Ganga:

FORMER OPPOSITION Chief Whip Ganga Singh yesterday slammed UNC deputy leader Jack Warner for insulting the East Indian community of Trinidad and Tobago by calling for prominent Indo-Trinidadians such as party political leader Winston Dookeran to be “discarded like cane trash.”

Speaking at Indian Arrival Day celebrations in St Helena yesterday, Singh condemned Warner for calling for Dookeran, Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran and himself to be replaced by new candidates in the next general elections. Singh said while there were parliamentarians in TT who faithfully served their constituents, Warner and persons aligned to him in the UNC were now trying to infect the country with “cheque book politics” and believe that this gives them the right to demand “instant obedience. The days of the political sahibs and overseers are over,” he declared.

Singh charged that Warner displayed total contempt to the East Indian community by trying to speak Hindi while simultaneously telling Dookeran to “take his jhaji bundle and go.” He said attempts by Warner and others to infect the country with “FIFA style cabal politics” will never succeed and he will return as Caroni East MP to celebrate the 162nd anniversary of Indian Arrival Day next year.

Singh also called for the Trinity Cross to be changed as the nation’s highest award and the entire national awards system to be changed in order to reflect TT’s ethnic and religious diversity.

Singh also suggested that amendments to the Equal Opportunities legislation be brought to Parliament and passed in the near future.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance Christine Sahadeo did not engage Singh on any of the latter political issues he raised, except to note that East Indian families were known for their financial management and other skills over the years. Sahadeo said Indian Arrival Day and other such occasions must be used to strengthen the bonds between all groups in TT.

Sahadeo and Public Utilities Minister Pennelope Beckles said Singh could be proud of many achievements in developing Caroni East and more infrastructural works were in the pipelines for the constituency.