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| Sunday, 3 February 2002 |
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Commemorating lost chances by FACTOTUM Royalty representing King and Emperor were on the rostrum to preside over the liquidation of a dot of that Empire on which it had been said the Sun would never set. The brown sahibs who had been dealing with the white sahibs to work out a peaceful transfer of power were strutting about awaiting the great moment when the Lion Flag would be hoisted and the Union Jack lowered in a symbolic move of shedding the foreign yoke that had brought the country under a long line of Kings and Queens of Portugal, Holland and Britain for a good four hundred and fifty years. If there were expectations that everybody was going to be happy ever after events have proved otherwise. Cracks began to show when conflicts surfaced between those who cocked top hats and draped tail coats and others who shed unnational appendages as Western dress and distant religions. Then there was the recurring Indophobia that manifested itself in the form of regularising citizenship which marginalised a working segment of society. The obsession to dethrone English took the country off the rails when communal rifts that were simmering for sometime erupted. The State structure that was inherited on that day February 4, 1948 was found to be wanting. The chance to patch up differences and mould a nation state that would encompass all the communities in this island which had witnessed armed and unarmed invasions over thousands of years resulting in a mosaic that was multifaceted with Arab traders and Burgher administrators mixing freely with the indigenous population was missed. The resultant social formations that the politico exploited led to discord, when accord and concord should have taken pride of place. A ready scapegoat was discovered in the Constitution that was bequeathed by a departing invader. The opportunity arose when a Government with the requisite majority was formed to hammer out a homemade Republican Constitution. Subsequent events have shown that what was hammered out after long deliberations threw up new problems and the alienation of a major community escalated. Another opportunity then was missed. An armed rebellion in the South served as a precursor to the one in the North. An overwhelming mandate some years later but another chance to make amends was lost. The armed onslaught on the State was pursued then with new vigour bringing about the impasse the country is in today. So, this litany of missed chances has resulted in a country that had huge sterling balances at the end of World War II reeling in debt while those other countries that were considered way behind at the time of Independence have raced ahead and are reaping the benefits of our own self inflicted denigration. This parlous state of affairs has brought to the fore the realisation that this is our last chance to hold together and all efforts are focused on redressing the situation. It would be salutary if such thoughts are dominant and widespread when much valued Independence is commemorated for the 54th time tomorrow in a climate of cautious optimism leading up to concrete action that would provide cause for celebration when we reach belated maturity at 55 next year. |
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