Deyda, Well said. A good historical reminder. I agree with you, Senghore was misunderstood by many. He is a TRUE SON OF AFRICA. PEACE Tombong >From: Deyda Hydara <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Is Senghor a true son of Africa or not? >Date: Tue, 25 Dec 2001 14:49:33 +0000 > >From Deyda Hydara >To Malick Kah > >Dear Malick, > >I do not subscribe to your claim that Seignior was opposed to Senegal's >independence as oppose to the aspirations of the people at the time. Where >does democracy stands in the face of such an accusation? Don't forget that >Senghor's party had the majority given to it by the people of Senegal. He >defeated Lamin Gueye's SFIO as well as his former friends of the PAI, thus >securing a mandate to run the affairs of the colony. >It is also on record that Senghor used his connection with former classmate >George Pompidou to get De Gaulle to accept to facilitate the independence >of >not only Senegal but the whole former French West Africa as he was known to >have battle against the "Balkanisation" of former French West Africa. >He criss- crossed the region spearheading talks to get his colleagues to >accept a federation in lieu of balkanisation but most of them feared a >Senegalese hegemony and withdrew gradually from the scheme leaving Sudan, >Benin and former Upper Volta. As we know only Sudan remained paving the way >for the Mali Federation for which he gracefully gave the hot seat to late >Modibo Keita who later mingled in the internal affairs of the PS leading to >his Exit. >I would like to say some few words about his relations with France, but >before that let me quote him: " I wear European clothing, and the Americans >dance to Jazz which derives from our African Rhythms: civilisation in the >29th century is universal. No PEOPLE can get along without OTHERS." >(Emphasis mine) >The above depicts Senghor's obsession for Black people to be "Recognised" >and given the due regard they deserve. The concept of Negritude stems from >this obsession. When Senghor and Cesaire came to France, Africans were >considered as "second class citizens of the world", something that pained >them so much that they vowed to change such a negative and inhumane >posture. >They were faced with classmates parading a "superiority complex" demarche. >Therefore they decided to prove them by "beating" them in all subjects >until >they gave them their due recognition as equals. This led to their excellent >performances as students bagging degrees while their white colleagues were >"recalles" repeating exams. >Following their studies, they also addressed a bleak picture of the black >race being peddled in France through a derogatory advert depicting a >laughing black man amazed by the wonders of the world. Senghor in >particular >swore to tear the "banana laughter from all the walls of France. >He beat the racists in their game by excelling in his studies, securing the >respects of his German jailers. >On the charge that he was a French henchman. Malick you got it wrong, the >Senegalese TV is airing interviews he gave to French journalists during his >tenure. Everyone heard him completely disagreeing with some of France's >African policies as well as of some of their global options. France >campaigned against the holding of the Olympics in USSR but he disagreed >with >that as well as the Russian intervention in Afghanistan. The above depicts >Senghor's pragmatism. When the Sekou Toures and others were subjecting >their >people to dictatorial rule, he not only delivered but also opened his >country to democracy and a free press. >He established the first African schools for rural cadres, the first for >agricultural technicians as well as the first school of administrators. >I must however concede that as a human being he made mistakes but overall, >he left a successful country with hundreds of thousands of cadres and >structures not readily available to countries without gold, diamond, cocoa >and oil. With their peanut, he contributed to what Senegal is today. Wade >confessed in an interview some days ago, that he was an admirer of Senghor >although he opposed him for 27 years. Do not forget that most of Africa's >liberation movements such as the ANC had offices in Dakar with Senghor's >blessings. >Hope we have now agreed? >Happy New Year to all >Deyda > > > > >>From: malik kah <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: Is Senghor a true son of Africa or not? >>Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 20:27:38 +0000 >> >>As we ponder about the demise of Leopold Senghore, it is right that we >>subject him to a discour for Zeng belong to a breed of politicians that >>will >>always intrests us Africans. After all these were the protagonists that >>fashioned the foreign as well as the socio-economic policies whose effect >>we >>still live with, hence what they stood for and what things they said is as >>much relivant now as it was then. >> >>It is apparent that Senghore was opposed to Senegals indepence as oppose >>to >>the aspirations of the people at the time. He was one of those success >>samples of the french policy of assimilados, he was what was termed then >>as >>coconut, black from the outside but white in the inside. His whole >>comportment was white hence he earned the admiration and support of the >>French establishment. >> >>This was Senghores oulook and at this point in time the wind of change was >>fast blowing in Africa, the people were demanding the right to self rule >>and >>a genuine independce, hence it was very important for the colonial masters >>to have loyal servants to whom they can entrust their administration >>without >>hinderance, where they failed to cultivate such proteges they engaged in >>bloody battles to subjugate the people into submission. A lot of people >>confronted the colonial masters, hence they preffered to die as matyrs >>and >>patriots than be subjugated. A lot of genuine Sons and Daugthers were >>executed, those obstinate ones that survived and led their people to >>Independence were sanctioned and turned into pariah states. Infact many >>of >>them through dirty plots hatched by the colonialists were either murdered >>or overthrown. It was in such a climate that Senghore was the darling of >>the colonial masters hence he was a suspect collaborator and this was >>important because the colonial masters needed alliances to continue their >>presence so as to justify their involvement in the internal affairs of our >>countries, with the likes of Senghore they were using Senegal as a >>launching pad. >> >>This is why Senghore's acts needs to be put in a historical context, yes >>he >>was highly educated, well respected academic but that does not exonerate >>his >>policies for it was people like him that has mortgaged the future the >>consequence of which we now live with . >> >>The arrangements and self intrests that manifested at this embryonic stage >>of nation building has left us poorer and weaker and being one of those >>principal architects he must be remembered differently by the radical >>African, the ones that had called for a programme of independence and not >>dependence. The road championed by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Nkurumah, Saikou >>Touray, Modibo Keita as well as Patrick Lumumba is well documented it >>testifies to the intrests that were being defended by their >>contemporaries. >>In fact the blue print of their calling is what EUROPE is now implementing >>in full, from monetary union to military as well as trade and economics. >>These people were ahead of their time at a time when Senghore was being >>celebrated as a poet laureate these people were carving and strategising >>the >>future of the continent. No wonder they were feared by the colonial >>masters, >>the respect they commanded was evident, wherever, they appeared in Europe >>the media would follow every utterance they made. These people can never >>be >>forgotten, after all Senghore before he passed out was nearly forgotten. >>History has absolved Nkrumah, so whatever critics may say, on balance he >>contributed more to the African conciousness than any of us or Senghore >>may >>ever do. Their roles were different one was loved by the African people, >>the >>other by the Europeans, take you position and define yourself. >> >>He went for dependency and got all the support and now all that support >>turned out to be the debt that is slowly strangling. With such an approach >>Senghore must be ranked amongst those that failed us. >> >>>From: Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]> >>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >>><[log in to unmask]> >>>To: [log in to unmask] >>>Subject: Re: Is Senghor a true son of Africa or not? >>>Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 15:49:05 +0000 >>> >>>You see, you do use your head sometimes. It sometimes seems that we are >>>programmed in such a way that any view that is unconventional is to be >>>dismissed as lacking merit or irrelevant. For example, people would >>>rather >>>remember Kwami Nkrumah for his speeches and vision rather than the way he >>>tried to implement that vision. Nobody, in his right mind, would deny the >>>fact that Dr. Kwami Nkrumah was both an intellectual and a visionary. But >>>try to talk about his short-comings and you are labelled "Anti-Nkrumah". >>>The >>>fact remains that Dr. Kwami Nkrumah was one of the first dictators that >>>Post >>>colonial Africa >>>produced. It is also a fact that one of the most repressive legislations >>>ever passed in any country in Africa was the Preventative Detension Act >>>(PDA). This piece of thrash was used by Nkrumah and those close to him or >>>in >>>uniform to jail inocent people for indefinite periods just because they >>>dared ask where the country was heading. Instead of explaining his vision >>>of >>>Ghana to those who were better placed/equiped to implement them, he >>>treated >>>them as insurbodinate anarchists. This is were President Jammeh differs >>>from >>>the rest of those Pan-Africanists. You people may not believe it now, but >>>time will tell. >>> >>>Have a good day, Gassa. >>> >>> >>>_________________________________________________________________ >>>Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. >>>http://www.hotmail.com >>> >>><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> >>> >>>To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >>>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >>>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >>>[log in to unmask] >>> >>><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> >> >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. >>http://www.hotmail.com >> >><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> >> >>To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >>[log in to unmask] >> >><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. >http://www.hotmail.com > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>