‘Soft’ targets for kidnappers

THE EDITOR: Health Minister John Rahael in Parliament admitted that Indo-Trinidadians were in the majority of kidnap victims. This statement vindicates the position advocated by GOPIO (Trinidad) for the past 18 months. Minister Raheal however misled the nation and fed into stereotypical propaganda when he added that the reasons that Indo-Trinidadians were kidnapped was because Indo-Trinidadians were wealthy.  To quote Minister Rahael directly “You are not going to try to kidnap someone who does not have wealth; you are going to kidnap someone who has money so that you can get your ransom and, obviously, the East Indian population in Trinidad and Tobago through their dint of hard work and entrepreneurship, are in the majority as business owners in Trinidad and Tobago. So it is a fact.”

This myth of Indian wealth is being peddled now by Ministers of Government who should know better. In the “Myth of Discrimination,” Trevor Sudama exploded the belief that Indians were wealthier than other ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago. Instead the consumption patterns along with a strong family and community support differentiated the Indo-Trinidadian community from other ethnic groups. Minister Raheal should examine the wealth of the Syrian, Chinese, European and African communities relative to the Indian community in Trinidad. It is the former three who dominate as captains of industry in the nation. Yet these communities have not been the targets of the vicious crime of kidnapping.

GOPIO (Trinidad) believes that the criminal element views the Indo-Trinidadian population as “Soft” targets and targets which are already the targets of discrimination by the State. Therefore a tacit approval appears to have been given to the criminals or community leaders to specifically target Indians. Minister Raheal to address the fears of the Indo-Trinidadian community should instead urge his administration to equip the Police, and Judiciary with the resources needed to properly fight crime. More importantly, Minister Raheal should also seek to end the various forms of discrimination and affirmative action undertaken by the administration which he is a part of.

PARSURAM MAHARAJ, President,
Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Inc