Tobago's independence experience

DR RITA PEMBERTON

The morning of August 31, 1962 dawned with a Tobago population expectant with optimism for a new beginning.

In the build up to the day in question, the government distributed beautification packages to all the communities on the island. These included flags, bunting, banners and whitewash with which to decorate their homes and yards.

This stimulated a clean-up drive which resulted in many homes being draped with flags and bunting and their entrances and front yards decorated with white stones of various sizes, all in preparation for the anticipated change in the state of affairs on the island.

Government buildings were decorated and the schoolchildren were prepared for the change with talks which instilled patriotism and national pride and learning the national songs. All roads in Tobago led to the grand parade as flag-waving people made their way there on foot, bicycles and vehicles.

It was a very jubilant crowd of spectators, which included schoolchildren in their uniforms, who packed Shaw Park to witness the parade of the uniformed bodies, which was a major event on the island. With pride,

Tobagonians stood for our own national anthem which indicated the start of the celebration. Some older folks were overcome with emotion as they embraced the opportunity to have a meaningful anthem and were happy to discard the anachronistic British anthem. The crowd cheered as the sun-drenched detachments from the army, Coast Guard, police, Fire Service, Scouts, Girl Guides (yours truly included) and other organisations marched past to the music of our national songs and saluted the dignitaries on the podium.

There was deep appreciation for the cultural presentations which followed – Lionel Mitchell and his choir, and the Ole Time Wedding presented by the Moriah Village Council. The schoolchildren sang lustily during the proceedings and were particularly excited for the treat which came at the end – buns from a local bakery, and juice! It was an unforgettable day.

After the show, reality set in. There was much to be done, because all was not well in the union. The nation’s independence came at a time when Tobago faced a number of problems. The island’s economy was in shambles, the system of administration was deemed unsatisfactory and the nature of its relationship within the union was under question. Since the start of the century the island’s representatives had consistently expressed the need for urgent attention to these matters without success.

Hopes ran high in 1957, when Dr Eric Williams admitted that Trinidad had a moral obligation to Tobago for the years of neglect the island had endured and promised to grant it administrative autonomy over its day-to-day affairs. He also promised $9.2 million for Tobago’s economic development over a five-year period under the Tobago Development programme.

However, despite Williams' promise, the nation’s Constitution made no provision for any special consideration for dealing with Tobago-related issues.

In 1959, representative for Tobago APT James had misgivings about the intent of the government, voiced his dissatisfaction with the direction of the Trinidad plan for Tobago, and lamented the government’s failure to expend the promised money on the island. He argued that Tobago must be seen as a partner in the union and not as a ward or appendage.

James kept alive the calls for self-rule for Tobago until his death in 1962. The government responded by making some administrative changes, including the establishment of the Department of Tobago Affairs.

In September 1963 the island was struck by Hurricane Flora, which destroyed 5,000 of the 7,000 acres of cocoa, coconuts and bananas and a significant portion of the fishing fleet. More than 50 per cent of the housing was either damaged or totally ruined.

In order to handle the volume of responsibility associated with hurricane reconstruction works, the Ministry of Tobago Affairs was established in 1964. This ministry took over the responsibilities of the Department of Tobago Affairs, matters that had been dealt with by other ministries, and was in charge of the hurricane rehabilitation programme to repair agriculture and housing.

The ministry did not fully satisfy the needs of the island, because it was required to work closely with the other ministries in Trinidad, which were not always responsive to the needs of Tobago.

The island’s agriculture was in urgent need of resuscitation. Despite extending over $7 million in agriculture through subsidies, the construction and repair of agricultural access roads, fertilisers, seedlings and loans, the island’s agriculture never regained its pre-Flora levels and continued to decrease up to 1982.

The problem was caused by two related factors: firstly, the hurricane reconstruction work provided increased employment opportunities for the large number of unemployed on the island. This was the start of an increase in the level of government employment on the island which, through its various programmes, made the government the largest employer on the island.

Secondly, and as a result of the of the first, it became difficult to attract the younger generation to agriculture, which was considered too laborious and was less financially rewarding than government jobs, which offered overtime rates of pay. The government’s employment programmes, under names such as Special Works, DEWD, URP etc, were blamed for the demise of the island’s agriculture.

One development which tarnished the reconstruction effort occurred in 1964/65, when the government instituted a Crash Programme through the department of Works and Hydraulics. This programme was aimed at road construction and repair and incentivising agricultural development. It was mismanaged and became the centre of a huge embezzlement scandal which rocked the island and resulted in one person being imprisoned.

ANR Robinson represented Tobago in the government and as a member of the ruling party, it was hoped that his presence in the corridors of power would benefit the island. There was a period of calm in Trinidad and Tobago relations.

However, during the sixties there was increased criticism of the deficiencies on the island, particularly with reference to job opportunities, training facilities, secondary school places and qualified teachers. Apart from the secondary schools, the only other training institution was Guy’s Commercial School, which trained typists and secretaries and attracted some of those students who were unable to access any of the secondary schools.

When the Black Power Movement erupted, Robinson and Williams fell out, and Robinson left the PNM and formed his own party – the Democratic Action Committee (DAC), which contested and won the 1976 election.

Williams became angry and dismantled the Ministry of Tobago Affairs, causing total confusion on the island and strong anti-PNM sentiments. The ministry was replaced by Central Government Services Tobago (CAST), which was considered a backward step and demeaning to the people of Tobago. The struggle continued for an effective administrative system for the island, which quickened the unrelenting drive for autonomy.

The Tobago Emancipation Committee, led by Dr Rhodil Norton, articulated secession from the union, but it did not have popular following. Tobago wanted autonomy in the union, not secession. Robinson, Dr Winston Murray, Pamela Nicholson and DAC supporters carried the struggle for internal self-government for the island to the national Parliament from 1977.

Despite several hitches, they achieved the first step to their goal with the establishment of the Tobago House of Assembly in 1980.

The people of Tobago were not satisfied with the level of autonomy that was conferred in 1980 and with continuous effort the THA act was amended in 1996. The act remains deficient and up to the present day, when there is an autonomy bill before Parliament, there continues to be agitation for an act which provides the level of autonomy the people desire.

For Tobago, national independence became inextricably tied with the island's autonomy.