Racist e-mail after PM’s speech

THE EDITOR: At a meeting in Chaguanas on Friday June 27, the Emperor of “Petrosingh” fame, brought the burning issue of race to the forefront of the Local Government Elections. He virtually admitted that the PNM and its supporters were guilty of racism against Indo Trinidadians! He called for an end to the racist jokes and insults directed against Indo Trinis which have been rife since 1956. He even revealed that they have a most devastating effect! The sanctimonious Prime Minister must feel that the vast majority of Indo Trinis fall into the “Dumb and Dumberer” category. But his shenanigans will not work and everyone with a level head and sound mind is aware of the ethos of the PNM. This is obviously just another election ploy to win votes and entice those of Indian ethnicity into a false sense of security. The anti-Indian vehemence of people like Fitzgerald Hinds, Abu Bakr, Selwyn Cudjoe, Gerard Fereira, Camille Robinson-Regis and others will, unfortunately not fade away into oblivion. The plebeian supporters of the PNM will in all likelihood ignore their Emperor’s insincere exhortations. This is evidenced by the plethora of racist, derogatory emails that WARD has received since Manning made his speech in Chaguanas.

At that same meeting, Camille Robinson-Regis had the audacity to quote from the Bhagvad Gita. This is the same woman who right after the 2002 elections expeditiously held ceremonies to exorcise the Ministry of Legal Affairs of Hindu deities. It is critical to note that it is only at Election time Manning makes such a speech in Central Trinidad. It is important to realise that Robinson-Regis would never quote from the Gita at a meeting in Maloney or Morvant. Manning definitely has no idea how devastating it is to be in a taxi with Indian music playing and the callous command to “change the station” or “turn off that noise” is bellowed! He has no idea how devastating it was for my parents and grandparents as school children to have to hide to eat their roti for fear of ridicule. He doesn’t know or care how devastating it was for the traumatised victims of the Piparo Volcanic eruption when Pastor Morris Johnson and his disciples descended like ninjas and ripped down the sacred jhandis. Manning could not care less how devastated Gypsy and Jack Warner and Carlos John felt when they were verbally and physically abused for associating with the UNC. The devastation experienced when Camille Robinson-Regis described Indian rice as “dog rice”. When Manning shouts with enmity that the PNM will flog and beat in all points of the compass, his intentions are to devastate. But, he should be careful that on Bastille Day, he and the PNM are not the ones to be devastated!

SHIVANNA DIPNARINE AND JULIE BICKRAM
for WARD (Women Against Racism and Dictatorship)