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Caretakers of Colonialism and the illusion of Independence
November/December 2004 Issue No. 21
Published in Trinidad and Tobago
Posted: January 22, 2005
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There is a saying among members of the Afrikan Diaspora that: Ungratefulness is worse than obeah. However, should we compare ungratefulness with betrayal in a similar context, the effects of negativity would multiply one hundred fold.
Ungratefulness is normally viewed in the context of two parties-one making a contribution to the other, which is later conveniently forgotten by the other party. The effects of voluntary amnesia are not as far-reaching in the usual two parties situation as would be the case of betrayal, which is more extensive and destructive.
Ungratefulness would be too slight a word to describe the disappointment of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, if they were asked to reflect their feelings about our political leadership over the past four decades. Betrayal would most aptly convey their feelings. It is extremely difficult for a large section of our population not to feel betrayed by what has passed for nationalist politics in post colonial Trinidad and Tobago.
Since independence we have been led by five men who have held the office of Prime Minister, four of whom came out of the People's National Movement stable at Balisier House and the other had his base in the sugar belt. Although each of these five men would claim that their political ideology differs to that of the other four leaders; history would show that their economic and social programmes have continued on the same neo-colonialist path. Neither of them has been able to transfer their support, whether it was mainstream or marginal, into nationhood because of their foreign-used political philosophy.
A simple analysis of the roles of these five political leaders, would reveal serious conflicts in their policies on people empowerment and nationalist development. All of these men during some period of their tenure as Prime Minister, have displayed an allegiance towards the agents of colonialism and imperialism.
There has been little or no attempt to change the economic and political structures which continue to benefit foreign multi-nationals and their local agents of imperialism. They were impotent in advocating a nationalist economic policy when dealing with foreign business enterprise and their local agents. It seems as though independence to them is nothing more than a flag, an Anthem and a Military parade.
Although over the past four decades, the politics appears to be black dominated the economics remains white controlled-mainly by foreigners and their local agents. This sad position is a continuation of the nefarious colonial practice of economic enslavement of many by a few.
The independent aspirations of the majority of our people have been betrayed by men who are prepared to hold high office, despite their inability to serve our nation's interest. The economic chain of command is determined by race, class and political affiliation.
The late Dr. Eric Eustace Williams, who was our first Prime Minister was dubbed "William the Conqueror" by calypsonian the Mighty Sparrow. To date, we are yet to see whom or what he conquered-certainly not colonialism, despite his famous "Massa Day Done" independence speech.
Despite having benefited from the struggles and sacrifices made by Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler and the Butlerite Movement against the colonial powers, Williams chose to take the moderate route-he preferred to dump CLR James and put him under house arrest for his socialist stance, than continue on the liberation course which Butler embarked upon in the 1930's. Although he made a tremendous contribution, Williams later imprisoned Butler for squatting on State lands.
 Dr Eric Williams, George Chambers, A.N.R Robinson
After ten years in office and a mere four years of independence, the cracks of incompetence and betrayal were appearing in the walls of the PNM's office-cracks which were easily recognized then, by a more politically conscious society.
In 1966, poverty raged in the society which caused many young men, who were unable to gain employment in Trinidad and Tobago, to join the US army for combat in the Vietnam war-such was the level of desperation at that time-yet crime was low.
The economic and social problems escalated because Williams and his blind followers did not have the political will or moral authority to deal with the problems of unemployment and social instability.
Williams' refusal to put corrective measures in place, led to a massive rebellion in 1970, as tens of thousands of people, led by Geddes Grainger (now Makandhal Daaga), took to the streets in daily demonstration throughout Trinidad and Tobago against Williams' rule. Although Willliams and his PNM regime was politically paralysed for the first six months of 1970 - having been on the verge of collapse, they retained office by default as a result of the then Opposition "no vote" campaign.
