NAR LAYS WREATH, BAKR HOLDS DINNER

The National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) yesterday marked the 13th Anniversary of the 1990 attempted coup with a wreath laying ceremony held at the Red House. At about the same time, at their headquarters in Mucurapo, the Jamat-al-Muslimeen, members of which were directly responsible for the 1990 attempted coup, were having their own commemorative dinner. The entrance to the compound was decorated with a number of colourful flags put up to mark the occasion.

Describing the events of 1990 as “an act that caused violence and destruction on society,” political leader of the NAR, Lennox Sankarsingh, stressed the importance of remembering the innocent persons who lost their lives. “It was one of the most significant moments in our post-independence period,” he said, noting that it served to remind us of the nature of the our society and the serious challenges we face in the development process. “It reminds us that ours is a fragile society and that every one of us must contribute to its development, even if that contribution may be small,” Sankarsingh stated. In delivering greetings from the Government, Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, Senator Danny Montano, expressed the government’s admiration for former Prime Minister Arthur NR Robinson for the courage he displayed during the insurrection.

Montano said, “he stood staring down the barrel of what would be his end and said ‘attack with full force.’  These sentiments embody the courage and the history of the people of TT.”
“Those were fighting words to be honoured and recognised for all times,” he stated. “The Government remembers and honours those who fell in 1990 and the leaders of the day who led us through our darkest hours.” Invocations were led by members of the various religious faiths after which commemorative wreaths were laid by a number of persons who were present during the events of 1990. They included former President Robinson and former NAR MP, Jennifer Johnson and Dennis McCombie. The ceremony ended with a Walk of Remembrance to the NAR Headquarters.