Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Flying with a Clipped Wing (1967–1973)

  • Chapter
The Difficult Flowering of Surinam

  • 50 Accesses

Abstract

Between 1958 and 1967, Surinam had enjoyed its most balanced and progressive period of development. In this period, control of the Staten was shared by the NPS and VHP, enjoying support from a clear majority of Creoles and Hindustanis, respectively. Beginning in 1967, as the VHP began to demand more ministerial posts, the NPS made an alliance with the smaller Actie Groep, which, ironically, had made its appearance as a protest movement against the VHP’s dealings with the Creoles. Between 1967 and 1973, Surinam’s government began to fly with one wing clipped: first, the NPS tried its luck with the smaller AG; then, after the abrupt collapse of that government in a teachers’ strike in 1969, the VHP set off in uncertain flight with the smaller Creole Progressieve Nationale Parti) (PNP). In both cases, the governments lacked the degree of legitimacy and support they had hoped for, and the NPS and VHP gradually discovered that reliance on a small ally from their rival’s cultural group puts that ally through a severe “crisis of brokerage” -whereby it loses access to, and credibility among, its followers.1 In both cases during Surinam’s period of clipped-wing flying, the small allies of the NPS and VHP were virtually destroyed by their participation in the government.

Mr. Lachmon used to go around talking about how he “made” Ministers and Staten members. Well, he didn’t make me, and he can’t break me....

J.A.Pengel, 1967*

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Edward Dew, Politics in the Altiplano: The Dynamics of Change in Rural Peru (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1969), pp. 12–13.

    Google Scholar 

  2. De Ware Tijd (Paramaribo, hereinafter DWT), November 26, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  3. New York Times. January 28, 1966; and interview, Humphrey J. Lamur, Amsterdam, July 25, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  4. DWT, November 29, 1966 and May 18, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  5. DW, December 7, 9, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  6. DWT, December 7, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  7. DWT, December 10, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  8. DWT, December 12, 1966. Ever since 1958, Rens later recalled, his relationship with Pengel had been tense. He was, he said, the only other NPSer with a strong, loyal following. Efforts to purge Rens from the NPS’ candidate list in 1958 and 1963 had failed, and in 1963, he was given the Ministry of Development, because “Pengel believed the job would break me.” In fact, the failure of the ORMET contract might have led to his ouster, but for the intervention of Lachmon, the formateur of the second 1963 government. Pengel had announced the awarding of the ORMET contract before Rens’ Ministry had completed its work on it. Lachmon warned that to make Rens a scapegoat in the affair would endanger the legitimacy of Pengel’s government, as a Rens in the opposition would be far more damaging to the NPS than to keep him in the Cabinet. (Note: according to the new electoral rules, a Staten member who was appointed to a Ministry was allowed to take his seat back upon leaving the Cabinet.) Nevertheless, anticipating trouble from Rens regarding the latest electoral law reforms, Pengel had kept Rens out of his negotiations with Lachmon, and had presented the bill for his signature only after clearing it with all the other members of his Cabinet. “The insult,” Rens recalled, “was too great for me to accept.” (Interview, Just Rens, Paramaribo, December 1, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  9. DWT, December 13, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  10. DWT, December 17, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  11. At one rally in January, for example, Dr. Alwin Mungra, son of the Staten member J. Mungra (1951–58), said: “We’ll fight Bruma and the others who hate the Hindustanis.... On March 15, we’ll show them the power of the mais and baboens” (DWT, January 23, 1967). In 1973,1 heard the same VHPer, in front of a large Hindustani crowd in Nieuw Nickerie, repeating this quote of Bruma’s in conjunction with warnings about his radical ideas.

    Google Scholar 

  12. DWT, December 20, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  13. The KTPI walked out before the vote, and Harry Hirasing, one of the founders of the AG, but now aloof from it and fervently opposed to the breakup of the Actiefront, abstained (DJVT, December 28, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Among them were the National People’s Party (led by the young Creole-Chinese geologist, Hans Prade), the Social Democratic Unity party (led by R. Dundas), and the group clustering around Just Rens (now discharged from the government).

    Google Scholar 

  15. DWT, January 18, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  16. DWT, January 23, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  17. DWT, January 26, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Interview, Harry Hirasing, Paramaribo, July 6, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  19. DWT, February 10, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  20. DWT, May 18, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  21. DWT, January 23, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Interview, Frank Essed, Paramaribo, February 13, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  23. DWT, May 17, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  24. DW, May 17, 1967; and DWT, May 18, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  25. DW, March 8, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  26. DWT, March 9, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  27. DW, March 8, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  28. DWT, March 14, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  29. DW, March 25, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  30. DWT, March 20, 1967. Some of these are recounted in A.H.C. Post, et ai, De Sittewasie: De Velmekstaking en haar Konsekwenties (Paramaribo: 1969), p. 10.

