Barbados is rapidly maturing as a society. One of the surest signs of this is the publication within short order of two major books. One, by Sir Carlisle Burton and the other by NATION Editor Emeritus Harold Hoyte.
Without even reflecting on the detailed contents of these two books, it is remarkable that many of the most important figures of the past half-century have died without having left us their reflective thoughts on their life and times.
That is a great pity because a country cannot grow as well as it should if its people do not reflect in their memoirs on their perceptions of the way in which the country has been shaped by events, which to future citizens will be nothing more than mere history, subject as always to the cold-blooded analysis of historians who would not necessarily have shared the moment and times in a personal way.
There is nothing that can quite match the story of the times told reflectively by people of learning who participated in history in the making. If that history is the story of order and disorder, then it is all the more remarkable that we should have an eyewitness account to shine the light of truth rather than conjecture on the great moments which may have changed the direction of the country’s history.
Of the highest significance is that the two writers were not themselves politicians, and in a country where the political figures for one reason or other have not written, Barbados is indebted to two Barbadians whose good fortune it has been to have had armchair views on the construction of a country which has earned international kudos for the high level of social development and competent management of its affairs.
We may therefore expect to hear unvarnished and unbiased accounts of events as they unfolded since the career paths of neither of these distinguished Barbadians includes membership of a political party and a necessary and unblinking allegiance to the story as that party saw it.
In a democracy, there are always lessons to be learnt about the practice of democracy, and there are many such lessons sitting upright and offering themselves for acceptance. The professional journalist no less than the professional civil servant are both important partners in the practice of democracy.
The latter has a constitutional responsibility to keep the minister and the streams of administration free from the pollution of crass politics, while he recognizes that his role is that of lifeguard rather than activist critic.
The professional journalist has a little more freedom but perhaps a more public responsibility. It is his task to hold the feet of the politicians as close to the fire as the public interest, in his deliberate judgment, demands; and many are the moments that the professional civil servant will seek to insulate the administration from the heat which, if it persists, will harm the administrative achievements as the political storm clouds gather.
No country that does well can run on automatic pilot. Politicians with power may be at the wheel, but permanent secretaries and their colleagues in the various ministries keep the craft stable while the job gets done. Their work and their story both benefit the country as much as that of the journalist who watches, reports, analyses and finally critiques for the public what is being done, rightly or wrongly, with the awesome power ceded to the elected officials every five years.
As our young nation manfully grows its way into the world, and as part of the Fourth Estate, we salute Sir Carlisle’s impressive work as a professional public servant and in his memoirs; and we are equally proud of the career of our own Editor Emeritus.
In very important ways, they have both contributed massively to the building of our nation during the past half-century; but these two publications will earn them the undying gratitude of all.