The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas National Citizenship Coalition yesterday announced details of its “Re-enactment of Burma Road Walk and Festival” next month to commemorate the anniversary of the Burma Road riots.

Rev Andrew Stewart, Chairman of the Bahamas National Citizenship Coalition (BNCC), gave details at the Bahamas Public Service Union building, Wulff Road, stating that the organisation with their march hope to “finish the fight that those brave men and women started” in 1942.

The incident 73 years ago came as a result of what locals felt was growing inequality, injustice and neo-colonialism, said Rev Stewart.

He indicated that BNCC has found systemic parallels between present issues facing Bahamians and the conditions in which those of that time faced.

Mr Stewart claimed that the June 1 march will be against “economic inequality, lack of ownership, injustice, political alienation, poverty, lack of opportunity and hopelessness”.

“We walk for a better Bahamas for all our people,” he said. “We walk to control our natural resources so that the wealth will be used to help the least of all Bahamians, in a new social contract, where dignity, sanctity, industry, innovation, fairness, enterprise and respect for human values will flourish.”

Many consider the Burma Road riots – a result of the agitation by labourers for equal pay for equal work regardless of colour or nationality – as the start of a social shift that produced the Majority Rule movement and made independence possible. The incident resulted in the deaths of five men – James Rolle, David Smith, Roy Johnson, Donald Johnson and Roland Mcintosh.

The re-enactment walk will highlight key stops featured on the historical journey.

BNCC officials will lead participants from Laird Street to Brougham Street, Peter Street, down to the Sports Centre (known at the time as Windsor Field), up to Thompson Boulevard and down to Poinciana Drive.

Participants will then march onto Blue Hill Road and to Bay Street, where the organisers will pause for a five-minute silence to commemorate the point where original marchers stopped to air their grievances at the House of Assembly.

The route will continue up Bay Street, south onto Armstrong Street, west on Shirley Street for a second stop, this time at the Collins House. Finally the march will move onto Market Street and then head back to Brougham Street, Laird Street and Peter Street community.

Beyond the march, officials stated that the three-day festival – from June 1 to 3 – will also feature presentations by historians, musical performances and recognition of family members of the five men slain in 1942.