Trinity Cross debate next week

Today, Tuesday January 25 2005, marks a historic day as the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago begins a debate on the controversial national awards, specifically the Trinity Cross.  In a private motion the Senate will begin a in earnest a debate on the embattled award and thereby begin a new phase of our post-colonial history. 

The motion is presented as follows:
 
Whereas pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Chapter 1.01 there exists Letters Patent which establish the Order of the Trinity. And Whereas the Order of the Trinity consists of all those persons who are awarded the highest honours of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (the Republic) viz, the Trinity Cross, the Chaconia Medal and the Humming Bird Medal or the Medal of Merit. And whereas the nomenclature “the Order of the Trinity” and “the Trinity Cross” are divisive in that they are perceived to be Christian names for what is a State or secular award of the Republic thus ignoring the sensibilities, sensitivities and religious beliefs of the majority non-Christian population of the Republic. And whereas the highest awards of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago ought to be a unifying as opposed to a dividing factor.

Be it resolved that this Honourable Senate do recommend to the Cabinet of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to change the name “Order of the Trinity” to “Order of Trinidad and Tobago” and to change the name of “Trinity Cross” to “Grand Medal of the Republic” or such other name that may be acceptable to all the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The motion to be debated marks the culmination of over three decades of intense lobbying against the “Trinity Cross” and the so-called national awards. In 2004 the intensity rose as the Global Organisation for People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) launched its own rival national awards as a form of protest. Adding to this momentum the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha initiated legal action against the Trinity Cross late in 2004.

Indeed the Maha Sabha in filing its motion in the San Fernando High Court stated in part: “It is our fervent hope that this constitutional motion will force the Government to confront this long outstanding issue. We trust that the filing of this case will not be used as a convenient excuse by the Prime Minister to avoid dealing with the large issue. We are prepared to reconsider our position on litigating this matter if the Government, at anytime indicates its readiness to implement the recommendations of the De La Bastide report. “This matter is not about politics because all administrations and political parties have consistently failed to deal with this issue. It is about living in a society that is just and fair and one that is willing to practise the equality rather than merely allow politicians to get away by glibly preaching it. It is a journey towards finding an equal place.”

In its legal action the Maha Sabha notes “After 35 years of national awards only two citizens of the Hindu faith were ever awarded the Trinity Cross. These, despite the fact that Hindus comprise some 23 percent of the population and many have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to Trinidad and Tobago. “No woman from the Hindu or Muslim faith has ever been awarded the Trinity Cross.  Three prominent religious figures in the local Roman Catholic community have received the Trinity Cross.  They are retired Archbishops Finbar Ryan (1969), Anthony Pantin (2000) and Fr Gerard Pantin (1995).” In 1995 the Dharmacharya of Trinidad and Tobago and head of the Hindu faith publicly refused to accept the Trinity Cross because he saw it as a Christian symbol and to accept it would conflict with his religious beliefs. 

This rejection of the Trinity Cross by the Dharmacharya as head of the Hindu faith has caused and/or reinforced the view held by the majority of Hindus that the Trinity Cross is a Christian symbol and to accept and/or wear same would conflict and/or be incompatible with their religious belief.  In 1977 prominent Muslim, Dr Wahid Ali also initially refused to accept the Trinity Cross on the same ground but subsequently changed his mind because he thought the name of the nation’s highest award would be changed. The position of Dr Ali is a matter of public record. In his book Building Bridges in Society, the former President of the Senate in a chapter entitled “The Trinity Cross Issue — An Inappropriate National Award” stated the following:  “In August 1977 His Excellency President Ellis Clarke TC, through his secretary Mrs Tam, as befits protocol in these matters, informed me that I had been selected for the award of the Trinity Cross for public service to be announced at that year’s Independence Anniversary celebration.

“Without disclosing my reasons, I indicated my intention to decline.  At a later meeting, she informed me that President Clarke wished to advise me against declining, as my nomination had been made by the Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams. “I have always had a high regard for these two distinguished citizens of our country, and so was in a state of perplexity. “My next step was to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister who gave the verbal assurance that the entire matter of national awards was to be reviewed... if however the promise made by Dr Eric Williams remains unknown (perhaps unrecorded before), and unheeded, the question of my retaining the Trinity Cross indefinitely will certainly merit serious consideration.” With the Catholic Commission for Social Justice, and the Islamic Relief Centre joining the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha in a historic union against the Trinity Cross it will be interesting to observe how the Members of Parliament vote on this sensitive issue.