Fellow citizens,
With all that is going on in Trinidad and Tobago today, it would be tempting to conclude that we are going through a Dickensian period (the worst of times) as citizens contend daily with many and varied challenges, not the least of which is the long arm of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although many of our ills are not new, they come during a time when public trust and confidence in many institutions, private and public, are on the wane.
The very real issues affecting our nation require concerted efforts in arriving at tangible solutions and while disagreement, conflict and debate are inescapable parts of nation-building, we can only arrive at the full maturity demanded of our Republican status if we agree on and strive towards a common goal. Such discussions require the application of goodwill, common sense, logic and proven, evidence-based research, but many seeing shadows behind every wall, have turned to opinion, ‘ole talk’ and conjecture peddled by unverified sources, to arrive at their conclusions. Fanning the flames is the ubiquitous social media which, while it has its benefits, of late, has provided a platform for the dissemination of fake news and misinformation.
This Republic Day, more so than any other, requires us to take a comprehensive view of our circumstances: revisiting the past, even as we inhabit the present and create a vision of the future.
As we look in the rear-view mirror, none can deny that we have made tremendous strides, although there is more—so much more—that can be achieved. Trinidad and Tobago does not want for talent, skill and creativity in any field. We are a cultural mecca for the region and the birthplace of world-renowned icons, blessed with diversity and replete with highly energetic enterprising people.
We must be careful to avoid putting on those rose-tinted spectacles which encourage “misty watercolour memories of the way we were”, while erasing the less salutary experiences of our past. Many commentators, unhappy with the present state of affairs, wax poetic about bygone days and go so far as to suggest that we were better off under monarchical rule. They forget the heavy toll of colonialism and the signal significance of our tiny nation severing the umbilical cord once and for all, and daring to go it alone.
On this 45th anniversary of our nation becoming a Republic, as we cross the bridge between past and future we must make a frank, dispassionate and thorough assessment of where we are as individuals, institutions and a people and, equally important, the part we played in getting here. Only then can we have any hope of arriving at a realistic and shared vision for Trinidad and Tobago.
There is no getting around it, a sea change in attitudes at all levels is necessary to propel us forward; and while we look at the big picture of much-needed development and transformation, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is individuals working together that will bring about the desired progress.
As we fix our gaze on the bumpy road ahead, let us remember that to hope is not only to dream, but also to conceptualise and concretise workable plans that can be achieved by every member and sector of our society. We, as Republican citizens, have individual and collective responsibility to bring to fruition the vision that we all share of a mature and prosperous Trinidad and Tobago.
I extend best wishes to the entire national community for a safe, happy and reflective Republic Day.