Has little significance for Nevisians
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LEADER of Her Loyal Opposition in the House, the Hon. Mark Brantley said that which is celebrated each year on September 16 is actually Labour Heroes Day rather than National Heroes Day, as the name suggests.
Each year, the Federation – on that day – celebrates and remembers the contribution to the development of the country which was made by the Right Honourables Robert Bradshaw, Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell and Joseph Nathaniel France.
According to Brantley – however - for him and many other Nevisians, the day has very little or no significance for them, especially since under the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party administration only Labour stalwarts are elevated to the prestigious status.
“I suppose the significance is that we recognise the people who made contributions to our nation. The problem that certainly I have – and I believe most Nevisians have – it appears that only Labour Party stalwarts are able to be named National Heroes under this Labour government. And iconic figures such as Dr. Simeon Daniel have not been so named, have not been so elevated. Dr. Daniel has done far more for the island of Nevis and the people of Nevis than any of the National Heroes that have been named.
“…We basically have Labour Heroes instead of National Heroes in the true sense. We want to see individuals such as Dr. Daniel raised up as well so that we can truly celebrate National Heroes Day as having immense meaning for us. But to speak to the people of Nevis about Bradshaw, about Southwell, about France, and most of us don’t view them quite the same way. And so we feel that our heroes should reflect us, we don’t feel that these three individuals reflect the Nevisian people. And Nevisian people have heroes of their own. So that to me is a concern that needs to be rectified, we need to start to think nationally rather than in this parochial way.”
Dr. Simeon Daniel’s work on Nevis had earned him the title “The Father of Modern Nevis” and Brantley informed SKNVibes that he had written to the Prime Minister on at least six separate occasions, suggesting to him that Dr. Daniel’s status be elevated by Knighting him. He explained that, to date, not one of those pieces of correspondence has been answered.
“I – for example – wrote to the Prime Minister on numerous occasions about Knighting Dr. Daniel. Dr. Daniel has now passed away and the Prime Minister never even acknowledged any of the letters sent to him raising this matter. This is after – of course – 2007 when I made my speech in Parliament and I raised the issue and he promptly said that the Knighting of Dr. Daniel is already in the works. But yet Dr. Daniel, a man who did so much for this country, passed away in May 2012 privately and has never been elevated, has never even been knighted.”
Brantley – who also serves as Deputy Leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) -suggested to this publication that Dr. Douglas appears to be suffering from some form of myopia and, as such, matters involving the selection of national heroes should be undertaken by others.
“So we feel certainly that these matters need to be addressed by persons who have a wider view than the Prime Minister apparently has. That is unfortunate because national heroes should clearly be individuals celebrated across the country, not just in one island or in one area of one island.”
