Trinidad & Tobago
TT has history of race talk - Samaroo
Port-of-Spain – Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s labelling of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as an “Oreo” at a political meeting in Claxton Bay earlier this month is symptomatic of the race talk that has historically been part of Trinidad and Tobago politics; additionally, there will be no easing up in this trend if the politics continues heading in this direction, UWI Professor Emeritus Dr Brinsley Samaroo noted last week.
“The whole political climate is characterised by racism,” Samaroo said, noting race talk was common in countries where two major political parties were dominated largely by two ethic groups. In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, Samaroo said the PNM and UNC were dominated by people of African and East-Indian descent.
Said Samaroo: “In view of that larger ethnic context in which the politics operates, then these comments are going to come from both sides continuously because that is the nature of the politics in which we don’t necessarily fight each other on ideological grounds. We fight on personal grounds and on ethnic grounds.”
Noting that Persad-Bissessar’s comment was in “poor taste,” Samaroo similarly observed Rowley and others also were not exempt from such a discourse.
“These statements of poor taste are coming regularly from both sides of the political spectrum. And while one might be disappointed, one is not surprised because it is all par for the course,” he said.
Additionally, “What happened there with the ‘Oreo’ comment is typical in an ethnically-charged political situation, and I think it will continue from both sides. It is not anything strange and is to be unexpected.”
Maintaining that the race talk will not stop simply by people condemning the statement, Samaroo urged citizens to “reconsider our historical situation and re-engineer the whole philosophy of the country”. He said very few people understand the seriousness of the ethnic cleavage in the society – one which he feels the political parties have continued to use to their individual advantage.
“So, why would you want to cease a situation that is to your political and personal advantage. So, I don’t think it will end in a very long time, unfortunately,” he said.
With Trinidad and Tobago’s political structure founded on the two-party UK model, which the British felt could have been replicated in its colonies, Samaroo said Britain did not consider the social construct of societies where such a system morphed naturally into two ethnic groups.
Noting Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana were examples, Samaroo said: “The reason why you did not have a similar ethnic situation in Barbados is because Barbados is predominantly of African descent, but in areas where you had people of different ethnic descent, the two-party system naturally morphed into two racial parties.”
He felt such a problem could be solved through “serious constitutional reform that seeks to bring the races together rather than to keep them separate, as it is now operating”. Additionally, “Constitutional reform is one important way of reordering the whole political system from what the British imposed on us to devising something that is more relevant to our social and economic situation. That is what we have been unwilling to do for the longest while as a result of which the situation remains.”
It was notable that the history of Trinidad and Tobago was racially-polarised long before Dr Eric Williams and Rudranath Capildeo entered politics, Samaroo said, noting “nobody has been able to do anything to change it”; this was so, he added, “largely because people are not confronting the major problem of constitutional reform, which would make people work together rather than against each other”.
Said Samaroo: “I think that is what we have to do.”
“I do take note of comments by some that there may have been some insensitivity but there was not an iota of racism in my statements. My track record in public life speaks for itself. I acknowledge that relevant truths can be spoken with less sensitive words in future. The failed Rowley PNM PR team should focus on the bread and butter issues of real people instead of their continuous spin and deception. I will continue to expose this Prime Minister and his government for the callous, uncaring bunch that they are,” Persad-Bissessar said.
At a UNC forum last week, Persad-Bissessar described Rowley as an “Oreo” controlled by the “one percent”. She said, “[The one percent] tried to own [Patrick] Manning but they couldn't do that... they tried to own me, but I sent them packing; they have their ‘Oreo’ now who is their guy in Keith Christopher Rowley, and that's how the one percent friends and family of Rowley controls him.”
Her comment sparked condemnation from National Security Minister Stuart Young, Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, and the PNM Women's League, with an accusation that Persad-Bissessar had made a racist statement.
Persad-Bissessar vowed to not be drawn into a desperate attempt by the PNM to shift public attention away from real issues.
“The PNM’s history has always been to distract the public attention away from their incompetence and the hardship that they inflict on poor suffering people in our country,” she declared.
Persad-Bissessar spoke of a quiet revolution worldwide where citizens no longer allow themselves to be used as gatekeepers and doormats.
Said Persad-Bissessar: “Whilst the old guard desperately seeks to maintain control, we are fighting to change the status quo so there can be equality of treatment and opportunity for all. The old guard or the one percent is not confined to any one race or ethnic group. It is a group of persons of various backgrounds, races and ethnicities whose only concern is the accumulation of wealth at the expense of the wider society.”
She said this alleged failed government is desperately resorting to race baiting to distract from pressing issues such as closure at Petrotrin, joblessness, a high cost of living, crime, and the upcoming budget.
