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“[…] Yes, Basdeo Panday was much kinder to certain individuals and organisations than PNM ever was or will be, but the political and economic status quo remained while he played golf with the elites.
“[…] What is the legacy of Panday? The same as those before him. Dr Eric Williams, George Chambers, Patrick Manning, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, ANR Robinson. I never get caught up in the debate of who is or was the best one…”
The following Letter to the Editor on the legacy of late former prime minister Basdeo Panday was submitted Wired868 by Rae Samuel of Balmain:
(Copyright Office of the Parliament)
It need not surprise us that as soon as the news of the passing of former prime minister Basdeo Panday came out, so did the paint brushes; refurbishing his history so we could all remember him kindly.
It is a practice that Cornel West refers to as the “Santa Clausing”, where former radicals, leftists, anti-establishment figures embrace the neo-colonial project and ask the population to stand by for goodies. He cites Nelson Mandela as the prime example.
Panday was no different. It seems that having won power, the script was read to him. He behaved no differently from any of his predecessors: accommodation to local and foreign capital, sweetheart deals for party supporters and financiers, fettering of the working class with the PNM-era labour legislation.
(Copyright AP Photo/ Alan Diaz)
You name it, his UNC did it—as did the PNM before him. We recall him labelling teachers who took legitimate protest action as criminals.
He was no Hugo Chavez, Salvador Allende or even Michael Manley. The first two tried and Manley toyed with the idea of radical change.
Let us remember how bitter and angry Panday was when he lost office. Then president ANR Robinson anointed Patrick Manning as PM following the 18/18 tie as Panday the lion entered the winter of his political years.
Yes, he was much kinder to certain individuals and organisations than PNM ever was or will be, but the political and economic status quo remained, while he played golf with the elites.
We will continue to see the ritual weeping and wailing, the gnashing of teeth and the bumping of gums—much like the former players turned pundits of Manchester United club, who cannot internalise that the world of football has changed sufficiently for them to be no longer the club supreme.
What is the legacy of Panday? The same as those before him. Dr Eric Williams, George Chambers, Manning, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Robinson. I never get caught up in the debate of who is or was the best one.
When we look around, we see social barbarism of the worst kind imaginable. The lead stories in the media are invariably of murder, crises in the health sector, relentless pauperisation of the working class, overwhelmingly militarised police force, gridlocks on the roadways, warfare by the gangs in and out of uniform.
Just look around and see how, of necessity, begging is organised in this country. Do not blame the families. Heck, crime is so well-organised and managed that one suspects that petty crime is not an option.
It will be a State funeral, with the attendant rituals. After which Mr Panday may well be canonised.
(Copyright Office of the Parliament)
We still have two former presidents and one ex-prime minister with us, enjoying their retirement in a way no worker ever could—fully insulated from the societal breakdown they oversaw and saluted annually on Independence Day.
So, we will walk this road of remembrance sometime soon again.
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