Williams then unleashed a reign of terror against Daaga and his followers between 1970-1975 which resulted in the death of 30 young men and women-most of them slaughtered in cold blood by the notorious former Police Commissioner Randolph "The Fox" Burroughs. Whenever there was industrial unrest in the country, Daaga and his top lieutenants would be arrested and detained for long periods. The actions of Williams epitomize the political betrayal of our people.
The sudden death of Williams while still in office in 1981, brought one of the lesser Balisier Boys in the person of the late George Michael Chambers, to fill the vacant spot, ahead of two senior members in Kamal Mohammed and Errol Mahabir.
Sir Elllis Clarke's choice of Chambers for Prime Minister created some discomfort among sections of the East Indian community, who deemed the decision as being racial.
George Chambers was the least of the villains who betrayed us-he himself was eventually betrayed by certain members of his own party when the oil boom expired and oil prices crashed to as low as $9 U.S. per barrel. The time had come for the economic vultures who fed lavishly during the good times under Williams, when money flowed like water, to abandon Chambers' leaking ship.
Although Chambers did not deviate from the political or economic path charted by his former political leader, he was called upon to make two extremely important decisions which hinged strongly on our international image. He was instructed to sanction the invasion of Grenada by American forces and he refused.
However, he betrayed members of the Afrikan community and all freedom advocates of the world, when he allowed the English cricketers to enter Trinidad and Tobago soil, despite the fact that the team included players who had played in apartheid South Afrika and were banned by the World Cricket Council.
That single act stands out as a mark of betrayal of the wishes of our people-it was an indication that he preferred to satisfy the people in the British House of Commons instead of those who elected him to serve their interest. It wa no surprise that he lost the next election.
With the political demise of Chambers, in came the prodigal son of Balisier House Arthur Raymond Robinson. His tenure was limited by money shortage but enriched by human resource committed to nation-building. Faced with foreign debts and budget deficits he had to implement strict financial measures, but such measures were done on a one-sided basis and affected mainly the poor.
The first indication that he was not prepared to create progressive programmes and implement radical economic and political changes, manifested when he reduced the salaries of public servants by 10 per cent and removed COLA, and introduced Value Added Tax. Those measures had severe impact on the poor and low income earner.
While the poor struggled under those harsh economic measures, the elites of this society and big business escaped unscathed-the number of yachts and speedboats doubled at their mooring on our Western Peninsula.
In the midst of our relegated poverty status, the NAR government allowed two shiploads of Yankee sailors to descend on the St. James community, "Rum and Coca Cola" style, to accommodate a massive street party and consequently, prostitution-at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.
There were two other very disturbing decisions taken by Robinson's government and both related to land issues. The NAR repealed the Aliens Land Holding Act which opened the doors for foreigners to own land in Trinidad and Tobago, resulting in the Germans buying large parcels of land in Tobago and Blanchissuesse, much to the discomfort of the local people.
The NAR then viciously destroyed the Mecca Calypso Tent-an act that prompted members of the Jammat Al Muslimeen who felt that their compound was next to be demolished, so they staged an attempted coup and savagely attacked and imprisoned Robinson and members of Parliament. Such acts of betrayal showed that the Balisier boys all sang the same song. Robinson lost the next time he sought political office.
The demise of Robinson and NAR gave Mr. Patrick Manning and his new look PNM another lease on political office, although his first term in office revealed that he was a political infant with no ideology, a man who was prepared to implement the alien political and economic agenda to the letter.
His lack of vision resulted in the abandonment of the few good programmes that were introduced by Robinson's NAR regime. As his government staggered through its term it did not escape the corruption label-Project Pride, Acker and the Severn Trent being projects that were perceived to be tainted with the corruption brush.
His inability to deliver on election promises caused him to call early elections-one year before it was constitutionally due-as history would record, he lost office when we had the 17-17-2 results.
As a result of a UNC/NAR alliance, Basdeo Panday was made Prime Minister amid much expectations, due to his Trade Union and political socialist background. However, he seemed to have serious doubts that the other races would accept him - an Indian Prime Minister. It took almost two years of his tenure before he got down to the business of running the country.
