BASSETERRE (September 1, 2009) — Social commentator, Washington “Washie” Archibald, has come under fire from Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas for attempting to “distort” and “rewrite” the real history of Buckley’s Estate.

Buckley’s Estate is where the riots of 1935 – involving the revolt of the sugar workers against the inhumane working conditions foist upon them – led to the pioneering of trade unionism throughout the region and better working conditions for the working class.

It is alleged that Archibald, who has been a fierce critic of Prime Minister Douglas in recent times, has commented that the People’s Action Movement (PAM) is a party that has its genesis in defending the struggles of the working class.

“PAM has always been a party of those who want to oppress the working class people” while Labour has fought “tooth and nail” for the working class and black people, Dr. Douglas said at a public meeting at Buckley’s Estate on August 30.

“We have recognized that despite the written history and despite the living history of the Labour Party from here, the sacred grounds of Buckley’s, there are some who are attempting to rewrite the history of St. Kitts and Nevis and the history of Labour,” Dr. Douglas said.  

Referring to the architects who are trying to distort history as “history prostitutes”, Dr. Douglas said that “there are some who are being paid to rewrite the history of Labour and rewrite the struggle and survival here in this country where Buckley’s played such a crucial role”.

Dr. Douglas made a passionate call to defy those who are attempting “to bring misinformation” to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis “pertaining to our history and our struggle for development”.

“We will not lie down and allow this to happen,” he said. “That we shall never, never accept.”

Calling the distorters of history “enemies of the people of Buckley’s, enemies of development and progress in St. Kitts and Nevis and enemies of Labour” Dr. Douglas called on the people in the country to read the “true history of struggle” against colonialism and the planter class.

Despite attempts to distort the true history of what took place at Buckley’s, Dr. Douglas said that the history “remains living in the hearts of the people” and “they cannot distort the history of Buckley’s”.

“Some out there are ashamed of their history and past and so they are hiring people (hired guns) to distort their history,” Dr. Douglas said.