Panday to march along East-West corridor

THE OPPOSITION UNC’s crime march was deemed the “moment of truth” which demonstrated that citizens were “fed up” and the ball was now in Government’s court to deal with crime effectively. However, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday advised that should there be no improvement in the crime situation, the struggle must be intensified and the next march should be along the East/West corridor. The march from the UNC headquarters, Rienzi Complex, Couva, to Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, took three hours under dark skies and sometimes heavy showers. But the spirit of the thousands of  supporters, bearing placards criticising Government’s handling of crime, were not dampened. There were led by Panday and several other Members of Parliament.

The lone speaker, Panday in his wide ranging 45-minute address, said the march signalled that “we are back on our feet again and today you showed we are ready to commence the struggle.” He told his audience, most of whom were dressed in red, that the Government would hope they go back to “slumber” but they should not allow Government to “carry on.” “Hold on to the unity, the enemy will try to divide you but do not allow that. In the struggle know who are the real enemies. You are not the victim. The key to victory is unity not division. Bind together as one,” Panday urged. He promised to speak later on plans for the struggle based on non-violence and civil disobedience.

Labelling the day march as the “moment of truth,” Panday said the ball was now in the court of the Government but if there were no improvements, “we must intensify the struggle and next march along the East/West corridor and if necessary march from Cedros to Port-of-Spain, if it takes five days. Or march from Guayaguayare to Port-of-Spain, Man-zanilla to PoS and Barrackpore to Port-of-Spain. “If there are no improvements you employ other means,” he stressed. He identified “boycott” as the most significant struggle of non-violence, which was employed by the late Mahatma Gandhi. Panday told supporters they should be prepared to use it (boycott), emphasising that the UNC was in the majority and the enemies cannot survive. He said boycott should be against goods, businesses, the newspapers and radios and there should be non-cooperation, “not to invite them, or go to their functions, let them talk to the wind.

“Make it impossible for the PNM to govern, we are the majority,” repeated Panday. Panday said since the PNM assumed office the country had been under siege from criminals and had introduced a level of discrimination and persecution “unknown to us since Independence in 1962.” He said crime under the UNC was lower than under the PNM, quoting statistics to support his claim. He said there were 102 murders so far for the year and under the last 29 months of the PNM there were more than 500 murders and a record number of kidnappings, robberies and rape. “When will it stop? Who will be next?” asked Panday. He said the country was no longer a happy place to live because children and adults were not only afraid to go out, but they were unsafe in their homes. He said in some instances families have been forced to send their children abroad to get away from crime.

“You are forcibly deprived of the love, warmth and caring companionship of your family.” He likened the migration of businessmen to a similar exodus under the regime of Forbes Burnham in Guyana, saying if the trend continued there will be no investors and no jobs. He said the Government’s lack of response to the calls from all quarters of society to do something was simple because “they can do nothing, they are part of the crime.” He said if Government failed to do its duty to protect citizens, they had the right to defend themselves. He cited as side tracking tactics, the charges of corruption recently laid against several UNC supporters, and suggested that if Government couldn’t run the country they should pass it to someone else. “You should pull up your trousers and go home if you can’t perform.”

Panday again promised to work with Government but insisted there must be “wider constitutional reform.” Touching on the Police Service, Panday said the size and strength of those recruited were no longer relevant and instead efforts should be concentrated on recruiting the most intelligent based on a system of merit. He said there were many good men and women in the service, but they were all paying a price because the “PNM were using some to do their dirty work.”