THE TRUE IDEOLOGICAL FACE OF 1823 MONUMENT IN 2016

Aug 24, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,

The hostile email and face Book narrative purportedly by Dr Melissa Ifill and the Kaieteur article on August 21, 2016 by Freddy Kisoon directed at whether the President was making an ideological error that bordered on betrayal Commemorating the 1823 insurrection at the current monument at Thomas Lands was impulsive, and not tactically weighted from the perspective of what was important in the entire event. That the monument was a source of contention in 2011 is not ignored.
The turning of the sod had commenced in 2010 between Afro Guyanese groups and the PPP government at the Parade ground as an act of good fate. That good fate was flushed in the wake of the Year of the African. Without any collaboration, the then 2011 Government decided to place the monument at Thomas Lands. To confound this, we learnt that they had intended to convert the historic Parade Ground into a car park through their obvious favourite foreign company; this car park was to be shared by the GRA. Thus, the emergence of the 1823 Coalition in the face of that administration’s contempt, disrespect and shameless bigotry. I was an affiliate of the Coalition, and even submitted a monument design to the Ministry which received no acknowledgement.
What struck me with the current mentioned missives, especially the hostility in Dr. Ifills’ was how could two prominent members of that group fail to recognise that most of the books, booklets and artwork on that incident was suggested by me and were from publications by Free Press ‘Themes of Afro Guyanese History’ ‘ Kwamina the illustrated booklet’ etc. and that no other local publishing entity has covered so much of Afro-Guyanese history with no overwhelming support as the Emancipation magazine for nineteen years. That publishing group is owned by Ret. Brigadier David Granger, now President. The then Minister Frank Anthony was given the option of engagement, which he contemptuously rejected, so why not this Government? It was loose cannon behaviour that made me step away from the 1823 coalition group, and it still persists.
The 1823 insurrection occurred in the now Paradise- Bachelor’s Adventure-Melanie village district, twice in 2010-11 during Emancipation I was invited by my friend Floyd Hendy to lecture at the location of the village monument. These were the people that Anand Persaud of channel 65 addressed as hooligans in 2001 when his political friends in Enterprise were shooting at their homes. I was a visitor of this village in my ‘roaming days’. The other face of the Thomas Lands monument is that since its building our schools have been visiting it, citizens unaware of the 1823 Coalition have been photographing themselves before it, its persona has gone beyond that struggle, that struggle has won the historic Parade ground and it has seen a cultural face.
In 2012, there was the 200 Anniversary of the city of Georgetown. The then PPP ignored it. I initiated an idea to my colleagues at ACDA it was called Kreole Day; it was held at the Parade ground, some members of the coalition supported and it was successful, we did a 200 Anniversary TV show with then Mayor Hamilton Green and all were enlightened and elated by his knowledge of our city. I have witnessed one of the many historical re-enactments overseas, I had suggested this for 1823 to the people at Bachelor’s Adventure, to the Steering committee of ACDA, to members of the 1823 Coalition.
The first lively approval of the concept came from the President when I raised the idea again when he met with us last Friday. 90% of the history that we know of other nations come from their dramatizations whether falsifications or not, ask ten school children what the non-aligned monument is all about and they will not be able to tell you, dramatise it and they will remember the play. Put a monument and sit on one’s laurels and fail to excite their minds and the next explosion of self absorbed venomous diatribes you pen on face book, and email, will be to accuse; probably the Prime Minister next time, because someone else didn’t educate people to respect it and they stole the metal plaque from the monument and sold it to a scrap iron trader.
Barrington Braithwaite

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THE TRUE IDEOLOGICAL FACE OF 1823 MONUMENT IN 2016

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