During his honeymoon period, he embarked on a number of public relations programmes with "National Unity" as the central theme. Although those projects were just empty publicity stunts, Panday needed to solidify his position in office against those he perceived as his detractors.
Panday's main achievements were in the areas of infrastructural development and social improvement for which he was credited with a fairly high degree of success-until the ugly head of corruption arose from beneath almost every political stone-including millions for Donald Trump's Ms. Universe Beauty Pageant.
Although he was able to gain re-election for a second term, the burdens of corruption and internal fighting were too severe for his political survival and he was forced to call an election just one year into his second term in office. Once again, history would record another controversial decision, this time then President, Arthur N.R. Robinson decided to select Mr. Manning after the 18-18 voting deadlock.
Trinbagonians have made the full political cycle, from PNM to NAR, to UNC and back to PNM and in the proves, we were led by Williams, Chambers, Robinson, Manning (all of whom came out of Balisier House), Panday and now back to Manning.
 Patrick Manning, Uriah Butler, Basdeo Panday
The questions that must be asked are: Have we been able to discern a variety of political philosophy? Have our politics advanced to benefit the people? Or have we just exchanged one face for the other?
Today, just like in post colonial times, our justice system fails to provide us with justice. Our social systems have broken down beyond repair, hence our increasing heinous crime rate. We continue to be major consumers of foreign goods and services which have accounted for our enormous food import bill-while agriculture limps along, and agro-industry remains still-born.
We treat science and technology as a gift that God has bestowed on Americans, Europeans, Japanese and South Koreans, but not Trinbagonians-such is the level of our failure to embark on a path of nationhood.
We have failed as Black Stalin sand: "To see ourselves as inventors and creators" which accounts for our fear to look within, for such achievements.
Perhaps our greatest sin as a people is to allow these five men to carry us down the road of cultural destruction, by abandoning our own images for those of alien white ones. As a diverse people, we are extremely rich in culture, but to date, we have not yet even begun to formulate a plan on how we should package our cultural images as a world class product for export.
Our failure to make correctional changes in the aforementioned areas of national interest, is based largely on the betrayals by these five men who have advocated illusions of independence, which we continue to accept-without analyzing the fact relative to these areas of national interest.
Leadership must have vision of nationhood and implement national policies which benefit the majority of their citizenry. Apart from Eric Williams' education programme in the 1950s and 1960s, we serve the welfare of our people.
There has been little departure from the colonial agenda in our politics and economics. It is still plagued by the "White is Might" Syndrome which allows the "Browns to stick around", and demands that "Blacks stay in the back"-unfortunately, most of our leaders have failed to challenge and destroy that system of economic apartheid.
In the midst of all the doom and gloom that have followed us from slavery, indentureship and colonialism, there have been divine lights of resistance that gave us the will to survive and overcome those horrible times.
In the decade of the 1930s, that light shone in the personification of Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler and in the decade of the 1970s, we saw the emergence of Makandhal Daaga-who instilled a sprit of change.
In order to properly assess the success of these five political leaders; one has to compare their achievements with those of Butler and Daaga. We must acknowledge the fact that both Butler and Daaga despite contesting elections, never held the commanding heights of government; therefore, they did not have access to the nation's Treasury, but the masses benefited more from their contributions than any other political leader.
Butler brought his people and by extension the nation out of the dungeons of colonial exploitation and the remnants of slavery that still existed on our land; to the point where our ancestors aspired to, and eventually achieved independence within 30 years.
Daaga challenged the myth of independence and destroyed its colonial cloak. He clearly put into perspective, the economic imbalance that existed during that era and despite his uncompromising stance, those who held political office refused to permanently address the problems.
Both Butler and Daaga's uncompromising stance epitomized supreme leadership. They were not mere colonial caretakers, but patriots of the independent trust.
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