Radio power

There are over six Indian-formatted radio stations operating in Trinidad and Tobago. Each station has at least one Hindu devotional hour to start each morning and some more during the day and night-time broadcasts. Despite this massive media exposure these dedicated Hindu programmes have never been used to attack other religious belief systems. In fact pundits and other Hindu hosts often go out of their way to promote the Hindu concept of ‘‘many paths one God.’’

There are other radio stations which cannot claim the same level of religious tolerance as their Hindu counterparts on the Indian-formatted stations. Some Christians on these stations use this radio power to malign Hinduism and Hindus in the country. However Hindus have the recourse of the Media Complaints Council, and Telecommunications Division for redress if the media management fails to address the maligning of Hindus on the offending media house. In the recent past these institutions have been employed to halt the unprovoked attacks on Hindus in Trinidad.

On June 12 2003 attorney-at-law Mr Darrel P Allahar wrote the Media Complaints Council regarding the “offensive utterances by Mr Ricardo ‘Gladiator’ Welsh and an unnamed called in relation to the recently constructed statue of the Hindu Deity Hanuman on Power 102 FM on June 12 2003.” In that letter Mr Allahar stated, ‘‘such utterances included but were not limited to: repeated expressions of his views that the statue should be pulled down or demolished; repeated expressions of his view that the construction of the said statue represents the first steps in the ‘Indianisation’ of Trinidad and Tobago; and repeated expressions of his view that the Government should not have contributed the sum of money that it did to assist in the erection of the statue and the construction of surrounding facilities.” “What is interesting,” Mr Allahar wrote to the MCC, “is notwithstanding the fact that I am not a Hindu, I am tolerant of the religious beliefs, customs, practices and symbols of my fellow citizens. The statue in question is a sacred symbol of the Hindu belief and the deity it represents is revered and worshipped by a significant portion of our population. Clearly, Mr Welsh and the caller in question exceeded their right to freedom of expression when they chose to make such divisive comments. Mr Welsh ought not to be allowed to carry on in the way that he did this morning. Likewise the radio station should exercise a higher degree of responsibility and summarily disconnect callers whose clear intent is to use this show as a medium to spout their offensive drivel on the nation’s airwaves.’’

Allahar went on to conclude ‘‘that it is reasonably likely in all the circumstances that the utterances mentioned have offended, insulted, humiliated, and/or intimidated a particular group of persons and was done because of race and/or ethnicity of that group with the intention of inciting racial hatred.’’ The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) also wrote Mr Peter Gillette Chairman of Radio Vision Ltd stating that the broadcast by Mr Welsh breached the terms of the Special Licence under The Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance Ch 36 No 2 Section 12 (a) in which it states, “The company shall not transmit any matter which discriminates against or encourages the discrimination of any person or group by reason of race, origin, colour, religion or sex.” Based on the letter from Mr Allahar and the complaint from the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) the MCC on October 9, 2003 upheld the complaint stating, ‘‘The broadcast was found to be in breach of Article 15(1) of the MCC Code of Practice which states that the press should avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to a person race, colour, religion, or sex orientation or to any physical or mental illness or handicap.”

Similarly on the Monday (October 20, 2003) before the Divali observance a pastor on Inspirational Radio 730 AM selected to attack Hindus and Hinduism. So virulent was the attack that a non-Hindu was moved to comment on it, stating: “On Monday afternoon I had the shocking experience of listening to a so-called pastor washing his uncharitable tongue on the Hindu faith with special reverence to the current Divali celebrations. This so-called pastor called on parents to keep their children away from school this week. He did not want them to eat the Indian delicacies Hindu devotees usually share out at this time. I was stunned when he described as ‘foolishness’ the ceremonies Hindus were engaging in during this religious occasion. Tidco was hit for identifying with Divali because it sponsored a programme on the Brian Lara Promenade. This so-called pastor had the temerity at the close of his programme to ask his audience to pray for the conversion of Hindus to Christianity.” Based on the broadcast and the commentary an Executive of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha wrote the officials of the Trinidad Broadcasting Network Company and a follow up on the matter revealed that the TBC Network will be addressing the issue seriously. However this is not the first time that the pastor has gone this route and one wonders if the TBC Network will once again offer a slap on the wrist and be once again ignored.

Finally on Divali, the holiest of days for the Hindu community, a Newsday columnist selected to write “Why I Am Still Not a Hindu.” The columnist wrote, “I am convinced that Krsna and every other Hindu deity, if they existed at all, were just kings and other rulers who spread the propaganda that they were gods.” His column went on to support this fact despite the fact he does not “take part in rituals, although I do go for chataigne and pumpkin and paratha.” One wonders if this columnist will be brave enough to offer a similar work on Eid and Christmas.