Ralph Gonsalves has strongly criticized the current NDP administration for failing to adequately fund the National Spiritual Baptist Day celebrations, accusing the government of shortchanging an event of profound national and historical importance.
Speaking on a recent broadcast, Gonsalves claimed that the current government “didn’t provide as much support” for the national holiday as his administration had in the previous year. He accused the administration of putting out “a lot of propaganda” to create the illusion of support, while the reality on the ground was starkly different.
“The leadership of the spiritual baptist will tell you that,” Gonsalves stated, noting that the organizations received “very little support from the government,” a situation he described as “not nice at all”. He forcefully argued that “this is not something to be stingy about” because the day is a recognized national celebration.
Gonsalves stressed that the government of the day has a duty to provide “maximum support” to the Spiritual Baptist community, framing the issue as an “existential” matter. He warned that “if you know the price of everything and the value of nothing you can’t lead,” suggesting that the lack of funding reflects a broader crisis of governance.
To underscore the gravity of the holiday, Gonsalves reminded listeners that it was his Labor government that originally piloted the bill for Spiritual Baptist Recognition Day and subsequently passed the legislation to make it an official holiday. The day serves as a critical representation of the freedom of religion and conscience, marking the historical 1951 milestone when the persecution of Spiritual Baptists effectively ceased after decades of criminalization under the 1912 Shaker Prohibition Ordinance. Gonsalves pointed out the dark colonial history of “locking up people for practicing their religion,” emphasizing why the state must now actively support their freedom.
Despite the alleged lack of government financial backing, Gonsalves noted that the recent commemorative ceremony was still “impressive” and drew visiting Spiritual Baptist leaders from Trinidad and Grenada, even if the overall crowd size was slightly smaller than the previous year’s gathering.