Trofim Lysenko was a Russian science/conman who was more politically astute than real scientists, and thousands of scientists were imprisoned or killed as a consequence of his ascent, and the propagation of his quack science, in Soviet agriculture. Lysenkoism lasted 40 years and managed to wreck the study of the biological sciences in the then USSR in its time.
As with agriculture in Russia, so with Carnival in the Trinidad. Passing down Piccadilly Street last week, I saw the banner on the bleachers erected for the yearly Canboulay clown-show announcing “the birthplace of the Trinidad Carnival.” Unlike other aspects of this atrocity which mangles the truth, this dispensed with truth entirely. Of course, there was Carnival before 1881, but more on that later. Let’s look at 1881 riots.
My sources for the preceding and following are the Hamilton Report, and the newspapers Fair Play and The Chronicle. But before all that, let’s hear from an actual Canboulay rioter, Leonie John, as told to Guardian reporter M Sellier on March 2, 1934: “You should have seen the bands! The band called Maril-bone used to come down from Belmont, hundreds strong, and the people would flee in terror.... It was nothing for them to kill one or two and then flee to Cocorite where they would remain for days hiding.
“Ah! But you should have seen that Cannes Brulee night when we broke the lights and plunged the town into darkness…. I was one of those who took part in that Cannes Brulee and I remember belabouring the Captain (Baker) with blows from my stick while the others shouted encouragement. No one slept that night we wanted to set fire to the town and everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.”
Delightful, I’m sure, if you’re psychotic. The Fair Play newspaper of 1879 first asked that the Canboulay be controlled, or stopped, then praised Capt Baker in 1880 for doing just that. In 1881, however, it heaped obloquy on him when the rioters attacked the police. The reason was that two Creole (local men) civil servants’ corruption was exposed. For days before the riots in 1881, fliers were circulated, and the street gangs were whipped into frenzy by middle class provocateurs. During the riot The Chronicle (March 2, 1881) reported there was a masked white man in the affray directing the rioters to kill Baker.
So this wasn’t heroism, “resistance” or anti-colonialism. It was criminality and ignorance, and yet another instance of the loutish masses (many of whom were not from Trinidad) being incited to riot by a manipulative middle class—which tradition has continued.
But, facts notwithstanding, Canboulay has now become a centrepiece of the Carnival, a touchstone of “national identity.” This a bad thing. As discussed in this space last week, one of the things that rebuilt US society after the Great Depression was the emergence of the card-game contact bridge, played by millions of Americans, which encouraged partners to build trust, social relationships, and whatnot. It’s proposed that Carnival does this in/for Trinidad—“All o we is one.” But if so, why does T&T have the lowest quantum of intangible/social capital in the region? (World Bank report, 2006, Where is the Wealth of Nations?)
So if Canboulay is the ultimate expression of Trinidadian anything it’s our propensity for anarchy and gullibility. But there’s copious evidence that anarchy is not the national sentiment a few yards up the street from the reenactment, through an arched gate with the legend “Lodge United Brothers.” Therein is the oldest Masonic Temple in Trinidad, formed in the 18th century.
Freemasonry has a bad rap today (although at least one member of the present Cabinet is a Freemason), but it meant something different in the 19th century. Most ambitious, educated white and black men in Trinidad were Freemasons including JJ Thomas, CP David, Edgar Maresse-Smith, MM Philip, JB Philippe, and many more. Indians entered the lodges around the turn of the century. Masonry continued into the pre-Eric Williams 20th century to be a significant social force: HOB Wooding, Adrian Cola Rienzi, George Fitzpatrick, FEM Hosein, LC Hannays and Patrick Solomon were all Masons.
The significance of this is that Masonry was a medium for social capital: trust, inter-ethnic unity, notions of equality and universal fairness among the nobler precepts. Apart from the Masons, the Trinidad Blue Book of 1900 (statistics) listed about 70 fraternal societies in Trinidad: these included Gardeners, Foresters, Mechanics, Oddfellows and so on. These brought people together, united them with common values and purpose. So this is not a society comprised solely of riots and rage as the people who perpetuate the Canboulay origin theory scream.
But here’s the crux: everything above is factual and verifiable, but it’s so alien to popular history many would dismiss out of hand. The reason for this is that a small group of unfortunates has been allowed to scream their rancid version of history for so long, it’s become orthodoxy.
If the Prime Minister is serious about his history thing (and I see a committee has been appointed), pulling up the Canboulay clown-show short would be a good place to start. This might also be a good place to disclose that as I saw the history committee appointed, I wrote to the PM, informing him I’d proposed the idea to his predecessor, and enclosed my proposal. I’m sure he’ll treat it with all the seriousness it deserves, and perhaps send it to his Minister of Communications for consideration.
