Leave Mrs Panday alone, Donna

The Editor: On Sunday March 8, 2003 columnist Donna Yawching indulged in her  usual tirade against the nation’s politicians. 

Whereas one respects her  right to assail the misdeeds of the Prime Minister and his inept band of  Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition and his MP’s, it is quite appalling  that Ms Yawching would resort to the low blows of attacking the health of  the wife of the Leader of the Opposition.  Indeed, one notes the inhumane  and uncivilised comments of Ms Yawching, thus “for all we know, Oma could  have had a mole on her big toe.”  This to me is unpardonable, inexcusable. It is in shockingly bad taste. Pray tell, what does Mrs Panday have to do to please Ms Yawching? Is it  Ms Yawching and her patrons expect Ms Panday to expose herself via exhibition to the court?  As far as I know, the lawyers made a submission  and Chief Magistrate Mc Nicolls accepted it. It was entirely up to the discretion of the court.

Now, what saddens me is that not twenty four hours earlier, right there on  the Brian Lara Promenade, there was a  celebration on the status of women. Women were celebrated and lauded for  their contribution to the society.  In addition, within the last week, the  news was filled with issues relating to the health of women.  There was the  unexpected birth of triplets to the Hosein family in Couva, and  the Rani  Ramlal victory for medical negligence. Indeed, what is most revealing is that in this very case, Magistrate Deborah Thomas Felix has refused to attend court in San Fernando as a result of  her transfer on account of a bad back and the difficulty in commuting to San  Fernando on a daily basis. As such, all of this was lost on Ms Yawching  who bulldozed her way into the fragile health of Ms Panday. Doesn’t Ms  Panday deserve the right to have her husband at her side in her time of  ill-health.  This is not Ms Yawching’s first attack on the personal lives of the  Pandays.

Anton Dicke
Parishioner — The Exalted Word Tabernacle
Old Southern Main Rd., MCBean,  Couva