Former Attorney General Anthony Smart is encouraged by the statements of the Prime Minister and the government in recognising those persons who sacrificed their lives for the country on 27th July 1990.
Mr. Smart, the former Member of Parliament for Diego Martin North East, was the Attorney General of the National Alliance for Reconstruction government from November 1986 to December 1991.
He was at the Red House on July 27th, 1990 and came face-to-face with armed members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen. Mr. Smart, who was not recognised by the insurrectionists, eluded capture and emerged to play a leading role in defending and preserving T&T’s democracy.
“It is still a very, very emotive time for me, because, as I said, the country was under tremendous stress and tremendous attack, and the democracy prevailed. Sometimes I feel as though they don’t recognise what some of us suffered, what some of us did, but today I was happy that the statement was made.”
For veteran announcer and former NBS Radio broadcaster Sharon Pitt, the images of 27th July 1990 remain vivid in her mind.
She describes it as a time of confusion, anticipation, nervousness, and fear. Ms Pitt believes the 1990 attempted coup has not been resolved because society has not yet fully accepted what happened.
“When I think of the late ANR Robinson, it reminds me of how much we tend not to give our heroes their due. So for me, this is a day when because so many of my colleagues are still traumatised and never received the counselling that they needed, including myself in a way, especially those of us in the media who bore the brunt of a lot of it.”
TTT News caught up with Mr. Smart and Ms. Pitt at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village on Sunday July 27th.