The National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) is marking the 56th anniversary of April 21, 1970, when the Government declared a state of emergency during the Black Power Revolution and detained the group’s leaders.
In a media release today, NJAC said the 1970 movement was “an effort to create a new spirit and a new society so that people could live in true happiness, love and unity, towards building a great nation.”
The group said the revolution brought “new hope” to the country and fostered a sense of unity among citizens, with people referring to each other as brother and sister. It also claimed that the period saw a 56 per cent reduction in crime.
Referencing recent incidents of violence—including the killing of four people in one case and the murder of a police officer in another—NJAC called on the nation to reflect on the values of the 1970 movement.
It urged citizens to work towards building “a new and just society” grounded in principles such as unity, respect for women, honouring elders, protecting children and strengthening families.
