Racial barbs fly in House — Speaker shows MPs the door

Things turned nasty in the House of Representatives on Wednesday night during the debate on the Caricom (Skilled Nationals) (Amendment) Bill 2003, reaching a low point when one Government MP made remarks, which the Opposition branded racist.

Laventille East/Morvant MP Fitzgerald Hinds, a Government backbencher, read out a passage from “Inward Hunger” by Dr Eric Williams, including phrases like “by hook or crook they brought out the Indian vote” and “a hostile and recalcitrant minority.” Hinds said: “This is the danger facing the people of Trinidad and Tobago — exploiting race as the basis of political power. Dr Wiliams saw it as a danger then, and it is a danger now. Since that time ‘they’ have been construing these noble words in their own racist terms.” Opposition MPs vocally took offence to Hinds interrupting his speech with shouts of  “You are being racist!” and “In 2003?!”

Opposition heckling became so loud that Speaker of the House, Barry Sinanan, intervened to warn them: “Whether you like it or not, he is in possession of the House. If you don’t want to listen the door is right next to you”. The ruling brought audible gasps from the Opposition. After Hinds, Opposition MP for Chaguanas, Manohar Ramsaran, rose and complained: “I can’t sit here and have that MP repeat words like ‘recalcitrant minority’ and ‘hostile’ while you talk about Caribbean unity and spreading our wings. That kind of statement is taking us backward. We have to be very careful what we say; We are leaders. We have this member trying to introduce race into this debate. “Whenever the member for Laventille East/Morvant gets up to talk he brings racism and hate. The Chief Whip must talk to him. We on this side will never describe another group as recalcitrant.”

Opposition MP for Nariva, Harry Partap, also voiced his dismay with Hinds, saying: “He (Hinds) was in open defiance of his leader...Mr Prime Minister. “You must take action against the MP for Laventille East/Morvant,” he declared. During Hinds’ contribution his colleagues on the Government benches remained silent, several with heads bowed, and reports reaching Newsday are that they were very upset with his speech, especially as he had not even been carded to speak.