    Google Scholar 

  31. DW, March 18, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  32. DW, March 18, 20, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  33. DW, March 20, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  34. DWT, March 22, 23, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  35. DWT, March 30, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  36. DWT, April 7, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  37. DWT, May 16, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  38. DWT, May 13, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  39. DW, April 26, 1967; and DWT, July 19, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Suriname, March 13, 1967; DW, May 5, 16, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  41. DWT, May 17, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  42. DW, May 17, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  43. DW, July 31, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Ibid., and DW, August 1, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  45. DW, November 13, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  46. The Javanese member in the majority in the Staten was the SRI renegade, and the Javanese in the Cabinet was the former KTPI Minister (Rakim) who was returned by Pengel to his post as an NPSer.

    Google Scholar 

  47. DW, November 13, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  48. DW, August 16, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  49. DW, September 1, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Half of the money was an outright grant, and the rest were various low-interest loans (DW, October 2, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  51. DW, October 5, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  52. The holidays were Holi Phagwa and Divali, for the Hindus, Idul Fitr and Idul Azha for the Moslems, and Brokodei for the Bush Negroes (DW, October 21, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  53. DW, October 21, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  54. DW, November 28, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  55. Suriname, June 10, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Suriname, May 2, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Suriname, June 13, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Post et al, op. cit., p. 13.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Ibid., p. 14.

    Google Scholar 

  60. Ibid., p. 51.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Ibid., pp. 22–24, 31–34.

    Google Scholar 

  62. DWT, February 13, 14, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  63. DWT, February 21, 25, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  64. DWT, February 27, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  65. His fellow SDPer, C.R. Biswamitre, had followed a generally independent course in the preceding two years.

    Google Scholar 

  66. DWT, February 27, 28, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Post, et al, op. cit., p. 10, 66; DWT, October 18, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  68. Vrije Stem, October 13, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  69. DWT, September 18, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  70. DWT, September 23, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Vrije Stem, October 29, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  72. Volksbode, October 13, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  73. DWT, October 15, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  74. DWT, February 19, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  75. Vrije Stem, October 25, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  76. DWT, January 11, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  77. Vrije Stem, October 6, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  78. Vrije Stem, December 3, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  79. Anonymous VHP Staten member.

    Google Scholar 

  80. Vrije Stem, October 27, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  81. DW, November 17; Volksbode, November 24, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  82. DWT, February 4, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  83. DWT, February 12, March 2, 7, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  84. DWT, March 5, 13, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  85. DWT, March 25, 30, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  86. See, for example, David G. Nicholls, “East Indians and Black Power in Trinidad,” Race XII, no. 4 (April 1971), pp. 443–59.

    Google Scholar 

  87. DWT, July 15, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  88. Vrije Stem, July 27, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  89. Volksbode, July 31, 1970; DWT, October 10, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  90. Vrije Stem, July 27, 1970. For the PNR reaction, see DWT, September 18, 1970. For the NPS reaction, see Vrije Stem, July 10, 1970. A new, Communist-oriented, movement being formed at this time by Humphrey Keerveld also denounced ethnic bloc-forming as impeding the chances for revolution (Vrije Stem, July 21, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  91. DWT, June 6, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  92. DWT, July 4, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  93. Vrije Stem, November 10, 11, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  94. Vrije Stem, July 10, 1970 and DWT, December 14, 1970. Technically, Arron was made Chairman of the Executive Committee, while Olton van Genderen (identified with the party’s old guard) was named Chairman of the larger Party Council. For details of the struggle between the two factions, see Vrije Stem, July 13, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  95. Vrije Stem, July 10, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  96. Volksbode, May 16, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  97. DWT, September 24, 2970.

    Google Scholar 

  98. DWT, April 13, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  99. DWT, August 31, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  100. DWT, October 16, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  101. DWT, January 29, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  102. Vrije Stem, July 8, 1970; DWT, July 21, 22; November 9, December 2, 12, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  103. Vrije Stem, October 12, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  104. Ibid.’ DWT, October 20, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  105. DWT, October 24, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  106. DWT, November 7, 11, 16, 17, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  107. Vrije Stem, November 18, 1970. 108 DWT, January 5, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  108. Ibid.

    Google Scholar 

  109. Eric Paërl, Klassenstrijd in Suriname (Nijmegen: SUN, 1972), pp. 33, 35–36.

    Google Scholar 

  110. Ibid., pp. 25, 32, 44–50; DWT, August 13, 1971. For details of the Reynolds joint venture, see F.E. Essed, Een Volk Op Weg Naar Zelfstandigheid (Paramaribo: Stichting Planbureau Suriname, 1973), pp. 229–33; and on the other joint ventures, see E. Azimullah, De Realisering van het Mogelijke 1969–1973 (Paramaribo: 1973), pp. 19–25.

