Reading Time 4 mins
The members of The National Union of Freedom Fighters (NUFF) and their sincere efforts seized a historical moment to address the inconsistencies of this deathbed Independence. It was all hollow and meaningless. Williams Independence was ladened with neo colonial institutions and a modus operandi that was often worst than what preceded Independence. The Colonial institutions especially the police had to maintain that law and order of the Colonial era by any means necessary. Andrea’s portrayal about Mr Randy Burroughs and his embracing the dramatic games of a US movie crime fighter tells it all. This carried an underbelly of perpetuating the murder of many citizens especially the idealistic educated youth. Drug peddling along with all the corruption habits that surround such activities were all part of his agenda. He was a law unto himself totally condoned by the Williams government.
Andrea’s book is beautifully written and the school teacher is ever evident about who she is and how she functions in the world. She is always seeking to discover. That honesty and curiosity pervades her life. Her courage and where she went inside of herself to produce this masterpiece of her journey. This post independence history needs to be part of the school syllabus in Trinidad & Tobago. Our children need to know that such resilience, courage and vision for a new future is not locked away in metropolitan institutions. This is an inherent part of our Caribbean humanity.
Her stories about when they were in the ‘heights’ as was their NUFF Lingo. This carried a commitment, selflessness where discipline was ever present with her knapsack story. How it was embraced and quite appropriate was wonderful to read and to know that the mutual respect of each other was a given. I found it extremely naive to have put Ms Ruth Bayley in a ‘Revolutionary court’ and then to say she is not guilty. It is pretty obvious that seeking police protection is where she will go.
It was interesting how the NUFF patriots were steeped in Revolutionary philosophy and methodology. This was evident with the many names that Andrea mentioned. A key person that was missing from their library was Michael Collins. He was the Irish Revolutionary leader who took on the British Government with his Squad that shook the British Government and its Colonial repression of the Irish society to its knees. It is thought by many that if Collins was not part of the negotiating team to go to Britain for ‘peace’ talks and remained active as a Revolutionary strategist. The 32 Irish provinces may have become one Irish state. By the way I never knew anything about Collins.
During my stay in Ireland in the mid 1970’s that I got to know him after my release from prison for leading the 1970 mutiny with Raffique Shah.
Having said that there was an in depth biography of him that came out in March 1970 written by Rex Taylor.
His approach to the organizing of four man cells was very tight. Little was known of the other cells. This meant it limited the possibility of informers sabotaging the efforts of any cell.
In spite of all the discipline fervour that the NUFF revolutionaries carried in the Northern Range. There were many others who were not part of NUFF yet seemingly part of their effort. This was a shock and surprise to me.
The horrors that Andrea faced when in Police custody is still in place up to today.
Another trauma came upon her with her imprisonment and the vindictiveness of many turnkeys.
Dedan Kimathi
Andrea’s spiritual journey is one that is deeply private and quite difficult for many to read what she shared with an open mind. She needs to know that there are many people involved in active war scenarios who do have these ‘out of body’ experiences and visitations from that unseen domain. Dedan Kimathi the leader of the Kenyan Mau Mau movement had such experiences. His spiritual connection was with the forest and tree devotion. The day he was arrested by the British, his sacred tree fell that same day.
I have also had those unusual experiences. The night when I was taken back to my cell after the Commonwealth Court Martial sentenced me to 15 years imprisonment, my late Uncle George was in the cell with me. Informing me to lay down and sleep in my uniform with my boots on. I did and it was one of the deepest sleep that I ever had as that 24/7 light kept burning in my cell. The day before I was released from prison as there were no release dates given by the Government. Blood poured out from my3 left nipple when I was exercising in the prison yard. When the soldiers saw that they all ran to their cells and started to pack. That afternoon the governor of the prison came to say that we would be released tomorrow. I share that with Andrea, though different than her Biblical visitations. That other realm has remained in my life.
Rex Lassalle’s Court Martial Speech, “Here I Stand,” to the Commonwealth Court about being a leader of the April 21, 1970, Mutiny in Trinidad and Tobago, outlined a new vision. He asserts, “These officers who tried us were from ‘formerly’ colonized countries and were part of a neo-colonial mindset, so no surprise with the verdict they handed down.” Lassalle now lives in Finland, where his work and writings focus on discovering and honouring his Indigenous origins. In doing so, he creates virtuous actions that generate extraordinary moments in people’s lives. He is the author of Rex Lassalle & The Alchemy of TIME and the soon-to-be-published “Lifestyle Solutions For Lifestyle Diseases: A Guide to Gentle Movement, Self-Massage and Home Remedies.”
