Check with grassrootson Tobago autonomy

THE EDITOR: My main issue with the political entities that have been trying to pass legislation for the past 30-40 years to give Tobago autonomy is the fact that nobody wants to make a concession, or declare equal victory.

In every respect, it has become a political football, a crossing of the line that each party wishes to reach to first. Nobody wants to hold hands, yet we tout ourselves as a religious society, forgetting the sayings/words of Jesus: where two or more are gathered, it shall be so!

I wish to espouse that this matter of drafting and passing bills affording Tobago internal self-government may need to step out of the parliamentary dictates, and instead go to the grassroots of the matter.

Go to the village, the very starting point of primary rules, extending to politics in our society, and, like social movements, grasp the essence of what the Tobagonian dream is.

Go under a shed, talk to the elders of the community and understand where the depth of this desire originated from.

One would argue that this is captured in the 30 years of consultations, but it clearly has not, if in translation this legislation has not even been lifted off of the ground. The voices of those 30 years have been lost, yet they may still appear on paper.

It requires a fresh mandate, and a political movement, re-engineered. One devoid of the squawkings of one single political entity and a true sense of unity.

It requires removing a political desire to form part of a national government, because historically this has added to the playground, and the hesitancy of political parties to enact the legislation, as a result of this.

It also calls for the buy-in of the youth and those who have dismissed this dream as a mere fallacy, as something that may never be actualised.

It calls for a universal repeal of ignorance, and to bring about national education about the necessity of internal self-governance.

It may even call for pretence, to the extent that you do not support the political philosophy of one party, may hate them even, but need to find that sense of compromise, as with this entire process, compromise is needed. That sense of attaining on the ground of the utility that self-government will be for Tobago is the ultimate goal.

We may never (as individuals or political collectives) be the complete victor in this story, yet we may want to be. Notwithstanding, the true victor must be the people of TT. Not Trinidad, in and of itself, nor Tobago likewise.

If it is truly to be an accord of internal self-government, our nation must be the victor. I respect also that some may believe that this is not so, and to that extent, I respect your perspective even though I have expressed mine.

In all of this our nation must win. Winning in this sense means affording Tobago the ability to develop and grow, to dream and move from stagnancy to self-actualisation.

ESAI HUNTE

via e-mail