The Editor: After repeating the allegation ad nauseum since the UNC’s national executive elections of 2001, that the dissatisfaction of the three Ministers dismissed on October 2001 had nothing to do with the corruption in Government but with opposition to his programme of inclusion of nonIndians, Panday has again resorted to this self-serving mantra in two recent radio interviews. Let me state for the records that our disaffection with rampant corruption in the Government and Panday’s condonation of it was but one issue which undermined confidence in the Government and in Panday’s leadership. The writing was on the wall immediately after the UNC was assured of office at the end of 1995. Panday publicly credited four persons, among others, for UNC’s victory in seventeen seats.

A grateful and genuflecting Panday gave these four, among others, full freedom in Government as a reward. The rest is history. The Deyalsingh Inquiry into the Airport Terminal Project concluded that there was collusion in the award of the consultancy contract to Birk, Hillman and irregularity and corrupt practice in other aspects. The court found the Inquiry to be flawed in one technical aspect ie that Ish Galbaransingh and his firm NCL were not given an opportunity to be heard before the Commission. The Court never ruled on the substantive findings. The speed with which Panday moved to have NCL reinstated as the main contractor on the project tells its own story. Some of the revelations of misconduct, conspiracy, secret dealing, irregularity and suspect behaviour before the current Commission of Inquiry which had been brought to Panday’s attention while in office was greeted with stern rebuke. It is difficult to hide behind the tattered fig leaf that since there has been no conviction there was no corruption.

However, there were other issues of equal concern. The enormous control over Government and party exercised by financiers and friends made a mockery of our system of representative government and transformed elected persons into cyphers. The power and influence of the once derided parasitic oligarchy knew no bounds under Panday. This was the price we had to pay for inclusion. The rank and file supporters were being shamelessly hood winked and sold short. The pattern of government expenditure largely benefited a favoured minority. The flagrant subversion of the democracy in the UNC by an arrogant refusal to accept the results of freely contested elections for Executive posts in 2001 could not be tolerated by anyone with an iota of manhood. It was maximum leadership at its most obscene. We had a duty to oppose it.

The issue in the UNC Executive elections of 2001 was never inclusion or non-inclusion of Indians. The slogan “we have come too far to turn black now” was never even conceived let alone used by Team Unity. It was the invention of the spin doctors of the opposing slate who had coined the original slogan — “we have come too far to turn back now”. Incidentally Team Unity offered the most inclusive slate comprising Wade Mark, Joe Theodore, Jules Bernard, Louis Villafana, Curtis Shade, Barbara Burke, Muriel Amoroso, Ted Carasquero and Mogril Polson. The critical question in that election was whether recent crossovers from the PNM who had not served the UNC and who were not even members should aspire to lead it in a deputy capacity or otherwise. This had nothing to do with being Indian or non-Indian.

The right to lead had to be earned and could not merely be a gift of the Maximum Leader. We did not see the UNC as the private property of anyone. I don’t know of any other political party in which a recent member and financier of an opposing party switched allegiance to it and would even dare to contest a senior post in his new organisation. This was the case of Carlos John who incidentally is not black. I want to remind Panday that, after the crisis in the UNC which Kelvin Ramnath precipitated in the first half of 1991, it was both of us alone (Panday and myself) who sat down to decide on an Executive which would not only be inclusive but which would give recognition to those who contributed to the development of the UNC. It was thus that John Humphrey was nominated for Deputy Leader and Wade Mark as Chairman and both elected at the Annual Party Assembly on 31st August 1991. Apparently in those days I was a protagonist of inclusion but lost that status when I dared to oppose the choice of Maximum Leader Panday. The irony of all of this is that I am criticized on national platforms by Panday for being pro-Indian and against the inclusion of non-Indians but, on the other hand, when addressing his Indian constituency in Penal and elsewhere, I am portrayed as anti-Indian and a betrayer of the Indian struggle of 150 years.

Thus in Panday’s distorted logic I am pro-Indian and antiIndian at one and the same time. Sadly I think he seeks to project his own schizophrenia to others. I may also remind him that I, a purported exclusionist of non-Indians, was accepted as a candidate (the youngest) of the Workers and Farmers Party in 1966, of the United Labour Front in 1981 and the National Alliance for Reconstruction in 1986. Surely my allegedly exclusionist conviction would not have been welcome in these parties.

TREVOR SUDAMA
San Fernando

THE EDITOR: Last Saturday I got a chance to go to Port-of-Spain. I took the opportunity to visit the National Library. The magnificence of the sight of the building was overwhelming, to say the least. Its unique structure was most impressive. Internally, it was even more beautiful. The sections of the library were well organised, however a closer look at the operation was another story. The children’s library was in a state of chaos. Not one of the computers was operational. This was so because, as the librarian explained, that all the balls of the mouses of the computers were stolen and there were written signs to that effect. I was shocked! I proceeded to the young adults section where there were a couple people and a relatively small number of books. Of course it was early morning and people had only now begun to come in.

