Change: the only constant

What has truly ignited this brouhaha about the name change is that a judge (also referred to as Mi’ Lord) found that in a multidimensional society like ours it was expedient to find a common ground for those who stand in line to receive what is the country’s highest national award.

Whatever have been the arguments made in this war of words, in this conflict of sectarian will, the one that is most superfluous and facetious is the one which speaks with dread of a possible sequel which changes the name of Trinidad to something else.

Although this is not an argument in this issue, and although that thought has most likely never passed through any Trini mind (yet), the question is what is so taboo, unspeakable, and unheard of as regards a country changing its name?

If we were to do so (and heaven forbids!) do you know that we would be joining a long line of countries that have done so in a spirit of progressive thinking and independence. Let’s take a look:

On assuming Independence Ceylon became Sri Lanka; Rhodesia became Zimbabwe; British Guyana became Guyana; British Honduras became Honduras; Tanganyika became Tanzania; the Congo became Zaire; Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic; East Pakistan is now Bangladesh; north India is now Pakistan; Yugoslavia is now Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia; Bombay in India is now Mumbai; Madras is now Tamil Nadu, etc.

The independent minded people of these countries felt in their wisdom that to maintain their colonial names was an act of emasculation, a perpetuation of the massa say, massa do syndrome that was inflicted upon them by their previous masters.

In Trinidad, we suffer from an inertia of fear for any kind of change.

Independent for 44 years, we have an airline, the flagship of our tourism thrust, and still call it British West Indian Airways.

There is Guyana Airways; Jamaica Airways. Why isn’t there a Trinidad and Tobago Airways?

That is why outside of the Caribbean Trinidad is not known, or is thought to be a town in Jamaica or someplace else. (One hopes the Soca Warriors have helped change that).

To make the long story short: Change is hardly easy for even the most liberal, flexible, radical minded person. Revolutionaries soon become counter revolutionaries. One therefore understands the mindset of those who would stand in the way of change even if it signifies progress, peaceful coexistence, unity.

But it has been said that sometimes it is better to go backwards than to remain stagnant; and it was perhaps in that context that many of the countries that changed their colonial names reverted to their original names, ancient ones?

Wasn’t Trinidad known as Iere before Columbus presumptuously changed it?