Dear Editor,
One of your letter writers, Mr Blackman, wrote that the lands of Bachelor’s Adventure, Paradise  and Melanie Damishana were bought by freed slaves “after their indentureship ended in 1838.” I believe he meant after slavery. (‘Bachelor’s Adventure, Paradise have been waiting five years for multipurpose centre’ SN, July 24).

The village of Melanie Damishana (Melanie’s Village in Swahili) was built by Forbes Burnham’s PNC in the mid 1970s and named after his daughter Melanie Abiola. These lands were appropriated from the sugar estates of Enterprise/Bladen Hall and the villages of the same name are now aback of Melanie Damishana. It is a historical inaccuracy to claim that the Melanie Damishana land was bought by freed slaves after 1838.

Why was this village established in front of Enterprise/Bladen Hall by the PNC? Hamilton Green could shed light on this subject as he was a member of the PNC cabinet. The villages of Enterprise/Bladen Hall were home to predominantly PPP supporters who felt the brunt of the PNC during its 28-year rule. While previously the Enterprise/Bladen Hall residents had their own access road to the Public Road, now they have to pass through Melanie Damishana.

All foodstuffs during PNC days were distributed first to Melanie Damishana, Bachelor’s Adventure and Paradise and whatever was left, was then distributed to the residents of Enterprise/Bladen Hall.

Before the advent of Melanie Damishana, those lands including the lands in front of Coldingen and Non Pareil were used for years by Enterprise/Bladen Hall residents to grow rice, and rear sheep, goats and cattle. They believed they would get those lands for housing when the occasion arose.

But with the coming of the PPP/Civic the current government then distributed those lands to persons from predominantly Buxton, Friendship. Vigilance, Bachelor’s Adventure and Paradise. It was the PPP/Civic’s grand showcase free house lots policy. Some residents of Enterprise/Bladen Hall also got house lots, but they were in a minority. The PPP/C has also seen it fit to establish the post office at Melanie Damishana.

The village of Coldingen, Non Pareil and Enterprise/Bladen Hall has now grown to about  five times its original size. The people are all strangers to each other, and just live side by side. Drug pushers and skullduggery now rule the day. Currently no sense of community spirit exists in those areas. While before Enterprise/Bladen Hall residents could scold a thief by ostracising him, there is no effort any longer. The people are strangers to each other. And the PPP group of Enterprise/Bladen Hall which was a fighting force during the PPP days in opposition, does not function any more as it once did.

Enterprise/ Bladen Hall’s demise started with the establishment of Melanie Damishana and the PPP/C establishment of the Industrial site at Coldingen, which is parallel to Non Pareil.  It continued with their house lot policy, which also meant that residents had nowhere to tend their flocks.

When the PPP/Civic lost its hardline supporters during the last 1997 elections, it was because of the neglect they demonstrated towards them. Come the 2010 elections and we would see a greater apathy by PPP supporters in Enterprise/Bladen Hall and across the country.

Yours faithfully,
Sultan Mohamed