“My comments… were about Rowley’s duplicitous nature. His choices seem specifically aimed at benefiting the elite, his friends and financiers, while the rest of the population suffers. He is not a man who cares for the average person,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said Rowley threatened to jail and sue workers for protesting retrenchment.
“This takes us back to colonial 1937 when the British colonial elites terrorised the Butler labour movement with threats of violence and jail,” she declared.
Persad-Bissessar likened the government’s behaviour to that of the colonial masters towards the workers and the poor, causing severe social and economic hardship.
At a police town hall meeting in Laventille last week, a woman complained of being harassed by police. Speaking after this complaint in Chaguanas, Griffith said while officers may feel their actions will not come back to haunt them, he intends to take all such matters seriously.
“If it is these officers are stopping people in a roadblock and they are making very lewd and inappropriate comments to ladies, the officer will continue to do so because he feels that nothing will happen. I intend to work closely with the Police Complaints Authority to see to these matters. If they (the police) are aware that if they do not adhere to their obligation, there will be repercussions, they won’t engage in that action,” he said.
President of the police Social Welfare Association Insp Michael Seales said the issue of policemen acting inappropriately has also attracted the attention of the association. Seales said he supported the commissioner’s efforts to stamp out indiscipline.
“When an officer is on the job, it is not expected that he be courting a woman, and if he cannot respect that or understand it, he does not deserve to wear that uniform, and I must commend the Commissioner for taking this stance. He has my full support,” Seales said.
He added when officers were on the job and in uniform, it was expected their behaviour and actions reflect the best of society. He also challenged all officers to be role models in the communities they police.
“The truth about it is the Opposition is not in power, so we are not in a position to say we can impact a decision made by the Cabinet and the government to sell the refinery,” he said.
He added: “But as has been demonstrated before and should not be taken lightly, when the people of Trinidad and Tobago come together for a common cause against any administration, it is the people who have the power to influence the decisions of what happens in this country. If [Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley] thinks he can make this decision that will affect over 100,000 families in this country at his whim and fancy, that’s not going to happen.”
Ramdeen noted it was clear that while the government has taken this decision to shut down the refinery, it has not thought through the ripple effects. He also accused the government of planning to sell the refinery since taking office three years ago.
“[This] is the end result of a calculated, intentional, and deliberate plan by this government to make and paint Petrotrin in a particular way, to try and sell the idea to the people of this country that at the end of the day, this is in their best interest,” he said.
Echoing Ramdeen’s words, last week Wade Mark also called the shut down “premeditated, calculated, and deliberate”.
He cited the initial statement from Petrotrin that all 1,700 staff at the refinery would be cut, comparing it to recent reports by the state oil company’s chairman, Wilfred Espinet, who had reportedly said all workers throughout the company would be retrenched.
“First they said 1,700, now we are being told 3,500. The total labour force is over 5,000. What is the real number? Where are we going? What you have is a government that is specialising in peddling lies, untruths, innuendoes, and fake news. And they accuse us of being unpatriotic. I accuse the government of being fake patriots,” Mark said.
It was the second sea trial of the Galleons Passage docking at the Scarborough Port, the problem this time being with the ferry's stern ramp unable to align with the onshore ramp.
During its first trial run to Tobago at the beginning of the month, the vessel could not berth properly from the bow (front), and so returned to Port-of-Spain without officials disembarking at Scarborough.
On Saturday, after the vessel was finally docked, it was observed that additional works were required to have the ramps properly aligned.
The vessel departed the Port-of-Spain Port at around 8.41 a.m. on Saturday, and arrived at the Scarborough Port three-and-a-half hours later.
Chairman of the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd Herbert George said the issue with the ramp would be ironed out.
“We have some tweaking to do as far as this one is concerned. We are going to make it wider so that the vessel can berth there much easier than it did today. It was a learning experience, but I think we can make some adjustments and have it much easier,” he said. George said the vessel is being operated by foreign and local crew, with its captain a local, Alister Khan.
“Initially, we have contracted the foreign crew for one year. If after that year we still feel the need to keep them, we shall,” George said.
The vessel can accommodate just under 700 passengers, but only 475 will be traveling during its initial operation since the sundeck area still has to be enclosed.
“Upon the commissioning of the start of service we would not be carrying passengers (on the sundeck) because that area has not been fitted out yet. Instead of having it as an outdoor area we are enclosing it and that enclosure has not been done,” George said.
The all-clear for the vessel to sail will have to come from the Maritime Services Division, as yet another change will have to be made along the canopy area. Vehicles will not be accommodated upon initial commencement of the vessel's operation.
“So once we have the all-clear from them to sail we would. We would not allow the canopy to hold us back. We would probably sail the boat, but not carry cars because people might just have an issue with putting their cars here and having it drenched with sea spray,” George said.
