Dear Editor,
Barbados will celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence on November 30. It will join three other Caribbean Community (Caricom) states, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana in its golden jubilee celebrations. Preparations started months ago for the grand festivities. A national committee headed by Minister Maxine McLean has been set up to plan and coordinate.
Unlike the three other countries Barbados is not known as too friendly a state and is known as ‘Little England’ since its citizens are considered ‘aloof’. Moreover the immigration authorities are not friendly towards regional visitors. In fact in some instances they are hostile, and this prompted a Jamaican woman Shanique Myrie to sue the government for harassment when she was denied entry into the country. She won the case. Another Jamaican woman (with her toddler) was also refused entry two months ago and a pregnant Guyanese woman had a similar experience three weeks ago.
However Barbados is known to be a safe island in terms of crime, and because of its beautiful white sand beaches and lovely hotels it attracts thousands of tourists every year. In addition Bridgetown is the headquarters for several regional and international organizations, including the Caribbean Development Bank, Caribbean Examinations Council, Caribbean Regional Environmental Programme, Caribbean News Agency, Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Caribbean Regional Organization Standard and Quality, Caribbean Tourism Organization, UNDP, FAO, and several others. And because of these important organizations hundreds if not thousands of non-Barbadians have to live in or visit the country on a regular basis. In fact scores of our citizens have remained in Barbados. Broadcaster and charity worker, Olga Lopes Seales made Barbados her home and eventually died there. Journalists Rickey Singh and Hubert Williams reside there as well as Jerome Singh, formerly of the CDB.
Barbados is thickly populated with nearly 300,000 cramped in its 166 square miles and a report from the United Nations states it has a High Human Development. However it does not boast of producing intellects like Forbes Burnham, Shridath Ramphal, Mohamed Shahabuddeen, Walter Rodney, Fenton Ramsahoye, the Luckhoos, but does have stalwarts like George Lamming, David Simmonds, Richard Cheltenham, Rihanna, et al. However it is in cricket that Barbados excelled with the names like Garfield Sobers, the three Ws ‒ Weekes,Walcott and Worrell ‒ pacers Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith. Cricket commentator Tony Cozier was also world famous.
Barbados was one of the first countries like Guyana that abolished appeals from the Privy Council and joined the appellate division of the Caribbean Court of Justice. However it retained British awards and in July 1980 included Knights and Dames in its national honours, and since then has bestowed knighthoods on its outstanding citizens including politicians, academics and cricketers.
The theme of the Barbados anniversary celebrations is ‘Barbados We Come From’ from Bussa to Barrow and beyond.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet
