-Politicising even the cricket?
The official description for our February 23 national holiday is Republic Day. Because it is a kind of climax for the annual days-long Mashramani Festival of celebratory events, many are tempted to “christen” 23rd February as “Mash Day”.
Former political colleagues and Independence pioneers, later turned robust rivals, Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham could agree on just a few crucial (anti-colonial) issues: the need for political/constitutional independence from Britain and Republican status, the latter being declared on 23rd February 1970. (And even the cheated and defeated Cheddi accepted Burnham’s choice of 23rd February as Jagan lauded the 1763 Rebellion; even naming his party’s ideological college after a 1763 rebel hero – Accabreh.)
So next year’s Republic Day will be powerfully pregnant with historic proportions and meaning. Republican status will be fifty (Jubilee) years old. History will be recalled with fervour of pride, achievement and assessment as well as ballistic campaigning and some national social discord. For polling day will be just a few days after His Excellency’s high-octane Jubilee anniversary Republic celebrations. Let’s speculate on what to expect.
