In defence of Panday’s speech at Divali Nagar

THE EDITOR: Permit me the opportunity to respond to a letter written by one Robert Ramsamooj and published in your newspapers on Monday October 27, 2003. In his letter, the writer took issue with a speech delivered by Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday at the Divali Nagar. For some time now, people like Mr Ramsamooj and others have been pontificating from some imaginary platform on whatever Mr Panday says and does. In the case of the speech delivered at the Divali Nagar, Mr Panday was dealing with issues facing the country. In this regard, the speech, for those who heard, was most relevant and appropriate. The issues in question are: crime, kidnapping, discrimination and victimisation.

It must be remembered that Mr Panday is an elected Member of Parliament and the leader of a party that represents the political will of hundreds of thousands of citizens of this country. Many of these citizens happen to be Indo-Trinidadians who live in Central and South Trinidad. Therefore, given the fact that the audience was largely Indo-Trini-dadian it was only fitting that Mr Panday deal with these issues. What does Mr Ramsamooj think should have been the content of the speech? Does he think that Mr Panday should have spoken on the theological aspects of Hinduism? Does he think that Mr Panday should have adopted a lotus position and give a philosophical discourse on the Ramayana? Mr Ramsamooj would also do well to appreciate that Divali Nagar has evolved over the years from a strictly Hindu/religious event to one of national and international stature. What is wrong with using the occasion as a focal point for expressing one’s thought as regards critical issues facing the Indian community? I am sure that he took no offence with Mr Manning’s storming of the Maha Sabha’s Indian Arrival day celebrations last year.

Ramsamooj also takes issue with a list of names of Indo-Trinidadians fired by the PNM, which was read out by the Opposition Leader. Does Mr Ramsamooj accept that discrimination should be hidden under a bushel? Does he think that racism would vanish if we just stop talking about it? At a time when so much evidence is surfacing as to the discriminatory tactics of the government and the calculated approach by kidnappers to target the Indo-Trinidadian community, it is necessary and critical that leaders speak out against injustice. In this regard, Mr Panday’s speech at the Divali Nagar must be congratulated. In fact, many of those in attendance openly congratulated him on not only his speech that night buton his masterful budget speech delivered some two weeks earlier.

K RAMNARINE
St Augustine