    Google Scholar 

  111. Essed, op. cit., p. 73.

    Google Scholar 

  112. L. Zielhuis and D. Girdhari, Migratie Uit Suriname (Paramaribo: Ministerie van Sociale Zaken, June 1973), Vol. I, pp. 16–40; J.M.M. van Amersfoort, Immigratie en Minderheidsvorming: Een Analyse van de Nederlandse Situatie 1945–1973 (Alphen aan den Rijn: Samson, 1974), pp. 145–49.

    Google Scholar 

  113. F.E.R. Derveld, “Politics and Surinam Migration,” unpublished paper, University of Groningen 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  114. A.B.S., Voorlopig Resultaat Vierde Algemene Volkstelling, Suriname in Cijfers No. 60 (Paramaribo: 1973), pp. 9–10.

    Google Scholar 

  115. Ibid.

    Google Scholar 

  116. Elsevier (Netherlands), October 21, 1972; Haagse Post, (Netherlands), November 15, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  117. Quoted by Het Parool (Amsterdam), December 20, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  118. “Analyse van een Crisis”: Suriname februari 1973 (Paramaribo: INFORMA, 1973), pp. 6, 16.

    Google Scholar 

  119. DWT, February 8, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  120. These were the offices of Vrije Stem and De Ware Tijd(Vrije Stem, February 8, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  121. DWT, February 9, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  122. Vrije Stem, February 17, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  123. DWT, February 17, 1973; Vrije Stem, February 22, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  124. Vrije Stem, February 8, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  125. DWT, February 13, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  126. Vrije Stem, February 14, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  127. DWT, February 14, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  128. The figures in December 1973 were 553 Creoles, 290 Hindustanis, 36 Javanese, 4 Amerindians, and 1 Dutchman (Personal communication, December 17, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  129. Cited in Vrije Stem, February 10, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  130. The CLO reported 22 cases of injuries in the first three weeks (Vrije Stem, February 21, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  131. DWT, February 13, 23, 1973; Vrije Stem, February 10, 12, 15, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  132. Quoted in DWT, February 17, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  133. Vrije Stem, February 20, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  134. DWT, February 21, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  135. DWT, February 22, 26, 1973; Vrije Stem, February 23, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  136. Vrije Stem, February 23, 24, 27, 1973. 138 DWT, February 27, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  137. Vrije Stem, DWT, February 28, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  138. Vrije Stem, March 1, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  139. Vrije Stem, April 16, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  140. Vrije Stem, April 4, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  141. DWT, July 28, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  142. CLO-Bulletin, August 25, 1973; DWT, September 3, 7, 10, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  143. Aktueel, September 1, 1973. Hirasing was particularly angry that the NPS had only entered talks with the PNR and the predominantly Creole labor unions. This may have been a personal slight (as Hirasing is a volatile and highly independent leader), but it seemed to him a clear case of ethnic bloc-forming (ibid.).

    Google Scholar 

  144. By lowering the voting age to 21 (in 1973), an estimated 22,000 new voters were added to the lists (DW, September 1, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  145. These themes were already introduced at a VHP-SRI meeting in August. SRI-leader J. Sariman declared that there would be little sense in raising the flag of independence “if directly thereafter it would fly in flames.” Dr. Alwin Mungra, the VHP’s most outsproken (and in Creole eyes, most extremist,) leader warned that if Bruma came to power, he would “force people [i.e., Hindustanis] to leave the country, just as in Uganda.” (CLO-Bulletin, August 27, 1973). Later, throughout the campaign, Lachmon and others accused Bruma of being a Communist. E.g., Lachmon: “This will be the last election in Surinam, since Communism doesn’t permit elections.” (Vrije Stem, November 3, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  146. DWT, September 24, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  147. The PBP had been allied with the PNP in the 1969 elections, entering the Staten as part of the PNP-bloc. Other PNP-bloc parties (the PSV and KTPI) had also distanced themselves from the PNP as early as 1971 (KTPI) and 1972 (PSV). Thus, the PNP entered the 1973 elections badly isolated.

    Google Scholar 

  148. Vrije Stem, November 14, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  149. DWT, November 21, 1973. In particular, he identified young, urbanized Hindustanis as voting for the NPK (ibid.).

    Google Scholar 

  150. Vrije Stem, October 15, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Edward Dew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1978 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dew, E. (1978). Flying with a Clipped Wing (1967–1973). In: The Difficult Flowering of Surinam. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3278-9_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3278-9_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-247-2057-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-3278-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation