Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis – April 3rd 2007 (CUOPM)
St. Kitts and Nevis’ First National Hero, the Right Excellent Sir
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw stood tall in his quest to improve the
conditions of the landless.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Sir
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw Memorial Park on 3.5 acres of cane land in St.
Paul’s, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said
that as son of the soil and a son of St. Paul’s Village, it is only fitting
that the Nation’s First National Hero, The Rt. Excellent Sir Robert
Llewellyn Bradshaw, should have his presence felt and seen, and that his
legacy to the nation is soundly embedded in the hearts of the people of St.
Paul’s who he loved so dearly.
“Bradshaw worked tirelessly to bring hope and a brighter future for our
children, and he was a man who shared a vision of self-determination. He
worked hard. Maybe if he had not worked that hard, he would have lived a
little longer. He fought many battles, and above all he stood firmly in the
corner of the disadvantaged masses.”Dr. Douglas said that Bradshaw, who served as Chief Minister and Premier of
the State of St. Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla and Minister of Finance in the
defunct West Indies Federation also made “his mark in the processes of
Caribbean integration, because he believed very strongly of a Caribbean
people speaking with one voice against the oppressors wherever they were.”
Prime Minister Douglas said it was important that the people of St. Kitts
and Nevis do not forget their contemporary history and the enormous
sacrifice that men like Sir Robert endured on behalf of the masses. “Too
often, today, many of us take our social and economic progress for granted,”
said the St. Kitts and Nevis leader, who like Bradshaw, was also born in St.
Paul’s.
Dr. Douglas was of the strong view that as the people of St. Kitts and Nevis
celebrate the life and memorialise what Mr. Bradshaw First National Hero
stood for, “we remember at the same time the very great contribution that
has been brought to this country and to the Caribbean region by the St.
Kitts-Nevis Labour Party.”
“I want to make it clear today that none of our achievements today would
have been possible if it were not for men like Sir Robert facing the
uncertainties, facing the difficulties and sometimes the tremendous risks,
so that we today can share in the rewards of their struggles,” said Douglas,
the five-term Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Six, which runs
from Newton Ground to Harris’.
Prime Minister Douglas said that the memorial to Bradshaw is intended to
bring about greater awareness in the First National Hero. “We do honour his
life and work through this memorial. In it, we seek the upliftment of our
mental being. We seek for the recognition and the recognition of the
importance of working together. Though it we believe that we can demonstrate
that through productivity and if we were to work together in love and in
harmony for peace and progress, then the future of this our proud nation
will be unmatched,” he said.
Dr. Douglas, who along with UNESCO Youth Path participant, Judette Pollock,
officially broke the ground using red-ribbon shovels, told his cabinet
colleagues, residents of St. Paul’s and other areas of the constituency and
invited guests that the ground breaking ceremony “is tremendously special
because it brings a great sense of pride to all of us who understand our
history and what it means today to be a free and independent country.”
The ceremony was chaired by Ms. Mutryce Williams. The National Anthem was
played by students of the Sandy Point High School. The invocation was said
by Pastor Peter Paul. Remarks were said by the Director of the Physical
Planning Department, Mr. Ellis Hazel, who gave an overview of the project;
the President of the St. Paul’s Golden Years Club, Mrs. Roslyn Grant; Club
member, Mr. Theophilus Freeman and Cultural Presentations by the Golden
Years Club and the St. Paul’s Primary School.