Anniversary thoughts - the Peter O'Connor column

Well, it is “Anniversary Time”, for all of a sudden, we are celebrating achievements of our past! 

This week, we celebrated the 167th Anniversary of Indian Arrival Day, a day which heralded a major change in how we would develop—religiously, culturally, and in business and the professions. 

And the week before that, there was the celebration of the second anniversary of the Peoples’ Partnership victory over the PNM. The “Big One” is still to come, but it deserves acknowledgement and preparation in advance: our Fiftieth Anniversary of Independence from Britain, on August 31st. 

And there is one more, and it is kind of personal, but I would like to share it with you, because I have been sharing it with you all along!

Yesterday marked ten years of my writing this Commentary for Newsday. How time flies when you are having fun? 

It has been a wonderful experience and a distinct privilege to be able to comment each week on a wide range of topics, and I deeply appreciate the feedback I get. So, to reminisce, I looked for column number one, June 2nd, 2002: “For Pete’s sake, what’s wrong with our zaboca”. 

My first thought seeing that again was—“I wrote that headline?” But I did, and the column explained it, but I am not going to dwell on that. I announced then that I wanted to make a little difference, hopefully to raise our collective consciousness about each other and ourselves. 

I don’t know how successful that has been, but I do believe that I have entertained, and hopefully made some of us think.

The other three anniversaries—Partnership, Indian Arrival Day, and the Independence Jubilee - are intricately woven into the fabric of our nation, albeit the Partnership is a new thread being brought in and not blending too well at the seams and hems. 

And I draw from these threads to write this column, even in a way, when I write on the beauty of my hideaways in Brasso Seco, Grande Riviere or Tacarib. These celebrations have shown us that we are not changing, and if we are, it is for the worse. 

I say this with considerable sadness, for it would be very easy for us to list highlights of the years under celebration, and claim that we have achieved something over the years.

Our noteworthy highlights—and there are many—are like fireflies or fireworks over a long dark night—patches of brilliance, stimulating all our “Ooooohs and Ahhhhs”—but unsustained and ultimately unproductive. We do not have a lot to celebrate. Commemorate maybe, but not to celebrate.

However, I will admit that the Partnership Celebration went better than I expected. 

It came across as “We at we best”, a nice fete, in true carnival style, with Rebel Sections and all. And of course—“Special Mystery Guest” Sugar Aloos (sic) himself, prime basher of the UNC, Kamla and all things non-balisier. He even sang for, and danced with Prime Minister Kamla, calling her “Royal”. 

Well yes! How he could do that? 

Had he turned against the balisier? Of course not, he simply did it for the money, the amount although undisclosed. And he was roundly applauded and appreciated for going against all his beliefs to “get ah food”. 

No one, no moralists, no teachers, no preachers of any kind, no Fixin T&T or TTI as far I I recall, have any problem with the simplicity of Aloos slipping into the fete to serenade and dance with the queen whom he has so professed to hate. 

But then no one in T&T really objected in the 1970’s when a group of black West Indians painted their faces white, and under the ethnicity of “Honorary White” went to play cricket in South Africa, while Nelson Mandela was in a cell on Robbens Island there. 

Many said the new white boys were right to go, for “is just a bread they looking for”. What has changed? That we getting a whole “food” rather than just a loaf of bread to betray our principles?

Typically, the Rebel Section was in the fete, COP’s Leader using the occasion to continue their quarrel with the UNC. Rebels were outside too, David Abdullah claiming it was his victory when Kamla announced possible cabinet changes. 

He may have been right, but it would have sounded so much better to acknowledge her announcement and say he was pleased with it. He retains the seat in the Senate, bestowed upon him by Kamla. She apparently will continue, for the time being, to dole out “ice cream and cake” to those outside the fete.

But, do not stop the fetes! Even if the PP celebration is questionable, Indian Arrival Day unquestionably valid, our Fifty Years disappointing; Peter will continue, while he is allowed—to write on!