Simply the Best

Enough has been said about the great loss to the region and the void that has been created by the death of the Lloyd Best by people who had the good fortune to know him a lot better than I did. I was abroad and could not attend his funeral and wish to add my own personal tribute because of the profound impact he had on my life.

I first met Lloyd at a chance encounter at the airport. I was an avid fan and pompously introduced myself as a barrister who had just returned from London. I told him that I enjoyed reading his pieces and looked forward to reading his commentaries even though I read them with a dictionary close by. I thanked him for improving my vocabulary and he laughed heartily and patted me on the back.  

I told Lloyd that I had acquired a Masters in corporate law but couldn’t find a decent job with any of the established law firms in Trinidad. He told me that there was a need for ‘social justice’ and suggested that I consider whether law could be used to achieve greater balance and equity because the politics had failed ‘miserably’ to do so. The conversation gave me hope and influenced the direction of my career.

I next met Lloyd 6 years later when we appeared on a television panel to analyse the results of the last general elections. The other panelist was Professor Selwyn Ryan. To my delight, Lloyd supported many of the views I expressed and gave me the necessary confidence that allowed me to articulate my position.  

Lloyd described Panday as the ‘only genuine’ politician in Trinidad and expressed open admiration for his abilities. When we viewed Panday’s speech to his supporters at Rienzi Complex Panday was cleverly trying to console them by saying the results were heading to yet another 18-18 tie. His speech in the face of electoral defeat was masterful and Lloyd said it showed his ingenuity craftsmanship as a politician. “That is why what has happened to Panday is so tragic”, he said.

After that panel discussion, I kept in touch with Lloyd and would call him at home for advice. I valued his opinion because it was bound to be highly intellectual and completely impartial. He always made time to chat and refused to allow his ill-health to get the better of him.

It is an indictment on our society that we never gave Lloyd the political chance he deserved to implement his vision. His relentless pursuit f a better kind of politics should have yielded better results. The social transformation he attempted to engineer was overwhelmed by the racial politics of the day. Decades later his original discourse and ideas remain relevant to a society that has not matured and developed politically.

 Never the conventional academic, I thought it ironic that his life would be celebrated in the place he once described as ‘an intellectual morgue’-the UWI. His biting criticism of the narrowness and isolationist approach of the UWI made me smile as I had recently made a similar observation when comparing my experiences at both my universities.

That this disconnected intellectual institution that had amputated itself from society was one of Lloyd’s greatest regrets. He often complained and publicly spoke about it. It is perhaps fitting therefore, that one of Lloyd’s disciples is now in charge of the UWI and has see it fit to honour him. UWI principal Dr. Bhoe Tiwari has made many positive strides during his tenure towards making the institution more relevant to society by seeking to transform it into a major stimulant for genuine debate so that the UWI could influence and shape our society and the way we think. There is some distance yet to travel as many still feel that the UWI needs to be fully integrated into mainstream public discourse.

Lloyd has led by example and worked tirelessly to advance his vision throughout the region. I recommend that Dr. Tiwari consider a more permanent and lasting tribute to one of the region’s finest minds. Ideas include a sculpted bust, ‘the Lloyd Best bursary’ or renaming the West Indian reference section at the library after him.

Best has been a source of great inspiration to many and the void that has been created would be difficult to be full but there are many leaders and thinkers in our society who have been touched and influenced by his life and work. May their actions and deeds demonstrate that they have learned from the lessons he so selflessly shared.

Anand Ramlogan