"Attack with full force" is perhaps Mr Arthur NR Robinson's greatest contribution to the politics of T&T. It was uttered in one of the darkest moments of this country's history, when a band of insurgents of the Jamaat al Muslimeen, at gunpoint, attempted to force then prime minister Robinson to call off the security forces to facilitate their bloody-minded attempt to violently overthrow the government and the Constitution.
Robinson was shot in the leg by the insurgents for his determination and pride in upholding the country's democratic tradition. Through that act of courage and defiance, and when other leaders were not willing to come forward and be counted, Mr Robinson said T&T must not be subject to the crazy designs of anyone or group; he preferred death to submission, a legacy he has left for all.
The young British-trained lawyer emerged from Tobago in the Federal elections of 1958 and later as the representative of the People's National Movement in the 1961 general election. He was put in charge of the vital finance and external affairs portfolios during the 1960s by prime minister Dr Eric Williams.Mr Robinson's break with Dr Williams in 1970 during the Black Power upheaval was described by his detractors as opportunistic, and by his supporters as not being afraid to leave office for a principle he believed in.
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