Problem of national awards

IN SPITE of the pluralistic harmony we boast about, our society continues to be troubled by ethnic tensions. True, we may consider ourselves fortunate to have achieved a measure of tolerance that permits us to live in peace and, in some areas, mutual respect and cooperation. But below the surface of this apparent congruity, a complex and divisive mixture of basic antagonisms, fears, mistrust, religious and cultural disparities still simmer and come to the fore when electoral contests for power exposes the racial nature of the country’s politics.

In recognising the fact of these tensions and the need to reduce or eliminate them in the interest of the nation as a whole, this newspaper has sought, as a matter of policy, to accentuate the positive aspects of our society, to give every sector its due and to warn against any decision, measure or development that would aggravate the divisiveness that already exists. This is why we have no choice but to disagree strongly with tomorrow’s presentation of Indian National Awards, a programme being launched by a group calling themselves the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), as a purely sectarian alternative to the traditional National Awards presented by the President on Independence Day. In the first place, GOPIO is clearly not a TT national body and does not have the authority or status to be handing out national awards; in fact, it will simply be making a mockery or creating a caricature of a serious and vital institution in the process of national building.

In the second place, the measure is divisive and regressive in nature, appealing purely to racial instincts and unbecoming of a maturing society such as ours. At a difficult time when TT should be striving for greater unity and cohesion, the GOPIO gambit can only serve to build more wedges and undermine that effort. Where will it end? It is crucial, we believe, for the citizens of our country always to keep the bigger picture in mind and, whatever their grievances may be, to seek to work them out in ways that inflict no damage to the whole. It seems a piece of sophistry for GOPIO to claim that over the years Indians have been “significantly underrepresented” in the National Awards and say the reason for this is “chiefly political, racial and religious in nature.”  The fact is that the National Awards Committee, headed by the Chief Justice, do not on their own simply pluck people from the society and present them with awards; there is a process to be followed according to which persons are nominated by groups and individuals. Can GOPIO support its contention by saying how many deserving Indians have been nominated “over the years” for awards and did not receive any? Who are they? We would certainly like to know.

However, we believe that not only GOPIO but the Hindu community as a whole, which now represent 40 percent of TT’s population, have a legitimate case for demanding a change in the name of the nation’s highest award, the Trinity Cross which is undoubtedly Christian in its basic significance. Ours is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society in which citizens of every creed and race should have an equal place and, accordingly, feel comfortable with the nomenclature and meaning of the national awards. If the Hindus object to or are offended by the Christian symbolism of the Trinity Cross — and a number of them have actually refused the award on that basis — then the State should and must recognise the legitimacy of their cause and respond with a consultation designed to produce a name that would be acceptable to all our citizens. To ignore or resist that claim would be just as divisive as the Indian National Awards. Let us do our best to ease these tensions.