Understand Tivoli before you talk
Published:Friday | June 4, 2010 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
CRITICS IN the print or electronic (very shrilly in some cases) media as well as others, mostly verandah politicians, continue to lament the existence of Tivoli Gardens to which they attribute all the vices of criminality and gangsterism without highlighting any of the community's well known achievements in education, music, sports and cultural pursuits.
These critics, especially some talk-show hosts and so-called political commentators can lay no claim to finding or seeking solutions to the problem of dismantling or replacing the existence of the garrison-type enclaves, despite knowing it is the result of poor people huddling in specific areas when they migrate from the rural areas seeking employment opportunities.
They point fingers at the Most Honourable Edward Seaga, as the father of the Tivoli Gardens concept, which they portray as all bad and the source of other emerging problems.
Lip service
It is well known that these enclaves represent guaranteed votes which are essential to the power struggles by both political parties, and that the People's National Party (PNP) garrisons greatly outnumber the JLP's. Ours is a democracy in which both the PNP and the JLP only pay lip service.
Critics continue to ignore the concept and vision that the creation of Tivoli Gardens, as repeatedly explained by Mr Seaga - in volume 1 of his recently published book, My Leadership and Life - was a sociological experiment resulting from his many years of living among these poor Jamaicans pursuing his master's degree.
The opportunity presented itself after he was enticed into political representation and because there was a need to demolish the lawless enclave known as "back a wall" which even the police, and as Mr Seaga explained, even Premier Norman Manley could not enter. With the support of Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante and his party, Mr Seaga was able to set up what he saw as the way to create an enclave of another kind, one that would offer most of the social support requirements expounded by other more advanced societies, which included medical, educational, housing, sports, as well as cultural structures that would enable growth and development for residents. This Mr Seaga saw as the solution to urban problems of the sort Jamaica was facing. He naturally became very paternalistic regarding his constituents in Tivoli Gardens and was proud of their achievements.
The expected results were, however, over the many years hampered by the envy of other less fortunate areas and their political representatives who concentrated all their efforts in demonising him.
I am, etc.,