Bahamians have every right to be proud of the country’s growth and development as an independent nation since the Bahamas obtained independence from Great Britain on July 10, 1973.
Initially, there were those who seriously doubted that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) was ready to lead an independent nation, even though it had already proven that it was capable or running virtually every aspect of the country’s affairs during the six years of internal self-government following its historic victory in the 1967 general elections.
Despite some political scandals that tainted the country’s name abroad, for the most part the PLP ﾗ led by the late Sir Lynden Pindling ﾗ provided the country with stable government for 25 years before being removed from power by the Free National Movement in 1992. The governmental transition was very smooth, a testament to the strong democratic institutions established in this country by Great Britain.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, the Free National Movement also provided the country with good governance for two terms before it was defeated by the PLP in May of 2002. Once again, the transition of power to a new government under Prime Minister Perry Christie took place without a hitch. With the country having just celebrated its 33rd anniversary as an independent nation, clearly the evidence is irrefutable that those who doubted that The Bahamas was ready for independence were wrong.
We make these observations primarily to sound a word of caution to Parliamentarians as they debate two measures that were introduced in the House of Assembly on Wednesday: the National Heroes Bill and the National Honours Bill. Although here is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to further demonstrate that we are fully in charge of our own affairs by honouring our heroes with our own awards, in the process of doing this, we should not attempt to rewrite our history and disregard the fact we are a strong democratic country primarily because of the nurturing we received as a colony of Great Britain.
This being the case, what is the logic behind the conclusion by the Cultural Commission appointed by the Government that to observe British honours concurrently with a National Honour would downgrade the local award? What award can The Bahamas give that is equivalent to a Knighthood from the Queen? Certainly, the international prestige of this award warrants it being kept as an option for Bahamians who may at some stage of their lives qualify to be so honoured.
If the commission is thinking about the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Commander of the British Empire (CBE), why should these awards be considered more prestigious than the proposed Order of The Bahamas, Companion Order of The Bahamas, the Order of Merit or the Order of Distinction. All The Bahamas needs to do in establishing these awards is to ensure that they do not be considered trivial awards that are used primarily as tools for political purposes. People receiving them should know that they truly mean something and they will be accepted with the same degree of pride as a British award.
Then there is the suggestion by Koed Smith, the MP for Mount Moriah, that the statue of Queen Victoria should be removed and replaced by one of former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling. This borders on being totally ridiculous and is not even deserving of serious debate or consideration.
Sir Lynden’s place in history is secured and, with the recent renaming of the airport in his honour, certainly future generations of Bahamians will be reminded of the monumental contributions he made to this country.
The bottom line here is that this country’s rich history as a colony of Great Britain should not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
The Nassau Guardian
