By Tony Deyal
Dr Eric Williams became the first prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) on August 31, 1962, following the nation’s independence. He also served as chief minister from 1959 until Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence. I remember, among all that was said and sung, “Every Creed and Race Find An Equal Place/ And May God Bless Our Nation.” Not too long after, while waiting to accept a scholarship in Canada, I worked in the prime minister’s office for about one year. Then, three years later, when I returned with my first class honours in Journalism, I was put in charge of the government’s television and other areas of support for six years. What I did was from Monday to Friday, I provided a 15-minute Live TV show about what the government was doing to make the people of T&T better off under Dr Williams and his political party.
In addition, once every week, I put together major issues of the government. But then, for me to find in the first Monday Newspaper that the United National Congress (UNC) Public Relations Officer, Dr Kirk Meighoo, was adamant that Dr. Eric Williams was not T&T’s First Prime Minister. I was stunned. Here was a person from the University of Hull, from Yorkshire, England, and not “hole” or even “haul” was bad enough. But even more, and to the “boot” or even “booth” this man has a PhD in Politics from the University of the West Indies and a Master of Science with an MSc Development Studies. And now, here he was, arguing that the story of T&T’s independence had been distorted by what he called ‘PNM myths’, claiming that Williams was merely the Premier of T&T within the West Indies Federation, which existed from 1958 to 1962, and that Barbadian Sir Grantley Adams served as its prime minister.
Meighoo added: “Eric Williams was not the father of the nation, nor the beacon of Caribbean unity that the PNM had made him out to be. They (PNM) use these myths to distort present politics as well.” But if they were distorting politics, the question of others who didn’t agree with Mr. Meighoo was the question, “Hoo is Meg Hoo? And who cares? Maybe he needs a boot up his myths.”
It was interesting that among the people who did not agree was a political analyst, Dr Shane Mohammed. He questioned the relevance of Meighoo’s argument, warning that he is still stuck in opposition and “embarrassing himself.” Dr Mohammed added: “History already acknowledges that facts that Dr Williams was the first PM of an independent Trinidad and Tobago.” Showing his contempt, Doctor Mohammed said: “My question is, you are saying all of this, and what? Have you put forward a policy, a suggestion, a recommendation, something for consideration as to how we move the country forward in all of what you said? My answer to that is ‘no.’ So, ease me up with the garbage on the first of September.”
Another person who did not agree was Historian Prof Claudius Fergus. He quickly rejected Meighoo’s interpretation, asserting that T&T was a colony within the Federation. He explained, “You can twist this thing around in semantics and all kinds of stuff to come up with arguments that suit your political ideology or the job of PR, if you think that the job of PR is to discredit Williams. But the facts are the facts. Trinidad and Tobago became an independent country in 1962. And therefore, the first prime minister of independent Trinidad and Tobago was Eric Williams.” Then another Historian and former PNM minister Dr Lovell Francis, dismissed Meighoo’s remarks ad ‘pseudo-academic language’ about the PNM, insisting that it was disrespectful and should be rejected. Adding to a bonfire to cut him down were two PNM former “PMs.”
First was Dr Keith Rowley. He started with a post by Guardian Media columnist Tony Fraser, who described Meighoo’s claims as an insidious attempt to undermine Williams’ reputation. Fraser added that the effort sought to deny Williams, his party, and government of the contribution to national life, framing it as “an attempt to review history and to destroy completely the reputation of an individual who cannot respond.”
Of course, in terms of Meighoo, he is also an individual who cannot respond while getting blows for going instead of coming, talking instead of shutting up. Dr Rowley made it clear from his perspective that while political parties are entitled to criticise their opponents, Meighoo’s intervention went beyond that, amounting to a disaster of the historical record. Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, responded by telling Caribbean Media (which shared it to the rest of us) “the matter was a non-issue” and that “there are more pressing concerns for the country to address.”
Well, the prime minister was correct, right, but unfortunately, what came would be shouted in Britain as, “Ram the bus” or, if it is a woman and not a man, she must either leave that alone or dam the flood and hide for a while. Unfortunately, if it’s not one thing, another turns up that is much worse. In this case, the PM “was a no-show at the National Day of Prayer she had publicly championed to replace the country’s Independence Day celebrations.” The Opposition Leader (OL), Pennelope Beckles was “shocked and surprised” because the PM, as the leader of the particular exercise, should have been there, and if she could not attend, one of her senior people should have represented her. However, it was noted that the OL was also absent but had sent a representative in her place.
Moreover, the public utilities minister, Barry Padarath, said: “I want to caution the Opposition Leader against using religious occasions to score cheap political points. The prime minister is about serious business, getting the work of the nation done.” This might have saved the day, so to speak, or even win the crown, but it was, and still is, not to be. And this is because so many of us still call the organisation “The First Citizens Bank.” What you can do is bank your place for next week when we can know more and look even more closely for who will bell, or even ball, call or say, “Haul the cat.”
*Tony says either way is cat-astrophic.
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