Winston Dookeran: Change watchwords instead of coat of arms

Former Central Bank governor, former foreign affairs minister and Congress of the People founder Winston Dookeran believes the Government should look at changing the country’s watchwords instead of redesigning the national coat of arms.

His comments come during public debate over the Prime Minister’s announcement that pan will soon replace Christopher Columbus’s ships on the country's coat of arms.

Dr Rowley made the announcement on August 18 at a special People’s National Movement convention in Port of Spain. It was called to determine the party's position on constitutional reform on the basis of the report of a Cabinet-appointed committee

“I don’t think there is any attempt, and if there is, to incorporate a new set of watchwords, I would agree with that,” Dookeran said.

In a phone interview with Newsday on August 20, he said the country’s watchwords – discipline, tolerance and production – have not served it well.

He recalled debates between the late Benedictine monk Dom Basil Matthews and the late Dr Eric Williams before Independence about them. Matthews had a different concept of what the watchwords should be and his focus was on issues of unity, justice and progress, Dookeran said.

“I gave a long speech along those lines about a year ago, about Dom Basil’s contribution to the debate on the watchwords of Trinidad and Tobago. I think that needs to be reviewed, because that has not served us well.”

The coat of arms and national anthem were highly acclaimed not only in TT but abroad, especially the anthem, wherever he went, Dookeran said.

“Trying to interfere with these symbols of nationhood is not a matter for one person to decide. It is not a matter for a committee to decide. It is not a matter to take lightly, and not a matter, in my view, that should be dealt with in a very ad-hoc (manner)."He said the issue had "come out like a thief in the night to interfere and perhaps divert the attention of the political electorate of this country.”

Do not reinterpret history

He also issued a warning to those who reinterpret history, whether good or bad.

“I always believe we must honour our history – whether we like it or not.

“Any attempt to change the history of the country is fraught with peril. For those who do so will, one day, find their own history being reinterpreted.”

Dookeran said a major principle of nation-building was that history should be honoured.

He believes the coat of arms has served TT well and reflected its historical background.

“I see no sensible reason to interfere – other than for political purposes – with that important symbol of our identity,” he added.

While there has been much debate about the use of an image of the pan, Dookeran said pan was deserving of a lot more recognition, but this should be done in other ways.

It deserved the recognition, he felt, because it was birthed in this country, but also represented a whole new musical range, globally. But the best way to recognise it was to develop a school of music and develop it to international standards.

Doing so "would also introduce a commercially-viable steelband production for the world,” he added.

Dookeran said Rowley’s idea was ill-timed and fraught with great peril for future nation-building.

He believes the idea is a political one.

'Redesign the arms completely'

Former Art Society president Peter Sheppard addressed the issue of design with Newsday.

While he saw nothing wrong with upgrading a company’s logo, corporate insignia or a national emblem over time, he felt simply incorporating a contemporary element into an existing design was not the way to do it.

“Unless they are redoing the coat of arms in its totality, through a panel, which is how it was done in the 60s – no problem.

“(But) you cannot just put a graphic of a steelpan over something and carry on.”

Sheppard said other elements should be included in the potential redesign, not just the pan.

Various memes were also created after Rowley’s announcement, some adding symbols of some of the social ills with which TT grapples (such as crime and guns).

“I am sure there are other elements that are applicable to TT, the republic, today, versus what it was in the early 60s when it was designed, that they want to incorporate,” he said.

Sheppard suggested the redesign should not simply include pan, but take a holistic approach.

“There may be other elements you want to incorporate over time, and you relaunch your brand, so to speak, and you have a new coat of arms that will transcend the next several decades in our history yet to be made.”

While some argued there should have been public consultation, Sheppard said the committee formed to consider national monuments would possibly have discussed the change.

The Cabinet-appointed committee set up to review the placement of statues, monuments and signage, particularly the removal or retention of statues of Christopher Columbus, is due to hold a public consultation on August 28.

He did not think there’d be a new coat of arms tomorrow. Sheppard believed the Government would have mechanisms in place to deal with this, and hoped there was discussion before the announcement was made.

Sheppard believes a complete redesign would eliminate any potential copyright issues that might arise from the proposed change.

He agreed there were more pressing matters to address right now.

But he also agreed the country needed to modernise, look at its culture and, if the coat of arms was out of date, come up with a new design concept.

Logistics of change

Dookeran said it would be a difficult thing to change everything bearing the coat of arms. As a former Central Bank governor, he said the coat of arms could easily be added to new money, but does not think all the currency would be changed overnight.

“I think one would introduce a change in the coat of arms in the currency when it is going to be issued, which is normally done on an annual basis.”

If the intent was to change all the currency immediately, that would be a costly exercise, he said.

As for the Central Bank itself, it said in response to questions, “The banknotes and coins of TT embody the country’s coat of arms as a key element of national identity.

“Any changes to this national symbol will be incorporated in new printing and minting orders.”

As for altering the original design, the copyright for the design of the national flag and the coat of arms is vested in the State in perpetuity, under the National Emblems of TT (Regulation) Act.

History of the coat of arms

Taken from the National Library and Information System Authority’s (Nalis) website

“The coat of arms of TT was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of TT. The committee included noted artist Carlisle Chang and designer George Bailey.

“The coat of arms with the accompanying motifs which represent indigenous features of TT were selected and formally agreed to be used as the coat of arms of TT in 1962, in a design approved by the College of Arms.”