Dookeran, Eversley agree: PNM/ UNC hesitant to accept 1990

Economist and former leader of the Congress of the People (COP) Winston Dookeran said both past and present administrations had failed to establish a national day of remembrance of the 1990 attempted coup.

Speaking with Newsday after a wreath-laying ceremony outside the Red House on Monday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the insurrection, Dookeran, 77, speculated the hesitance of the government to acknowledge it was due to the painful memories of the event.

He said while he understood how traumatic the experience was for those who survived it, he felt that government's commemoration was important in honouring the memories of those who died, while keeping the public informed.

"I think there is a hesitance to accept the truth of events in our country, even though those truths are real, and this is a reflection of that reluctance. It's a part of the culture. I think at this stage that's a political trait, a reluctance to accept the truth."

Dookeran was Minister of Planning under the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) government. He was one of the ministers held hostage by the Jamaat al Muslimeen during the attempted coup, but was freed early in order to act as prime minister. The Muslimeen wanted him to replace ANR Robinson.

In 2019, he hosted a two-hour-long open discussion on the insurrection at UWI, St Augustine. He said while these forums were important in keeping the next generation of thinkers informed, he felt the government was primarily responsible for keeping the memory of the event alive.

"The State must give some legitimacy to the exercise for it to maintain its life – and it is part of the history of this country, whether you want to admit it or not – and the State must provide the legitimacy somehow. I don't mean in any big gesture but this (monument) is just one example of it."

Speaking with Newsday, former hostage and social activist Wendell Eversley also criticised both the PNM and the UNC for what he described as their "total disrespect" for the survivors of the attempted coup and the families of those who did not survive.

Referring to repeated calls for an official day of remembrance, Eversley said his calls were ignored by governments, and was intent on forming his own committee to have the occasion remembered.

"All of them showed total disrespect, and the population has to know who they really want to govern them. We have an election coming, and I am sorry we don't have candidates that care about country that the public can look up to.

"As we see right now it's both PNM and UNC, the mantra of the day is corruption."

Noting the presence of UNC and PNM representatives Samuel Sankar and Barry Garcia at the wreath-laying ceremony, Eversley said while he respected both men as friends, he felt their respective parties should have done more to mark the insurrection.