THE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport had a very successful year, Dr. Frank Anthony said, and “we have made significant headway where our monuments and the restoration of these are concerned.”
Speaking at a recent press briefing in the ministry’s boardroom to highlight achievements for 2014, Permanent Secretary Alfred King explained that the ministry is poised to announce that “to date we have achieved 95% of all our intended activities and before the close of 2014 we would have completed all activities.”
He said further that the ministry’s $1B budget allocation has been utilised in the manner it was slated to and before the end of 2014 the allocations would have been completely utilised.
ROSE HALL MONUMENT
Minister Anthony remarked that the National Trust had a remarkable year where the restoration and construction of monuments made significant headway. The Culture Minister explained that “last year we started a very important observance, in 2013 we would have marked 100 years since the shooting of the 16 persons at Rose Hall and I believe that this very historic event has been overlooked in our history.”
For some time now, Dr Anthony continued, discussions were carried out to construct a monument in their remembrance. He further explained that “what we were able to do on the 100th anniversary was to find the gravesite of these individuals and we were able to create a park around this site.” This, he noted, was done in 2013.
“And in 2014 we constructed a monument in their honour which was unveiled by his Excellency President Donald Ramotar and every year we will have annual observance of this historic event,” the Minister said.
“Under the National Trust some interesting work has been completed and started,” Dr Anthony noted. He emphasised that upkeeping of the monuments is a tedious job and only recently persons defaced the 1823 Monument which was also recently unveiled.
He noted that in August 2013 they unveiled the 1823 Monument on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, erected to the memory of those who lost their lives during the slave rebellion of that year.
This 1823 Monument, he added, was also unveiled by President Donald Ramotar who remarked that the exercise indicates that they are formalising the honour which has been kept in the hearts of Guyanese as a united people, acknowledging an epic contribution to our people’s quest for justice, dignity and liberty.
INDENTURESHIP MONUMENT
Dr Anthony related that one of the major projects for 2014 was the allocation of a site for the Indentureship Monument. “One of the projects we focused a lot on this year was identifying a site at Palmyra in Berbice, where we will be constructing the Indentureship Monument.” Minister Anthony noted too that the ministry conducted a competition for the design of the monument and has since selected the design of statues of six persons, five of them being adults and the remaining one a child. The competition for the design of the monument was won by Winslow Craig and Philbert Gajadhar.
According to the Minister, discussion between the ministry and GuySuCo was done to identify a site for the placement and construction of the monument. Both parties agreed that Palmyra was most suited and an acre was given to the ministry to erect the said monument. Anthony thanked GuySuCo for the generous contribution.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has approached and concluded an arrangement with the Indian Government through the Indian High Commission here and “they have agreed to construct the six bronze statues that will be some 12 feet high,” he explained. The monument will be sculpted in bronze, 12 feet high, 12 feet wide, double life-size, and mounted on a 9-foot high base where five out of the six statues will represent adults and the other a child. “We are expecting that these statues will arrive in Guyana sometime in 2015,” Minister Anthony said as he concluded his
