BOLLYWOOD MINISTERS

AG Al-Rawi entered the stage as the intro to popular Bollywood filmi song Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (Tell me it’s love!) from the Bollywood movie of the same name starring Hrithik Roshan, started blaring on the speaker boxes on stage. As the Beauty Queen contestants looked on, somewhat nervously as this clearly was not a planned musical interlude, AG Al-Rawi began to sing verses of the song as he looked at the contestants.

Midway through the song, Al-Rawi’s sidekick Young made his way to the middle of the stage and joined in the singing.

What they sorely lacked in terms of melody, both Ministers made up with bravery as they sang and tried to dance. The beauty pageant contestants smiled through the spectacle as both Al-Rawi and Young clearly had great fun and enjoyed themselves immensely.

Housing Minister Randall Mitchell and PNM Deputy Political Leader Rohan Sinanan also got into the singing act. However, not everyone was pleased with their performance.

THAT’S INSULTING Opposition United National Congress (UNC) MPs Ramona Ramdial - Couva North expressed anger at what they said was a spectacle that insulted the true meaning of Divali. Ramdial, in a statement yesterday, said the song and dance presentation by Al-Rawi and Young had no place at a Divali function and was “an insult” to Hindus. “Last night the PNM hosted its much touted Divali celebration which in fact turned out to be an insult to the Hindu community as nothing religious, such as the meaning and importance of Divali was included in the programme,” Ramdial said.

“Instead we got a Bollywood show with our Ministers making a spectacle of themselves as evidenced in the expressions of the Divali Queens who they (Al-Rawi and Young) attempted to serenade.” Ramdial claimed it was hypocritical of the PNM to be part and parcel of such a lavish, expensive function and asked if a PNM financier had spent $1 million to fund the show. “What adds insult to injury is the fact that temples, village councils, cultural organisations and NGOs all over Trinidad and Tobago would have applied for funding to host real Divali celebrations only to be told by Government of reduced spending and unavailability of funds due to low energy prices,” she hit.

“Would it not have been better for the PNM to take the millions from its financiers and give to these groups and organisations to host Divali celebrations within communities?” She declared that the former People’s Partnership Government gave every religious organisation, cultural group and village council funding annually to host their celebrations.

“Hopefully as we celebrate Divali, the light of Mother Lakshmi will illuminate the minds of our citizens to recognise the devious deception of this Government.

Yet again we have seen a betrayal of our people by the arrogant PNM.” While he did not comment on the Bollywood show by the Ministers, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath, in a release, hit the PNM Government for its “disrespectful behaviour” towards the Hindu community. Padarath criticised government for what he said was a poor showing of support through funding for Divali and Ramleela activities. He stated that many organisations had to cancel celebrations due to a lack of funding from government.

The MP indicated that the funds for this year’s celebrations were inadequate and woefully low.

Padarath said he could not accept the government’s excuse of harsh economic times for poor funding when this same government purchased the Cazabon paintings for $3 million dollars to preserve the heritage of Trinidad and Tobago.

AG: ALL POLITICS However, Al-Rawi yesterday hit back at Ramdial, saying her comments were politically motivated.

He questioned why the UNC had no public Divali function this year as he pointed fingers at the party saying it was in turmoil as UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was being slammed by her own party members over her possible move to bring back former sports minister Anil Roberts in the Parliament as an Opposition Senator.

Al-Rawi said he grew up in a “very mixed” cultural environment in San Fernando, where his grandfather the late Lionel Seukeran insisted he learn about every culture in TT. He said his mother, former San Fernando West MP Diane Seukeran, “is very Indian” and a prolific singer.

He said he speaks English and Arabic and grew up around the Ramayana. “I have a Hindu grandfather, Presbyterian mother, Muslim father and Catholic wife,” Al-Rawi declared. “I have grown up in multiple cultures and I respect all.” Al-Rawi said the PNM has for the past 60 years celebrated Divali each year, from humble beginnings, at sites such as St James, Aranjuez and Macoya. He said this year’s PNM celebration was no different to last year’s event the latter which he said had drawn no criticism from Ramdial.

“Our celebration was meant in the spirit of Divali and we are very happy and very pleased with what we have done. Last night was not the only event we had as MPs and in our constituencies.

We enjoyed what certainly seems to have been well-received by many people in Trinidad and Tobago, and certainly there is nothing to apologize for,” asserted Al-Rawi.

PM: HOLIDAY FOR FIRST PEOPLE At the show, in delivering the feature address, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley suggested that a new public holiday may be granted to celebrate Trinidad and Tobago’s Carib Community, whom he referred to as “First Peoples.” Building on a theme of multicultural coexistence, Rowley said TT is fortunate to still have among its population the descendants of First People who were local inhabitants at the time of the arrival of Christopher Columbus.

Saying the First People have asked for a national holiday, he said, “I ask you, is that too much to ask? Is that too much? I say to our own First People, we hear you. We will acknowledge you”.

On the topic of TT’s ethnic harmony, he credited PNM founder, the late Dr Eric Williams, for creating a party as a rallying point for all persons, regardless of geography, race, creed, colour or class, and for having a vision for TT. He advised listeners to not take for granted TT’s social harmony, saying one can look to the world to see example of intolerance, such as at present in the ethnic-based civil war in Syria where recently children were targetted. By contrast, in TT, it is a strength for us to live in harmony with all of our differences, the PM said.