Maroons still have a long way to go, says President Santokhi

PARAMARIBO (CMC):

President Chandrikapersad ‘Chan’ Santokhi said on Wednesday that while the Maroon community has come a long way in its social emancipation and development, it still has a long way to go.

In a message marking Maroon Day, Santokhi said the occasion marks a significant day in the history of the descendants of the enslaved, “because on this day, from 1760 onwards, peace treaties were finally signed by the Dutch colonial government, which were to contribute to the recognition of the human dignity of all slaves.

“This day should remind us that there was a fight for all those who had to live under the yoke of slavery, not only for the so-called loweman paansun, but also the fotonenge, the city Creole,” Santokhi said, adding that while the Maroon community has come a long way in its social emancipation and development, there’s still a long way to go.

“We see that when it comes to political participation, the Maroon is increasingly gaining faith and confidence in our political diversity.”

He said the policy of his coalition administration is always aimed at involving the Maroon community as much as possible in political decision-making, adding that “where it has gone well, you will also see the fruits of it.

“No one should be left behind. As a government, we have an eye on every Surinamese, whether you live in Sipaliwini, Brokopondo, Marowijne or Paramaribo. It has taken too long.

“We must finally and effectively work on sustainable development of the Maroons’ living areas,” he said, adding that he would soon be talking to the government and the traditional authorities of the interior again, “to discuss and hear their vision on how they see the development of the interior and what steps need to be taken to achieve this.

”I actually want to get rid of the word interior because it implies backwardness. The awareness to think in terms of development must also be increased in order to eliminate the material dependency of people,” Santokhi said.

He said he is using today to commemorate Baron, Boni and Joulicour, “who symbolise the struggle that many brave men and women fought against injustice and oppression.

“Even today, we are still fighting against this, but step by step we will get there,” Santokhi said.