I am a Trinbagonian to the bone. I descended from aboriginal Caribs, African slaves, East Indian indentured labourers and French and English settlers. While I shudder at the degrading experiences some of my ancestors endured, I respect and honour their sacrifices because, together, they created the unique individual that I am. You may not like the reality of our colonial history, but it was a melting pot of settlers that created the beautiful islands of T&T which we are currently destroying.
The recent decision to recognise Nelson Mandela by renaming George V Park after him raises a red flag. The Government's intent is admirable as Nelson Mandela is a hero to the whole world. However, just as we honoured Mahatma Gandhi with a memorial at Kew Place, an alternative tribute and location would be more appropriate for Mandela.
Too often I hear calls to rename our national monuments after more modern heroes. Renaming these historic sites would be turning our backs on the significant contributions our ancestors made to our development. Since we are a nation in progress, the opportunity will arise to name new buildings and/or sites after our modern heroes.
Should we continue along this path, the day will soon come when our descendants will forget the significance of our history and rename the Lion House, the Carib House, Fort King George, Charlie King Junction, the Rienzi Complex, Balisier House, the African Holocaust Memorial Park, the Eric Williams Financial Complex, the ANR Robinson Airport and the Brian Lara Promenade.
Simone M Farmer,
Arima