Playing politics with Divali Nagar

THE EDITOR: Perhaps the largest gathering of Trinidadians of East Indian descent was witnessed on the final night of the Divali Nagar celebrations 2003 held at Chaguanas.

It was reminiscent of the massive bazaars that are usually depicted in the Indian movies. There were not even standing room at the time the fireworks, sponsored by a leading financial institution, was about to start. There were also “fireworks” inside as indicated by the chairman of the night activities. It appeared as though the whole message of Divali was lost by the several speakers beginning with a top official of the NCIC, who unleashed a vitriolic attack on an unnamed organisation for not supporting the Nagar and by extension the commercialisation of the festival. He also launched an attack on a pundit who is associated with the unnamed organisation, but whose close relative was seated on stage as a dignitary. How low can someone stoop when one chooses to desecrate the sanctity of such a revered occasion to openly display vindictiveness on the night preceding such a momentous and significant occasion in the Hindu calendar.

The “fireworks” continued with the introduction of former Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday, to the microphone as he continued from where he left off at the funeral of the great Pundit Krishna of Caroni last Saturday. He repeated his call for civil disobedience and non-cooperation and related his struggle to that of Mahatma Gandhi and the late Rev Martin Luther King. Panday finds solace in large gatherings of Indians whether it is a funeral, a religious function held at a Mandir or a Divali celebration. Panday, in his address, listed the names of several persons who were dismissed from State companies when the PNM came to power. He continued with his political agenda when he named the victims of kidnappings for the last two years all with Indian sounding names. What Panday deliberately fails to mention whenever he cries political victimisation is the list of names of individuals who were dismissed under his stewardship as Prime Minister from the very same State companies. Panday must state the names of people that were replaced during the reign of the UNC by these very names he is now claiming to be victims of PNM discrimination. He must state their previous positions before the UNC came into power and if several of these positions existed before his government assumed office. The price we must pay for political patronage is a political price, and Panday and his supporters must be told this.

While Panday continues to appeal to the primordial instincts of the predominantly Indian sector of the population at the Divali Nagar, he has failed to lift a finger to help that organisation that is responsible for the Nagar. As Prime Minister he must be told to account for his government failure to assist the NCIC to provide better facilities for the people who support his party and who visit the Nagar year after year. There has been no significant improvement to the physical amenities at the Nagar from 1995 to 2001 (when he was Prime Minister). But on the other hand he promised Pan Trinbago to build their headquarters if they present him with the plans during a handing over ceremony in Trincity where prime lands were given to build its headquarters. Did the UNC government give as much as a load of gravel to the NCIC when Panday was Prime Minister? Today Panday comes as a saint to rescue the Indians of the country. Like, the sugar workers, he failed the rest of the Indian community.

ROBERT RAMSAMOOJ
Lange Park