence date, encouraging a dangerous mix between a national festival requiring the united participation of all our people, irrespective of partisan political affiliation or choice, and a necessary political exercise that is increasingly becoming more divisive.

There is more to it as well. The fledgling independence regained formally on October 27, 1979, must be constantly reinforced and exercised, bringing more of our people to understand its possibilities and how we can take advantage of this reclaimed status to spur our development in every field of endeavour. In contrast to the colonial experience, strengthening of our independence depends largely on deepening the understanding of our people of that colonial experience and our determination to extend democratic participation of our people in every field of endeavour.