Panday calls for Indo-disobedience

A FIERY CALL was made by Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday “to light the match” that would ignite the flame of civil disobedience by Indo-Trinidadians in Trinidad and Tobago under the PNM Government.

Panday was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2003 Divali Nagar on Thursday night when he said that “there is a dark cloud hanging over this beatiful land of our birth and we have no option now but to resist this form of racism and discrimination and stand up and fight.” Panday delivered his fighting address during a packed cultural  programme which featured a brilliant fireworks display courtesy  Clico that brought an end to the 17th Annual Divali Nagar, with the theme being “The Child, Shall we rock or wreck the cradle?”

Panday told the over 15,000 crowd that they had heard enough of the meaning and significance of Divali and he was now prepared to let them know of more “mundane matters”; that was affecting  Indo-Trinidadians since the PNM came into office two years ago. “There is now an ominous picture of crime, racism, discrimination and humiliation against  Indo-Trinidadians in the country, who I would prefer to call Indians.” He said that since the PNM came into office two years ago “they  closely allied themselves to criminal elements and this has led to an unprecedented level of crime in the country against Indians. “This is a foreboding omen, and never have we seen this pattern in this land of our birth (Jamna Bhoomi),” he added. He pointed out that in WASA, Petrotrin (whom the Prime Minister referred to as Petrosingh,) the Airport, TTEC and in several Government Ministries the PNM was guilty of what is now termed “ethnic cleansing” and Panday called the names of Indo-Trinidadian employees who were, or downgraded since the last General Elections.

Panday stressed that “Trinidad and Tobago was now the second highest in the world behind Colombia in kidnapping” and what is more disturbing is that a pattern was now emerging and the statistics are amazing with Indians topping the list”  (and he called the names of Indians who were kidnapped in 2001, 2002 and up to October 2003). He said that in 2001 the figure was 133; in 2002 — 227, and up to October 2003 it is 187. He said that the pattern showed that the target was Indians who owned businesses “and who are believed to be wealthy.” But Panday explained, Indians were not the only ones who own businesses “so why is there a racial dimension to crime in the country today?” He heard that Indians were a docile lot of people who would not “stand up and fight even under the worst form of oppression. There is a perception that some will run away and those who cannot fight will join the oppressors in oppressing their own colleagues in return for little favours here and there.” “Are we really that kind of people? I believe not.  Maybe there is a small minority who are like that but surely the majority cannot be. They cannot be different from coloured people all over the world who have fought against oppression and won,” Panday stressed. “I believe that we must stand up and fight against this evil that is now plaguing our society,” Panday said.

The Leader of the Opposition emphasised, “It would not go away if we ignore it.  Divali teaches us that darkness does not dispel itself but goes away only when someone has the courage to strike a match and light the deya.” “Not by inaction but by action that you would appear to be doing something. Doing nothing is not an option now. The only question is how do we conduct this battle?” he asked. He pointed out that Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi fought for India’s freedom through passive resistance, non violent means and civil disobedience, and the same could be said of Dr Martin Luther King when he fought for the oppressed in the USA, and because of their passive resistance struggle, he would not advocate violent  means in Trinidad and Tobago. In Trinidad and Tobago “we must follow the examples of Gandhi and Martin Luther King to free ourselves from oppression to which we have been subjected,” Panday said. Violent struggles lead to much racial conflict and loss of lives, he said, and one could see examples of this in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. What could be done in Trinidad and Tobago, Panday said, were civil disobedience, marching, boycott, demonstrations, non-cooperation, etc and the time has come “to light a match to fight oppression, racism and discrimination in the country.”