House meets for historic session

History was created on Monday, March 26 when Parliament met to debate a Resolution on the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade and to pass an Act to formally commemorate the date of the first landing of Indian immigrants in St. Vincent in 1861.

The students present in the gallery and all who paid attention were much the richer for having done so, for the entire day’s proceedings were a veritable history lesson. Speaker after speaker on both sides of the house made presentations indicating that they had indeed prepared their lessons on the horrors, indignity and injustices of the slave trade, slavery, Indian indentureship and the legacy these left on St. Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

Despite the serious nature of the debate, there were moments of humour. One of these was afforded by Parliamentary Representative for Central Leeward, Sir Louis Straker. During his contribution to the debate on the resolution marking the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, Sir Louis, resplendent in a suit accessorized with a tie, handkerchief and stole made from Kinte cloth, jokingly sent a message to those persons who had criticized the fact that he had been knighted and was now known as Sir Louis. He said little did they know that had his ancestors remained in Africa, those detractors would have had to refer to him as Prince Louis or even King Louis!

Parliamentary representatives for Marriaqua and West Kingstown, Girlyn Miguel and Rene Baptiste were also dressed in African attire.