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16. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019. THE VINCENTIAN
History
Union Island recalls 40 years ago
soldier’,” and that the real leaders of the uprising were actually the senior citizens of Union Island. There was, ‘Bumba’ declared, nothing against the local business community. Instead, he emphasised, the Stalwarts of the Uprising who addressed last Sunday’s event (L-R): Chris Adams, Uprising was Peter Regis, Camilo Adams and Lennox ‘Bumba’ Charles. targeted at the “government structure, which extracted everything and Maria McKie making her gave back nothing appeal for Dec. 07 to be tangible to the people of designated ‘Lynden the Southern Stewart Memorial Day.’ Grenadines.” He followed their (senior citizens) orders for what was to be a ‘no bloodshed’ coup. Even after bombing the Ashton Police Station to scare the police, during which no one was hurt, the call of ‘no bloodshed’ was reiterated. An attempt by a small group to let those on A section of those who turned out for the event. Palm Island know that Organizer of the event other activists fled to Uprising who also this was an antiaddressed last Sunday’s Steve Stewart brought government activity, was Grenada where they the curtains down with a event were Camilo met with resistance from were arrested by the Steve Stewart, organiser Bumba: No bloodshed Adams, Chris Adams and summary and guidelines John Caldwell (leasee of People’s Revolutionary of the event – has for going forward. He Army (PRA) and later Peter Regis. They all coup the island) who fired recorded in a seven-part advanced the view that retraced their roles in shots at the approaching returned to St. Vincent. series published in THE the underlying thrust Many of those arrested the Uprising. The first speaker at group. The group from hereon in should VINCENTIAN(Nov-Dec, last Sunday’s decided not to land, and were sent to trial, and Going Forward speak to, “a united commemorative event 2009), the conditions proceeded to Carriacou in ‘Bumba’ received the political front and longest prison sentence. was Lennox ‘Bumba’. that precipitated the search of weaponry, Calls for it, was an relevant education for Charles, the since, contrary to popular His incarceration did not Uprising, the Uprising emotionally charged the current youth to dampen his unquestioned leader of belief, the group itself and its aftermath. activity that was avoid repeating history”. the Uprising. But he marshalling the Uprising revolutionary spirt, he A CALL HAS BEEN MADE interrupted ever so often said. In fact, it was sought to refute that in a had very few weapons. by Maria McKie, a resident sense, by referring to Report submitted by: altered if not heightened by applause from the To their surprise, they of Union Island, to make modest but very Donald De Riggs. himself as “only the ‘foot were met with resistance when he met with Junior‘Spirit’ Cottle and attentive audience. in Carriacou and asked Following the main began the prison literacy to leave that Grenadine presentations, the public programme. island. was asked to comment on ‘Bumba’ and ‘Spirit’ the activity, and it was would go on to become Arrest and the first persons to write then that Maria McKie Incarceration and gain passes at GCE made the suggestion that December 07 be declared O level, while serving In the days that ‘Lynden Stewart followed, a multi-regional prison sentences. Memorial Day” in ‘Bumba’ Charles military team, using memory of the passing of remains a heralded Palm Island as its base, one of the” youngest figure in Union Island. invaded Union Island, soldiers.” His legacy is a positive capturing several Also making a innocent Unionites. That one, he being revered for contribution was starting the first Steel invasion left one person Rosemond Adams. She Orchestra in Union dead. took issue with the first Those and others who Island, introducing were arrested later, were structured basketball to stanza of the last verse of John Caldwell, who had leased Palm Island in our National Anthem transported to Kingstown the youth of the island, from a semantic point of 1966 for 99 years, fired producing the first in shackles, to be view, noting that the line on a small group as newspaper for Union, imprisoned in the most they approached the ‘Our little sister albeit an underground From Cotton House to Revenue Office. This inhuman conditions at island, by now a famous islands…’, needed to be one. building would command a significant place in the Fort Charlotte. resort. Other stalwarts of the replaced. actual Uprising. ‘Bumba’ Charles and December 07, the Lynden Stewart Memorial Day. Lynden was the only person who perished in the days following the Union Island Uprising 40 years ago. He is said to have disappeared at sea. Last Sunday, December 08, 2019, at a function organized by concerned residents from Union Island, spearheaded by Steve Stewart, Attorney-atLaw, the main ‘soldiers’ of the Union Island Uprising of 40 years ago, related their experience on that fateful day, and highlighted the conditions that prompted the unrest. The common thread of all the addresses delivered was the NEGLECT experienced by residents from the Southern Grenadines, fueled by the words of the then Prime Minister Robert Milton Cato that, “Unionites will have to eat grass.” That insult cut into the very hearts of the senior and most respected patriarchs and matriarchs of Union Island. They were the ones ‘who called the shots’.