Leave race out of legal issues

THE EDITOR: I am afraid that somehow the alleged moves to remove the Chief Justice from office may be transformed into a racial conflict if the incitement from certain quarters should continue. It has already been noted with undisguised disapproval that there is no one of Indian origin appointed as a judge in the CCJ. Now this alleged move to remove CJ Sharma from office adds fuel to the spark that the perception of an anti-Indian bias among those in the seats of power has triggered. There has always been an underlying threat of racial unrest, in a certain political quarter. One can recall Dr Capildeo’s boast years ago of what the repercussions could be if he were to summon his supporters in a call to arms.

Recently we have heard another politician reverting to this type of threat with a suggestion that the country could be brought to a standstill if he should lead his supporters in a march to Port-of-Spain. Indeed one of them prophesied that young men of Indian ancestry would turn to social unrest — an event which he claimed he could understand but not support. Hear now the ultimate mimic, Sat Maharaj, “I am more concerned that people like me will lose control because the young generation will not just push us aside and they will take their own course of action.” The message to the “young generation” is quite clear.

Then Mr Maharaj continues, cleverly, he might believe, “We may not be able to influence the course of events.” Is this an attempt at dramatic irony? Sat, as reported in our national newspapers is concerned “That this country is ‘teething’ on the brink of racial violence.” Where did the general secretary of SDMS find evidence of this? Perhaps he knows something the rest of us are not privy to as yet. The emphasis seems, in this matter, to be placed not on the office and the constitution but rather the race of the man who holds the office. Is he accusing the people he holds responsible for moves to get rid of the CJ, of operating from racial bias?

Would Mr Maharaj and his organisation have responded if the CJ were of French Creole, African or Chinese ancestry? Could it be that in this responsible citizen’s view the legal aspect of this issue plays second fiddle to the race issue? More significantly, if the news reports are accurate, the good gentleman has made a legal interpretation which declares that there is no justification for removing the CJ from office at this time. Surely Mr Maharaj has assumed authority to which he has no claim, or is receipt of certain privileged information.

GEORGE DAMIEN
Arima