Keznamdi Wants “Anti-Rasta Crimes” To Be Addressed By Jamaican Gov’t
Reggae Renaissance Keznamdi has knocked di Jamaican Government fi wat him seh is its failure to address frontally, di issue of injustices being exacted upon members of Jamaica’s Rastafari population.
A few days ago di Victory artist sought to point out dat historically, di Jamaican State has dealt wid Rastafarians inna contemptuous manner, wid di main case in point being di Coral Gardens Massacre weh tek place inna Montego Bay, St James inna di 1960s.
Weeks ago, him did sought fi bring di tragedy to attention wid di release of him new song titled “Justice”, a duet wid Errol Edwards and its accompanying video, weh him declare as one of him “most powerful pieces” dat him eva mek and him “biggest contribution as a musician to Rastafari”.
“The Coral Garden Massacre also known as Bad Friday is a fact that most Jamaicans and the World have no idea about. They don’t teach this history in schools that the Prime Minister of Jamaica in 1963 ordered Rastas to be rounded up, killed and arrested,” Keznamdi wrote.
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According to Gleaner newspaper records, di 1963 massacre reportedly stemmed from an old incident in which a “Rastafarian sympathiser, Rudolf Franklin, was shot and seriously injured by a property owner in a dispute over lands”.
Following di incident, Franklin and him colleagues decided to exact revenge by bunning dung di Ken Douglas Shell service station, an incident weh did result inna massive state crackdown against Rastafarians.
Di den Prime Minister, Sir Alexander Bustamante, did guh to St James wid di commissioner of police and head of di Jamaica Defence Force. Scores of policemen from neighbouring parishes were deployed to Coral Gardens and surrounding areas weh more dan 150 ‘beard men’ were rounded up and arrested. Di police even captured Rastafarians from odda parishes far removed from di incident and persecuted dem.
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Di den Prime Minister, Sir Alexander Bustamante, did guh to St James wid di commissioner of police and head of di Jamaica Defence Force. Scores of policemen from neighbouring parishes were deployed to Coral Gardens and surrounding areas weh more dan 150 ‘beard men’ were rounded up and arrested. Di police even captured Rastafarians from odda parishes far removed from di incident and persecuted dem.
Prior to di Coral Gardens Massacre dere wuz a series of incidents involving di police exacting brute force pon Rastas. In fact, according to a report from di Office of di Public Defender, police, while at training school, often used images of Rastafarians as targets fi shooting practice at di shooting range. [JUS MUSE: Kiss mi…A weh di rass!]
A myriad of odda instances of abuse have been documented including di police bunning dung Prince Emmanuel’s Rastafari camp and arresting him in May 1958 while nine Rastafari families were forcibly evicted from lands in Spanish Town and dem home dem destroyed dat June. In October 1958, di police also did raid a Rastafari camp inna Westmoreland and imprisoned its leader who dem later convicted and sentenced.
In commenting furda on Coral Gardens, Keznamdi said dat: “As a matter of fact the Government of Jamaica has never tried to make full public acknowledgment and proper financial reparation for these crimes against humanity. This is a True story and now it’s in a form of a short film and musical cry for Justice which is intended to wake up a new level of consciousness about continued atrocities of the State against Rasta as an indigenous group that has brought fame and revenue to the country. Now the whole world is watching.”
Howeva, contrary to Keznamdi’s claims, in April 2017, Prime Minister Andrew Holness did apologize to di Rastafarian community for di atrocities committed against dem members inna di 1963 Coral Gardens massacre.
In an attempt to make restitution on behalf of di state, Holness seh di government wud establish a trust fund in di sum of $10 million to assist di beneficiaries of dem who did suffa loss during di “repressive” incident, a Gleaner report said.
Holness did also asked The Public Defender fi carry out one extensive report pon di Coral Gardens incident as well as locate survivors of di incident.
In a statement to Parliament, Holness did acknowledged dat di Coral Gardens incident had been a source of pain and hurt fi Rastas, and dat di Coral Gardens incident “was a grave injustice”.
In acknowledging di wrong dat was done by di state, di PM did also promised dat such an incident wud neva again occur inna Jamaica.
Howeva, last week Keznamdi seh dat dere has not been a lot of difference nowadays as it relates to police treatment of Rastafarians, wid di latest case being di trimming of 18 year old Nzinga King of di Nyahbinghi Order, by a policewoman at di Four Paths Police Station in Clarendon.
According to him nuh suitable response has been presented by di Holness administration about di matter involving di young woman.
“Honorable @andrewholnessjm I hope this film has moved you as it has moved me to promote and protect a very special culture that was originated in Jamaica. We still haven’t heard a response of all the atrocities that has been done to Nzinga King, Ancient Bongo Lion and generations of ones before. The Rastafari community is feeling refused, used and abused over the years by the government,” he said.
Keznamdi seh Holness has been given a golden opportunity to appease di Rastafarian community, and call pon him fi seize it widout delay.
“So @andrewholnessjm now you get the chance to right the wrongs, what Yu gonna do with it? You have the power to call the police force and education system to justice and to introduce into laws stiff disciplinary action against any authority that denies the rights of members of the RasTafari community,” him seh.
Di Reggae Revival artiste said him did mek di film more dan 2 ½ years ago, and fi him it was dejavu, as tings had remained di same.
Di Rastafarian noted dat him was still proud fi seh The Justice Film weh illustrate di Coral Gardens situation, inna it own way had been released as no music visualization of di tragedy had been undertaken before.
“A bittersweet moment knowing that these Anti Rasta crimes I sang and made a film about 2.5 years ago are still being committed today while eye water fill up my eyes,” him seh.
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Source: dancehallmag.com | Claudia Gardner
