Political Madness!!!

Never in one hundred and fifty seven million years did I ever think it was possible for me, breathing Mother Nature's air and standing on God's green earth to ever even contemplate the dawning of a day in which I could say that me and Sat Maharaj agree.

If you look up in the sky and see pigs flying by, if your chickens have grown teeth overnight and you hear snow falling on Dante's Inferno it is because that day has arrived.

Unapologetically and unequivocally I fully endorse this week's rant of Satnarine Maharaj of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha and he and I are in total and complete agreement; so much so that instead of writing this I almost just cut and paste his column "Of brave and boldfaced indians" in this space.

"On August 7, an organisation that exists primarily in cyberspace called Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (Gopio) held an awards ceremony to recognise citizens of Indian origin. At this function, held at the controversial Napa building in Port-of-Spain, fire and brimstone were hurled at the dying carcass of the People’s National Movement (PNM) by Gopio leader Deosaran Bisnath and keynote speaker Dr Bhoe Tewarie. These speakers railed against the discrimination of the PNM administration led by Patrick Manning in the strongest of terms. The ironic part is that such commentaries come after the May 24 general election when the PNM and Manning have been virtually wiped off the face of the political map. All of a sudden these “Indians” have grown strength to stand up to a dead regime to point out its shortcomings and discrimination towards the Indian community. Signs of political opportunism and vandalising the much won general election against the PNM have surged from bold-faced Indians, whose long silence aided and abetted the PNM administration. After Gopio International removed its former president, they met with the very Patrick Manning to assure him that the Bisnath-led Gopio would not give the PNM Government any problems as Devant Maharaj had.

When voices to defend and support the Indian community were required, there was silence by some who now speak out. When Chief Justice Sharma was being threatened with imprisonment, only a few were brave enough to challenge his accusers. Now that the People’s Partnership, of which the United National Congress and the Congress of the People are the main players, is in government, bold-faced Indians are emerging from the woodwork to stake a claim. Some obviously feel that because the base of these two political parties are mainly Indo-Trinidadians, that beating an Indian drum now and vilifying the half-dead carcass of the PNM, they will be now first in line to receive state funding and employment. The People’s Partnership will be best warned to stay far from these individuals and new defenders. It is safe to sit behind the anonymity of a computer in one’s home and help produce a manifesto, but the time will come when one has to personally identify with the struggle. India was lost to the colonial Britishers for hundreds of years because there have always been Indians who are self-serving." - Sat Maharaj

These new 'boldface Indians', in trying to elbow their way to the front are resorting to the most base, divisive and racist remarks. In my article 'We Did So, Now What?' I had cause to comment:

"Another point of concern for the entire population is the racist undercurrent permeating the People's Partnership, and which spilled out of the mouth of the GOPIO Vice President at one of its make believe national functions. No one from the Government has as yet distanced either the COP or the UNC from those remarks, and one can only assume that Mr. Bisnath was not only speaking to the East Indians in the crowd and in the Government, but for them. I would like to remind the powers that be that they are no longer campaigning but are in fact the Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. The tone they set on top reverberates on the ground, and racism, the ultimate zero sum game, leaves everyone a loser. The Prime Minister needs to pull her Party and her supporters in line, because that is a job only the Prime Minister can do." - PEA

The situation is getting worrisome because the signals being sent to rank and file Trinidadians is that Kamla Persad Bissessar is utterly out of her depth and the ship of state risks breaking from within. The cabinet is made up of neophytes devoid of humility, forcing a situation where people are being seen as inept in position and couldn't care a damn how it look.

In his article this week "Careful, Government, careful," Reggie Dumas was forced to say:

"The Prime Minister never tires of telling us that her policy is one of inclusiveness. However, an official trip paid for by all the taxpayers of this country cannot reasonably focus on one element of our society and its co-ethnics from the ancestral motherland. Such an approach flies in the face of inclusiveness and good governance. How, for instance, can one explain an interview with India TV network while the Caribbean media are ignored? If the business meeting at the Marriott Marquis was about possible investment in Trinidad and Tobago, who were the potential investors? Why was the Minister of Trade and Industry not present? All this comes after the interview given a few months ago by Winston Dookeran to the publication India Empire. In it Mr Dookeran said: "The time has come when the Indian community (in T&T and the rest of the Caribbean) must now shape the society for all so that they can offer…leadership." I called on Mr Dookeran to clarify what he meant; no word has been forthcoming. I make another call." - Reggie Dumas

In response to all of this, Selwyn Cudjoe, himself no stranger to controversy or racist pronouncements said in his Article "The Sun Also Shines:"

"With a straight face Deosaran Bisnath, president of the Trinidad section of Gopio, reminded us that Kamla’s visit “could possibly open the gates to stronger bilateral ties between the tiny island nation and the eastern giant,” which leaves this viewer to ask: why should Kamla go to New York to visit Gopio to strengthen bilateral ties when she unceremoniously blanked Hilary at a forum that is designed to do exactly that. Her visit to FIA was just as successful. Bisnath informs us that it is “one of the largest and most powerful umbrella organisations in the Indian community” from which I am sure untold blessing would flow. Bisnath also reprimands us. He asserted that “too many of us see ‘Indian’ and ‘African’ in the T&T context—loaded with connotations of race and tribal politics; the world out there does not. Trade and investments flow to the best locations, regardless of race, nationality, etc.” Kamla, he says, “grasped the opportunity to showcase T&T before such a large and important audience, internationally, and not just Indians.” And so we are faced with a paradox. An organisation that is dedicated to protecting the rights of Indians tells us that we must not talk about Indians and Africans any longer and an economy that was down in the dumps under the PNM is now one of the “better locations” into which trade can flow, regardless of race.

Two years after the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) won the Federal Elections in 1958, Badase Sagan Maraj, the leader of the DLP, was badly beaten in the 1961 election which led eventually to his political demise. Kamla has been in office for three months but she has spent three weeks or a quarter of her term on vacation. Next month she goes to the United Nations to speak about the intricacies of a government that she hardly knows. One really wonders how long can this continue; when in fact she will get down to do the people’s business. It is nice to travel and vacate. It is equally as important to do the people’s work which is what she should be dedicating her next months in office to. But we need not worry. Preacher David was right after all. He said: “The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.” My mother was just as wise as David. She used to say, “What you sow is what you reap.” It might be too early, but let us hope that the people don’t come to the realisation that the PP might just want to have a longer, more permanent vacation. “Go ’long Madame Prime Minister!” Remember that what’s good for the goose is also good for the gander. There is no good reason why they should support in one what they despised in another. -Selwyn Cudjoe

One does not have to dig too deep to find the real meaning hidden in those words, and the response of a threat in kind is rather too thinly veiled for my liking.

Since the elections of May 24th we have seen a change in the politics in this country for the worse, and even the die hard COP middle class supporters are abandoning ship rather than risk being tainted with that brush. I have said time and again that this is a lose lose proposition and no one will walk away from it a victor.

Kamla cannot be so delusional as to assume that Indians will hold power for ever, and the tone she sets now and how she treats with her African brethren may well come back to bite her very brothers and sisters when the tide of fortune ebbs.

We again call on the People's Partnership to retreat from the racist posturing before talk gives way to action.

This country does not need to add racial conflagration to the litany of woes she is currently saddled with.

Something to think about...