Taking National Heroes’ Day to higher plane

In spite of the persistent efforts of a minority in our midst, as a nation, there are many positive, encouraging developments in our society which bode well for our future. All is far from gloom and doom, division and confusion. If we take stock around us, there is hope.{{more}}

For those who seem to exist, feeding on the scraps of the latest gossip or rumours about problems, real or imagined, it is difficult to make any assessment about the state of the national good. Yet, there are clear signs in many areas, especially in the social field, of national advancement.

The annual commemoration of National Heroes’ Day and the month-long calendar of activities for March are clear indicators of such progress. One cannot help but be impressed with the growing recognition of National Heroes’ Day and in particular, the conscious promotion and facilitation of the role of young people in official activities in this regard. This includes the inclusion of the young people of the community in which the solemn national commemoration takes place, Dorsetshire Hill, reputed to be the location where paramount Chief Chatoyer was killed.

This emphasis on the active participation of young people falls in line with the tradition set by young people from the National Youth Council (NYC) who were the original initiators of the March 14 national ceremony at Dorsetshire Hill. In the early days, when acceptance of Chatoyer as a National Hero was a long way off, it took a great deal of commitment and sacrifice to stage any activities at the site of Chatoyer’s physical demise. Though overlooking capital Kingstown, Dorsetshire Hill has always posed a physical challenge to access, but this in no way dampened the spirits of the youthful inheritors of Chatoyer’s national mantle of the defence of national sovereignty.

We have come a long way since, including decisively having won the battle against the shameful “Discovery Day” holiday, the declaration of March 14 as a public holiday and the exaltation of Chatoyer to his rightful place at the head of our nation. We now need to step on to a higher plane. About two decades or so ago, there were discussions nationally, during the administration of the NDP, when John Horne was Culture Minister, about trying to erect a statue in honour of Chatoyer. If my memory serves me right, there was even some talk about obtaining a bronze statue from Venezuela, (not from Chavez who had yet to come to prominence).

This continued absence of a central monument, in my view, somewhat retards the spread on national consciousness regarding Chatoyer, the Kallinago and Garifuna and our wars of national liberation. It is an issue which demands national attention, for outside the obelisk at Dortsetshire Hill, there is no visible national symbol, not even a prominent life-sized portrait, that can serve as a medium to promote national consciousness in this regard.

We have declared Chatoyer a National Hero, rightly so, but on a national scale have yet to come to grips with all that should be so involved in such an undertaking. It is in this regard, not so much in respect of any misgivings about the merits or demerits of other possible worthy recipients of this exalted status, that I have concerns about widening the net. We are not even shouldering our current responsibilities with aplomb.

Earlier, I mentioned the physical challenges associated with Dorsetshire Hill. This was one of the isolated settlements populated by descendants of the Irish and Scottish indentured servants. White in skin colour though they might have been, they were not regarded as part of the colonial ruling elite and were subject to discrimination just like the blacks, Garifuna and Indian offspring. Indeed, colonial society made mischief of promoting division among these exploited groups, using division to perpetuate domination.

So, in turn, the oppressed poured scorn on each other, blacks snubbing “Put-a gee” and “whitey Bajan”, while borrowing the derogatory “coolie” term from the English to describe the Indians and “Carib” to scorn the Kallinago and Garifuna. These groups in turn adopted the “n” word to describe the blacks and so all participated in perpetuating colonial divisions.

Dorsetshire Hill has come a long way since. Its mixed population and broadened national outlook attest to this. Yet such is the nature of our society that it is easier to get a bus from Kingstown to Georgetown or Barrouallie, than to the obelisk. It contributes towards limiting public participation in the annual March 14 activities. But it is not sufficient excuse for not broadening public participation in them.

In particular, we have two major political tribes which have demonstrated their capacity for public mobilisation. However, this is limited to narrow partisan causes. One cannot readily recall any major effort made by either the NDP or the ULP to mobilize supporters for a national cause, such as March 14. It really is a fundamental weakness on the part of both of them and leaves their supporters short-changed and beyond the pale of real national issues.

Surely, if we value national identity, if we honour the memory of Chatoyer and those who took up his mantle, we need to move to a much higher plane.

Renwick Rose is a

community activist

and social com- mentator.