Commentary
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE MERE FACT that we can barter away two square miles of land in one day indicates that land is now seen by our leaders in the same way as a gambler sees his house and possessions – available resources to hastily exchange for the humongous debt he has irresponsibly incurred. Consequences are ignored.
The importance of possessing land was not lost to the explorers, discoverers and colonial masters of past times. Men have fought and died over land possession. Migrants have criss- crossed the globe in search of land; Caribs have been massacred; slavery became institutionalised – all because of land.
Our great monument Brimstone Hill aka ‘the Gibraltar of the West Indies’ is now viewed as a prime tourist attraction, a testimony to the slave labour of our ancestors and a World Heritage Site.
Hardly a thought is given to the fact that this major engineering effort with all of its fire and brimstone... that the reason for those huge canons pointing over the land and sea was to defend the land...to keep this valuable land in their possession.
Our early political leaders, Bradshaw and Simmonds, were acutely aware of the importance of land and the role it would play in our survival as a nation. Bradshaw seized the land from plantation owners while Simmonds ensured that it could never be taken back and paid for it thereby securing title documents.
Like Margaret Mitchell, author and journalist, they both subscribed to the philosophy:
“Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything, for 'tis the only thing in this world that lasts, 'tis the only thing worth working for, worth fighting for - worth dying for.”
Simmonds went even further with his Town Expansion Project, which reclaimed 24 acres of land now called Port Zante.
The first signal we saw that owning our land was not viewed with the same importance by present leaders was when we observed that this prime land that we ‘created’ was being sold and not leased to foreigners who now dominate this vital commercial entrance to our shores.
The second signal came when there was an absence of a Land Policy for months and months after the closure of the Sugar Cane Industry when hundreds of acres of land became available for agricultural development.
The third signal came when ‘Land’ was taken from the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands portfolio and we observed steps being instituted to value land in terms of Real Estate instead of agricultural development.
The sugar workers who had for generations worked the land were not considered for land distribution unless they were “bankable” and we learnt from a Small Business Meeting, that even Bee Keepers who had been requesting land for some six or seven years had never been considered.
Then there were the announcements of major projects indicating that our land was being prioritised for golf courses, huge housing developments and marinas.
Cockleshell Bay Development: “Mr. Chris Kanhai said the US$860 million Cockleshell Bay Development on 153 acres of land on Cockleshell Bay, is the future home of a 125-room Park Hyatt Resort and Spa, a 100-condominium Park Hyatt Residence, 86 Estate Villas and the Cockleshell Bay Marina Village with a 160-slip marina and 234 condominium and Town homes. He said construction of the marina is scheduled to begin in January 2010 and the resort in November 2010. The project also includes the several amenities including a casino, four restaurants, tennis courts and swimming pools.”
From CUOPM. In 2005, American Golf Course Contractor and Project Manager of the La Valle Project convincingly talked about adorning the golf course even before it was started. He said a plant nursery had been set up.
“We have purchased 10,000 bougainvillea. We have taken cuttings from them to have some 20,000 bougainvillea. In the interim we have persons going around the island getting 10,000 cuttings and slips of native plants,” said Ganley. The company plans to begin discussions this week on the purchase of several native plants. “ (CUOPM.org)
In 2006, Managing Director of Belmont Resorts Limited, Mr. Val Kempadoo told scores of residents and government officials that the US$300 million Kittitian Heights Resorts will be set on a total of 390 acres, will employ 300 construction workers, create over 1.000 rooms and 1,600 permanent jobs when fully completed…
“We have already spoken to some persons who are farmers and are committed to purchasing their produce of fruits and vegetables.”
The most recent reported developments are Christophe Harbour, Beacon Heights and Kittitian Hill.
What other alternatives were considered before we transferred in one day our 2 square mile acreage of land to the National Bank for resale to who can afford (i.e. more than likely foreigners or those with newly-bought SKN passports)
It is frustrating to nationals to see their precious land being sold to the highest bidder and repeatedly being offered to ‘nouveau skners’ instead of to locals.
There is deep concern that we are being relegated to becoming second class and even third class citizens. Our new development thrust of “peddling passports” from Quebec to Dubai has some serious repercussions.
We do not know how many hundreds of new passport holders – our new fellow nationals – will be free to and invited to ‘engulf’ the land on which our forefathers toiled.
We do not know how many of them will be invited to vote and we have no idea whether they will soon outnumber the local population and will become the first class citizens of this land.
Frightening thoughts!
Will we be told as John Wayne said of the American land in a ‘Cowboys and Indians’ movie,
“There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”
We are not far from that as during the debate in which Parliamentarians were giving their views of this ‘Land Bill’ the Government’s disseminating agent, Charles Jong, released this:
“News Alert: Breaking News: Shawn Richards says he will not support measure to reduce the cost of living”.
He was referring to the (Vesting of Certain Lands) Bill 2012.
As some Parliamentarians pointed out, there were alternatives to prevent the slippage of land from our grasp; they were the alternatives of Social Security and/or SIDF paying the Bank for the land and thereby reducing the National Debt. These suggestions fell on deaf ears.
So as we remain History’s witness to this very significant Bill, we can only say that many will still hold fast to that Indian proverb which states:
" We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." -- Ancient Indian Proverb
And
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Aldo Leopold