The adult library consisted of a fairly large array of books. I picked up one of the computer mouses to see if the ball was missing and it was understandable when the librarian rushed out from behind her desk and proceeded over to us and said in  rough tone, “Sir, you cannot use that computer.” I explained to her that I was from deep south and was merely visiting the library and was curious to find out if these computers were functional as I had just been to the children’s section. She became calm and more receptive and answered a couple of my questions. I continued up to the literature section where I was joined on the corridor by my mother and father. As we proceeded in, we were stopped by the guard who said that my mother couldn’t go in because she had a bag. Being the polite person she is, she offered to stay outside.

He did not tell us that she could have stored her bags in the lockers to which he had the tokens. We learnt about the locker only when we were about to leave by one of the patrons. As the hours went by, things got into a wild frenzy as scores of people came streaming in. The majority as young as myself, children were running about as if it were a giant playground, groups walking about aimlessly, there was no quiet as you would have expected in a library. Babies screaming, people talking loudly, the constant clucking and clacking of shoes against the hard floor, made it difficult to concentrate on reading. Suddenly an announcement came to the patrons that the library would be closed in 15 minutes and it was utter madness to see people scampering all over the place. The frustration of the librarians showed as lines of people were still infront of them. We calmly walked out to the front of the building where we sat down a while and I gathered my thoughts and came to the conclusion that the library was being used as a liming spot for most people as they appeared not to have gone into the building.

I thought to myself why should this building be called the National Library in the first place and why wasn’t it just called the Port-of-Spain Public Library? How many children of the south would ever be able to use this facility for the true purpose for which it was intended? Very very few. So, the millions of dollars spent on this so called “National” Library, could have been much more useful if it used to develop library facilities in places nationwide like San Fernando, Mayaro, Siparia, Point Fortin etc. For now I will have to be content with the use of the Southern Libraries where the books are old, dusty and outdated and hope to get the use of a computer in one of these libraries at some point in time.

MICKELL GUNNESLAL
Student of Iere High School
Siparia

THE EDITOR: While the workers of the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) have done a good job in keeping the environment clean, they should be more careful when setting fires near to people’s homes. They recently set fire to some bushes next to 24, Allan Lucky Street, La Romaine causing damage to an electrical pole as well as to a major telephone line. This has caused great discomfort to a senior citizen who is now unable to get her telephone repaired. The telephone company has promised to repair her phone if the electricity pole is replaced. However, the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) has refused to replace the pole because it claims that CEPEP is to be blamed and, therefore, must pay for the new pole.

It’s over a month now and the senior citizen is still without her telephone. The group Citizens For A Better Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) is trying to highlight her plight so that someone in authority will take the necessary action to replace the damaged pole. Is this the way to treat a woman who has made an invaluable contribution to her country?

HARRACK BALRAMSINGH
President, CBTT
La Romaine

THE EDITOR: Please be good enough to allow me the opportunity to publicise the following opinion on the Pigeon Point impasse. While this is an issue which affects and stirs the emotions of Tobagonians, the present stated decision of the Tobago House of Assembly to compulsorily acquire the Pigeon Point estate widens the implications to include all of the people of both Tobago and Trinidad. For it is all of us whether we like the idea or not or whether we were born or live in Tobago or not, who will be made to foot the bill for what is in all of the circumstances revealed so far a highly unnecessary intention. Reliable information indicates that this property whose value taking into account its acreage multiplied by $100 per sq’ foot, (the going rate for such properties) is worth in the vicinity of three hundred million dollars and costs between six and seven million per year to maintain.

The Tobago House of Assembly certainly is in no position to afford such expenditure and there must obviously be much higher and greater priorities for the use of that kind of money on behalf of the people of Tobago. In a press release from the THA dated April 15, 2003 and a subsequent one from Club Pigeon Point both parties appear to have reached agreement on all issues surrounding this matter. For example, dignified public access including bona fide fisher folk. Anchorage for vessels at Wind Hole. Access road from Bon Accord. Management of the jetty, status of occupiers at Club Pigeon Point entrance and other general matters. In particular agreement to rehabilitate the beach front situated between Conrado Hotel and the gated entrance to the Pigeon Point estate exclusively for sea bathing.

So why did a simple set of agreed items suddenly become a 300 million dollar charge on the taxpayers of Trinidad and Tobago? Is it politics? If so then this is pretty high priced politics. One can only hope that it is not. The Prime Minister has unfortunately stepped into the arena with a rather premature “me too”. Wait until he sees the real cost of acquisition. Not to mention the rapid deterioration in standards which generally follows government ownership. Is it about the owners of fishing vessels? The Marine Resources department of the THA lists in the aborted agreement seven (7) owners of boats who are affected; Yes seven. Three hundred million divided by seven? Not to mention six to seven million each year. This could hardly be either an intelligent or common sense solution.

If Tobago needs tourism to survive, then only private investment can produce the jobs that would flow from it. Cutting off your nose, stating that the intention is to improve one’s face is always a bad idea. Dr Allison Williams who is a Tobagonian and has first hand experience in this area has written a very positive newspaper article regarding user fees for use of that country’s beaches. This should be required reading for both the Prime Minister and members of the THA. Above all, what Tobago needs most is to spend its money on social development. Not on emotions and or sentiment.

