Gopio: Outlaw discrimination

Racial discrimination should be banned by law, urged the Global Organisation of Peoples of Indian Origin (Gopio) yesterday in its position paper for the PNM’s Vision 2020 conference. “It is imperative that amendments to the Constitution be made to include provisions prohibiting racial discrimination by the Government against specific ethnic groups like people of Indian origin and others.” Gopio urged that racial discrimination be made a punishable offence. Moreso it said, there should be legal guarantees against discrimination in justice, security, political rights, and access to places intended for use by the general public.

“There must be systematic reviews of existing laws and regulations to amend those which tend to perpetuate racial discrimination or the passing of new laws to satisfy the requirements of all citizens of this country.” Gopio urged that new agencies be created to “deal with the problems of racial discrimination against Indians and to protect the interests of other groups and not one over the other.” Gopio said the Government must legislate protection and remedies against  acts of racial discrimination against East Indians.