Chapter 4 Uneasy Transitions: Presbyterian Schools and Excellence
The Indian Christian was more liberal and adaptable in every way; but, following far behind the Negro on the weary road to whiteness he was more insecure …. The Trinidad Indian who was concerned about the In- dependence struggle and contributed large sums to various funds, washed his hands of India in 1947. The struggle was over, the shame was removed, and he could settle without self-reproach into the easy unde- manding society of Trinidad.1
In the post-1950 era Trinidad and Tobago witnessed radical changes in its soci- ety. The emergence of full-fledged political parties in the late 1950s, the grant- ing of Independence in 1962, the Black Power Revolution of 1970 and the at- tainment of Republican status in 1976 were historic changes which made the leaders and citizens of Trinidad and Tobago more acutely aware of their iden- tity, ethnicity and the pressing need to seek social, political and economic im- provements. The “oil boom” years contributed to the upsurge of infrastructure which included the erection of numerous government institutions which as- sisted in the dispensation of knowledge and reduction of illiteracy. The voting patterns of Presbyterians appeared to have changed. During the early elections from 1925, Presbyterians would have willingly supported work- ing class candidates of East Indian descent such as Sarran Teelucksingh, F.E.M. Hosein, Timothy Roodal or Adrian Cola Rienzi. A shift in allegiance seemed to have occurred in the post-1956 era. Some Presbyterians would not have been willing to support a Hindu leader and gave their support to the Christian- dominated pnm but this fear among Presbyterians might have been exagger- ated. Maharaj overlooked the fact that many Presbyterians were reluctant to support Bhadase Maraj, leader of the People’s Democratic Party (pdp) and for- mer student of Caroni CM School who was perceived by many middle class Presbyterians and others in society as uneducated, crude, uncouth and a local gangster. Interestingly, in the early 1960s, many Presbyterians supported the dlp with its Hindu leader – Dr. Rudranath Capildeo (1920–1970) who had
1 Naipaul, Middle Passage 88–89.
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attended Chaguanas CM School during 1925–1931.2 But the internal squabbling over leadership, within the dlp, would have disillusioned many Presbyterians. The Presbyterian Church always placed considerable emphasis on the value of education, thus some principals and teachers in Presbyterian schools would have willingly supported Eric Williams (1911–1981), Trinidad and Tobago’s first prime minister. Their overt support of the pnm was necessary to ensure sup- port at special functions and that funding was guaranteed for repairs, equip- ment and extensions to their schools. Selwyn Ryan in Social and Occupational Stratification in Trinidad identified this Christian denomination undergoing another change in voting during the 1970s. Ryan identified the “re-Indianisation of the Presbyterian” which resulted from socio-economic factors. Firstly, the oil-boom had a levelling effect as the Hindus attained a similar economic level as the Presbyterians. Secondly, the politically racial climate created solidarity among East Indians as, “The capture of the power by the pnm and its perceived discriminatory policies against In- dians released a powerful motivation for Indian unity.”3 He concluded that these two forces removed cultural and social barriers among Presbyterians, Hindus and Muslims. The existence of any such “barriers” would not have been significant. Ryan seemed to have overlooked the glaring fact that Presbyterians were not an isolated and close-knit denominational group. They had relatives who were Hindus and/or Muslims and some intermarried with both Hindus and Muslims. Some Indians had been quietly equipped with “Brown Power” as they armed themselves with education from the Presbyterian primary and secondary schools. They used this intellectual power as a lever, their passport to escape unemployment and/or the myopic racial politics of the Caribbean. The cul- tural baggage of a primary and/or secondary Presbyterian education of the Indo-Caribbean diaspora proved to be a major asset in their acculturation and assimilation in Canada which increased their chances of social mobility. Some Indo-Trinidadians departed for job opportunities. Among the gradu- ates of Naparima College and nghs who migrated to Canada in the post World War Two era were Dr. and Mrs. Francis Premdas, Hamilton Bhola, Dr. Auyub Mohammed, Dr. Ram S. Boodoosingh.4 Similarly, Ramabai Espinet, a lecturer and novelist, was educated at nghs. She migrated to Toronto and became
2 For evidence of his attendance of a CM school see http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/bio_ RudranathCapildeo_scientist.html. See also The School Paper of Trinidad and Tobago, June 1986, 4. Brochure of Facilitators of Mathematics Pedagogy Mental Mathematics Marathon 2000, Rudranath Capildeo and Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution. 3 Ryan, Social and Occupational Stratification 347. 4 Laltoo, 123, 124, 125.