While the rest of the Caribbean goes about its normal business, Anguilla is taking time off over the coming days to celebrate the 37th Anniversary of its 1967 Revolution in which it broke ties with St. Kitts-Nevis.

The break came on May 30 that year three months after Britain created the three islands an Associated State with responsibility for full internal affairs placed Anguilla squarely into the hands of the much despised Central Government of Robert Bradshaw.
Since Anguilla’s unpopular union with St. Kitts in 1825, there had been an uneasy political relationship with the Anguillians feeling grossly marginalised and neglected.
In one of their early petitions to the Colonial Office in 1872, they wrote:

“The interest of Anguilla, its resources and capabilities of development are not understood … by the legislative body of St. Christopher who are utter strangers to us, ignorant of the community, careless of their wants, and therefore unequal to discharge … the important duties of legislation for us. …This legislative dependence on St. Kitts can in no sense be called a legislative union. It has operated and continues to operate most injuriously against is, and is mutually disliked.”

Students practising for the parade

The petition, like the others that followed, brought little or no redress. It is not difficult to understand, therefore, how insecure the Anguillians felt in 1967 when Britain completely removed herself from the internal situation with no safeguards for their own interests. The result was that they rebelled and took over their own affairs. Anguilla eventually won its political freedom when it was formally separated in December 1980 and with its own Government is happily back into the Caribbean family of islands.

During this week there have been a number of activities leading up to the celebration of Anguilla Day on Tuesday June 1. On Saturday May 29 the Anguilla Christian Council and the Anguilla Evangelical Association have planned a Thanksgiving Service at the Church of God (Holiness) at 3. 00 p.m. Special Anguilla Day messages from Government officials will be read in churches over the weekend. On Anguilla Day will be the official parade at the Ronald Webster Park involving various uniformed bodies and the presentation of awards to six persons, two posthumously. The event will be followed by the customary boat race at Sandy Ground.

Meanwhile, Revolutionary Leader James Ronald Webster says he is disappointed with the current leadership of the island as well as with the changed lives and attitudes of the many people. The dispirited former Chief Minister is of the view that the revolution has fallen short. One of his reasons is that by now Anguilla should have achieved a greater degree of political and constitutional independence in terms of at least being an Associated State. Pressed to comment further, he stated he wanted only to wish everyone a happy Anguilla Day.

Drill practise for Anguilla Day Parade

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