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| COMMENTARY By Anselm Caines |
| HONOUR OUR OWN -REMOVE THE QUEEN FROM
THE EC DOLLAR |
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There is an issue which for sometime has
been a rather vexing one for me and that is the issue
of the face of the Queen of England still being affixed
to our Eastern Caribbean Dollar.
For many centuries, a life of subjugation and oppression
under the rule of Britain was commonplace in this part
of the world, until our forefathers fought valiantly
and vehemently to remove the yoke of colonialism from
the necks of our ancestors. However, while it is patently
clear that the physical aspect of colonialism has long
since been eradicated, I am still somewhat apprehensive
when it comes to the mentality and collective consciousness
of our people.
Now I have nothing personal against the Queen and I’m
sure that she’s a nice old lady. However, I do
believe that the Queen has served her time, in so far
as it relates to our social and political life. I am
yet to comprehend how she has contributed to improving
the lives of our citizens and I am still pondering as
to how she has meaningfully contributed to the development
of our country and the region.
Yet, her face continues to adorn the EC Dollar. Regrettably
also, she still remains the official Head of State of
our country. Consequently, we are supposed to be outraged
when a foreign ambassador places a hand on the “royal
hip” á la Michelle Obama and we are expected
to know our place and stand in awe and admiration of
our “Mother the Queen”. The culture of deference
centred on the monarchy is a relic of the past that
distorts the present.
We must develop for our people a future where self-confidence
trumps self-contempt and self-doubt. We must continue
to augment our independence and sovereignty. What better
way than to have the faces of the leaders who impacted
so richly on the tapestry of the OECS islands placed
on our EC Dollar - a symbol of the economic and social
development of our countries? Leaders like Robert Bradshaw,
Vere Bird, John Compton, Eugenia Charles and Maurice
Bishop come to mind. These are the towering figures
in the region’s economic and social development.
They have been pillars of the regional integration movement
and it is their commitment that gave birth to and shaped
the current form of the OECS.
I can only imagine the sense of pride and joy that my
friends in Barbados feel when they take out a BDS $100
or $50 and see the faces of the Right Excellent Grantley
Adams and the Right Excellent Errol Barrow. I can only
begin to fathom the sense of ecstasy and elation that
my comrades in Jamaica exude when they go to the bank
to withdraw money and see the face of their national
heroes such as Alexander Bustamante and Norman Manley.
It is in this vein that I ask myself, why hasn’t
such a move been forthcoming in the OECS? Are we at
a lost for heroes and men of similar significance? Certainly,
this can’t be the case. It burns my eyes and pierces
my heart whenever I take out a twenty dollar bill only
to see the Queen of England staring back at me. The
issue is really one about identity and dignity because
while it will not feed or clothe us nor bring us to
better economic straits, it will do the same thing as
renaming a landmark feature in our country after one
of our heroes. It’s why we treasure our flag or
our national anthem. It helps to define us as a people
and as a country! Many of us often wonder why America
is such a proud nation, arguably the proudest in the
world. It’s because they have a total authentic
identity that is based on a fierce nationalism and independence.
Once they attained self-rule they ensured that all the
symbols and institutions that their people were required
to conform to were truly their own.
Why not St. Kitts and Nevis? Why not the rest of the
OECS? There seems to be a prevailing school of thought
that maintaining the Queen in our social and political
life is necessary for the preservation of ties with
the Commonwealth. However, I am firmly of the belief
that such an argument is neither cogent nor compelling!
Both Trinidad & Tobago and Dominica went as far
as to break away completely from the monarchy over 30
years ago and I can’t pinpoint any way how they
have suffered as a result of that decision.
Moreover, I can’t identify any benefits that have
been accrued by the other OECS member states that maintain
this infatuation with the Queen. Many people may not
see this as important but if we are to inspire our people,
particularly our youth, and help them to understand
the struggle of those who came before them, then we
must constantly seek new and innovative ways of honouring
our own. We must continue to stamp out all remnants
of our colonial past and as the late great Bob Marley
so aptly said, “Emancipate ourselves from mental
slavery!”
While others might free the body, none but ourselves
can free our mind. It is imperative therefore, that
our symbols and institutions do not remain riveted in
the times of yore but instead, reflect the aspirations
and achievements of our people! It is against this backdrop
that I beckon the Prime Minister of St. Kitts &
Nevis and his colleague Heads of Government in the OECS
to act hastily on the issue of having the face of the
stalwarts of the integration movement in the region
grace our currency. Let us end this seemingly infatuation
with the Queen so that we can advance the process of
national identification and regional integration!!!
HONOUR OUR OWN!!!! |
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