PERCY L CEZAIR
Tobago

THE EDITOR: I was querying another account when I learnt, purely by chance, that my Money Market Fund (MMF) account at my bank was classified as dormant and was about to be deemed “inactive”. I was told that neither a withdrawal nor the credit of monthly interest keeps the account active. Only an external deposit would suffice. Once there has been no external deposit for some time the heavy hand of bureaucracy goes to work: the account is deemed inactive, monthly charges are deducted and interest credits cease. I have two concerns about this policy.

First, why can’t the banks with their much-touted, state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar computer systems warn customers before such action is taken? Secondly, why should a MMF be deemed inactive? A MMF is not a regular savings account. For many people it represents a nest-egg put aside for a rainy day, and for retirees like me, you only make withdrawals from it. The bank’s obvious response to my first concern is that it is not in their interest to warn customers. After all, they save money by not paying interest then turn around and charge the customer each month for the privilege of leaving his money in their bank — a classic win-win situation. I’ve come up with two responses to my second concern. I can either transfer my money to the Unit Trust who seem quite happy to keep it unconditionally; or I can withdraw a small sum periodically from my MMF at the bank, then promptly re-deposit it — a classic case of the bank cutting off its nose to spite its own face.

S ALI
San Fernando

THE EDITOR: Regarding SARS, Canada was given a clean bill of health from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as of 2.30 pm May 14, 2003 so Trinidadians it’s safe and always has been safe to come to Canada. We got a bad rap from the media and WHO. Caribana is on and never was in jeopardy neither was the public, thanks to the health care workers. We love Toronto.

T CONLIFFE
Ontario

THE EDITOR: Recent events in our nation indicate that we are spiralling ever deeper into the ‘Culture of Death’ as John Paul II calls it. 1) Increasing lack of moral integrity and leadership in private and public life. 2) Increasing loss of religious faith, personal spirituality and high ideals. 3)Increasing divorce and break-down of marriage and family life. 4) Increasing sexual freedoms causing promiscuity, disease, and even death. 5)Increasing problem families, adults and youths. 6)Increasing drug abuse and the violence and murders associated with it. 7) Increasing break down of law and order in private and public life. 8) Increasing pressure on the State to do something about it while most of us do nothing about it except talk. 9)Increasing pressure on the State to treat as rights’ what used to be considered as ‘crimes’ until very recently.

In this last category there is the group ASPIRE who are insisting that abortion should be legalised in TT because it is the right of poor women to have legal access to State abortions since rich women because of their money already have access to illegal abortions and are flouting the law. ASPIRE does not equate terminating a pregnancy with murder, they consider it a right. Furthermore, they are telling the State that it will cost less money to legalise abortion and prevent the cost of the medical complications of back street abortions being treated already in State hospitals, when in fact all the figures show that the costs to the State increase after abortion is legalised since there are many more abortions as they become legal. (In the USA 43,000,000 abortions since Roe vs Wade).

Currently there is the group AYSRHR (Advocates for Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights) who are openly distributing condoms outside some of our schools. This is causing embarrassment on the part of the State and an uproar among students, teachers and parents. You will notice that AYSRHR even have the word ‘rights’ enshrined in their name and so of course they consider it their right to distribute the condoms and that it is the right of the youths to receive them. Currently also there are those in our State who consider it their right to kidnap members of our society for ransom, and even now our children, who are among the weakest and most vulnerable of our society. These people are taking advantage of the fact that because these little ones are so loved by us, then we will be prepared to pay more money for their release. So now it seems, more love equals more money. This is the ‘Culture of Death’ in everything.

These are not political issues; these are not social issues. This is a spiritual battle with a spiritual dimension. This is a battle for the soul of our nation. Our last President told us in 1990 how to behave in these circumstances when he said: “Attack with full force.” The IRO and all religious groups with all their members should join together to attack these evils in our nation of TT so that we may banish some hatred, injustice, poverty and suffering and save the soul of our nation from the ‘Culture of Death.’ St Paul said; “With God on our side, who can be against us?” And recently John-Paul II has said: “Here though we shall concentrate particular attention on another category of attacks, affecting life in its earliest and in its final stages, attacks which present new characteristics with respect to the past and which raise questions of extraordinary seriousness.

It is not only that in generalised opinion these attacks tend no longer to be considered as ‘crimes’: paradoxically they assume the nature of ‘rights,’ to the point that the State is called upon to give them legal recognition and to make them available through the free services of health-care personnel. Such attacks strike human life at the time of its greatest frailty, when it lacks any means of self-defence. Even more serious is the fact that, most often, those attacks are carried out in the very heart of and with the complicity of the family — the family which by its nature is called to be the ‘sanctuary of life.’” For those Catholics and others who have left their faith, and those who ASPIRE claims have signed the Pro-Abortion petition to the Government of TT, I beg them to remember that Jesus said: “He that is not for me is against me.” Rise up and save your nation. Stop talking; do something. Organise yourselves; return to God who is ever loving and merciful and waiting with open arms for the return of His prodigal sons and daughters.

DR PETER GENTLE
Archdiocesan Family Life Commission
Chaguanas