Clash of…festival groundings

West Indians – and your Eyewitness includes Guyanese in that motley crew – do love their bacchanal!! And why not?? After the daily grind of slavery – which was maintained by whips, stocks and chains – who wouldn’t want to let off some steam?? It was either the “steam” during revolts – when the entire order could be overthrown – or the “steam” during carnival, when frustrations could be gyrated away!!
The Trinis pioneered Carnival because of the fortuitous circumstance of Toussaint and the slaves of Haiti letting off “steam” the revolutionary way and driving out some French planters to Trinidad. The French planters brought their Continental pre-Lent Carnival tradition to the stiff upper-lip, British-dominated Trinidadian society. And boy did they ever loosen those inhibitions!! The European carnival comes out of the hoary pre-Christian Greek-Roman era when spring was welcomed by a Dionysian and Bacchanalian revelry when everyone let their hair down to make even Donald Trump blush!
Dionysus and Bacchus was the same god – the god of wine – which gives us an idea of what went down in his worship!! Now, nothing wrong in having ritualised ways of breaking down social boundaries in any society. All for “social cohesion”, eh?? Trouble was, everything went back to the status quo ante the next day. As much for the Romans, Greeks and later other Europeans as for the slaves on the plantation and afterwards!!
Now, after our slavery was abolished and Indians were brought in to do the ‘slave work’, they brought in their own tradition of letting off steam. The Hindus had Holi or Phagwah in the spring and the Muslims had Muharram in Summer. These attracted not only the entire Indian community but also the freed ex-slaves and their descendants. The authorities frowned especially on Muharram which involved stick fighting, but had degenerated into rum drinking, and fist fighting. The Muslims also frowned on the rum drinking which was haram and violated the very principle of Mu-harram! The festival disappeared.
Phagwah/Holi, however, continued and grew with the passage of time. But while it might’ve started out as a joyous spring festival commemorating the end of winter and the rebirth of life, as is usual with Hindu festivals, it is associated with a larger moral lesson. In this case commemorating an exemplary instance of the need for people to stand up to tyranny and “do the right thing”.
Problem is, in Guyana – where the Caribbean bacchanalian ethos is so dominant, it now evidently represents who we are to be ‘authentic” – Holi is fast becoming a new Carnival!! We saw the same thing happening to the commemoration of our Republic Day, where none of the activities have ANYTHING to do with the lesson of achieving Republican status.
Just “wining” and backballing!!

…politicians
If your Eyewitness didn’t know better, he’d swear we’re in the homestretch of a general elections. Here with Phagwah in the offing, we have the PNC and WPA holding public. But hold it!! We know that Local Govt Elections were scheduled for later this month. But didn’t their Commissioners inform them they’ve been postponed to May or June because of getting the Voters List updated??
Jeez!! Your Eyewitness knows the brothers are busy meeting Caricom Chairs and stirring up various and sundry ants’ nests but they can’t be THAT outta touch of ground reality, can they?? But hold it!! A thought just struck your Eyewitness. Can the WPA and PNC – who mine the same constituency – be campaigning AGAINST each other?? But why?? Could it be the WPA has confirmed once again they can’t make sides against the PNC – and now decided to take over the PNC’s leadership??
This would explain their sniping against PNC leader Aubrey Norton for months!! Are they now moving in for the kill??

…traffickings
The Trinis are funny people. Not “ha” funny – but weird!! For years they’ve successfully prevented our honey from being trafficked through their supply chains. Yet they’re on Tier 2 ‘cause they aren’t taking steps against trafficking Venezuelan “honeys”!!