Panday is deluding himself

THE EDITOR: We want to suggest that one significant reading of the outcome of the local government election is that the Hindu/Indian constituency has passed judgement on the political leadership of Basdeo Panday. That Indian supporters declined to visit Rienzi Complex on election night, so unlike all previous election nights in the past, is further evidence of this.

Mr Panday’s capture of the All Trinidad Union in 1975 provided the political base to enter politics in the general elections of 1976. In that election he won 12 seats, and over a period of time, with internal schims and alliances, was able to increase this support to 13 seats in 1991 and 17 in 1995.This created the opportunity to enter government with Tobago support. Increasingly, Indians invested their political fortunes in the leadership of Basdeo Panday. The experience of Government in 1995 — 2001, the collapse of his administration largely due to his leadership and personality, his virtual concession of government to ANR Robinson and the PNM in the 18-18 tie in 2001 and outright defeat in 2002, are experiences from which the Hindu/Indian constituency has drawn important lessons about the leadership of Basdeo Panday.

Mr Panday deludes himself even now that it can be business as usual and vigorously pursues this policy of trying to get Hindus and Indians in an “opposition mode” as he put it. He and his members of parliament believe they can retain the Hindu/Indian political base in opposition with the formulas of the past, refusing to account and deal with salient issues pertaining to his leadership and governance. He continues to refuse to face up to and address the issue of corruption and allegations of corruption, especially as it relates to himself and his wife. This issue contributed to the collapse of his government. He failed to deal with the issue of Caroni (1975) Ltd, the sugar industry and agriculture. Initially, it was the working class of Indians of Caroni (1975) Ltd who were the very nucleus of the strength of Basdeo Panday. It is mainly the  lower-income Indians who still voted for him in this local government election. Yet these are the people who Mr Panday has betrayed in his failure to restructure Caroni (1975) Ltd.

The Hindu and Indian working class of the sugar belt will not support the PNM for what they have done, but they cannot support Panday for what he has failed to do while in government. The workers are experiencing a reality and glib talk from the UNC cannot alter this. In their mind Mr Panday is no different from the PNM — hence Hindu/Indian political withdrawal. In opposition Mr Panday quite accurately accuses the PNM of racism and discrimination. The use of state resources by the Manning administration in the interest of supporters is so blatant it is impossible to deny. It is now justified on the grounds of ethnic support and with chauvinistic rationalisations. Mr Panday never really built any institution to address the issue of alienation, racism and discrimination, a major grievance raised when in opposition.

In Government he was content with only passing the legislation and not pressing ahead with the establishment of the Equal Opportunity Commi-ssion as a matter of urgency. Did he delude himself that he would be in government for a long time? Hence his cry of racism and discrimination is viewed as opportunistic pragmatism, a political strategy to be used to retain and sustain Hindu/Indian support in opposition but when in power government, ignored completely. He uses a valid issue but he now lacks credibility and is viewed as not genuine and honest. Mr Basdeo Panday thus suffers from an enormous credibility problem. His political legacy can be viewed by these yardsticks. He held a press conference on Monday night after his defeat because there was no crowd to address, a first after an election, reveal this defeat despite the explanation he chooses to give for his predicament. The scene is most revealing: with only a handful of supporters so unlike the past, especially in opposition before 1995, Mr Panday cuts a pathetic figure at Rienzi Complex, the headquarters built by sugar workers who have all been betrayed and VSEP-ed, and which double as UNC headquarters. Only dishonour and disgrace awaits him in the coming months and years if he pursues his ambition of dying with his boots on.

KAMAL PERSAD
The Indian Review
Carapichaima