Dumas unfazed by parade, fireworks cancellation: Too much pomp and ceremony!

VETERAN commentators have varying views on the impact of the cancellation of this year’s Independence Day annual parade under covid19 restrictions which curb public gatherings.

Public Service former head Reginald Dumas was unfazed by any loss of national symbolism in the cancellation, while veteran journalist Jones P Madeira thought symbolism was important but conceded the cancellation could curb any risk of contagion to thousands of possible attendees.

Veteran journalist Tony Fraser had no problem when asked if the parade curtailment was bad for the national psyche and sense of identity.

He told Newsday. “With regard to the curtailing of the celebration, if it has to be so, it has to be so. It’s a question of the national health involved and there are going to be many more years of Independence celebrations, so I don’t think it should really be considered a major problem.

“If we have to take the measures, we have to take them. Countries all over the world...Sometimes we act as if we are in this thing alone, but it’s happening all over the world.”

Asked if the general election and the pandemic had pushed the usual build-up to Independence Day off of the media front page, Fraser said, “Yes, I would think so. As you’d know, if there was nothing in the way of the Independence celebrations, the media would get involved and so on, but other things just came along.

“The covid thing has just taken prominence. It’s a major thing we have to contend with. Again, I see that (parade cancellation) as quite normal.”

Dumas told Newsday the usual parade could not be held this year because of covid19.

“I’m not sure we’ll be having Carnival next year. We’ll see. It doesn’t look likely.”

He mulled whether the spread of covid19 was linked to campaigning in the recent general election, asking if it was more than coincidence that this recent upsurge came so rapidly after the election.

On the risks of transmission, Dumas said the Independence parade happens on just one day, while the campaigning lasted for weeks, although adding that the Government was right to cancel the parade.

'We don't know about ourselves'

He was unsentimental about this year’s absence of a parade, fireworks and other trappings.

“We have too much pomp and ceremony in this country.”

The population must get more serious, he said, suggesting that national symbolisms were now being used as a superficial substitute for a true understanding in the citizenry.

He said, rather than a parade, what was needed to truly instil national pride was a lot of groundwork among citizens, especially youngsters who may not know much about TT’s history, including the 1990 coup attempt.

“We don’t know anything about ourselves. We have a number of people living side by side who don’t know terribly much about each other, that means there is something to erupt. It is inadequate for Indians and Africans to simply say they like each other's dishes like pelau and roti, when in fact they need to know each other's history and way of thinking.

“Racism isn’t only at elections. If it erupted at election time, that means there is something there to erupt, just like a volcano."

Saying TT’s education system has failed to properly teach history, Dumas welcomed curriculum reform due under new Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly.

He said the key issue of nationhood was a consideration of how to build national institutions.

Supporting calls on Monday by several national leaders to tone down the race-talk, Dumas said he had urged the Inter Religious Organisation (IRO) to hold public consultations and they were keen on that, with action to be taken on the findings.

Madeira told Newsday the airing of national symbols should be encouraged, although he understood that hundreds or thousands of people could have been put at risk of covid19 if the parade had been held. He reminisced that years ago the Regimental Band had begun showcasing local songs in the parade, creating a total local production.

"Youngsters discovered that our local musical genres could be matched by the troops.

“People looked forward to what Carnival tune would be played," Madeira said.

"The meaning of the parade is important and we can appreciate the parade's significance even without having the parade."

Otherwise he lamented that much work is needed to bring today's youngsters up to scratch to know their culture. He said many people did not know the TT leaders involved in the independence movement and may not even know more recent figures such as Yasin Abu Bakr and his background.

“If we feel we are insulated from events like coups, we are totally wrong,” Madeira said. “The days of ‘God is a Trini’ are gone.”