Tobago must develop intellectual property

THE EDITOR: Tobagonians will vote for either another leader or the same to control the corridors of power for the next four years on January 17, 2005. Under the leadership of Mr Orville London four years ago, some say his politics was too quiet. He did not agitate publicly for Tobago’s rights and needs. As a result, the Trinidad PNM continued to take Tobago for granted. Perhaps they have become acclimatised to Mr Hochoy Charles’ method of leadership. He was also called the “Heavy Roller” and Tobago’s Prime Minister. However, his admirable economic adventurism and innovativeness faded away due to lack of accountability and growing public rejections of his dictatorship style.

So the London administration eventually took office. Yet the misconception in Tobago concerning the role of money in development is consistent. Development should be about culture, ideas, knowledge, values and institutions. Some politicians focus on building roads and infrastructure. The most important infrastructure to develop is that of the mind, the intellect. Inflation policy is pauperising poor Tobagonians. While beautiful women in Tobago are paid to plant flowers on the road side, they must import pumpkin and plantain from Trinidad. The difference between PNM and UNC? One worse than the other, one woman said. But there is another view.

They are the same in their silence about the devastation inflation inflicts on Tobagonians. No amount of billions will develop Tobago while most of the children coming out of primary schools can’t read. The ambitious Tobago youths leave the island. Unemployment is high for those who stay. And the AIDS pandemic has parameters in Tobago similar to sub-Saharan Africa. The Tobago ignorance, traditional culture and promiscuity among young people are part of the plague. Tourism and the sex trade involving foreigners are part of the explanation.

Tobago must reject the exploitation of ignorance and parading spending without thinking of the good of innocent children as progress. They must unhinge themselves from the clutches of politicians’ myopia, leadership without vision. We have to reconstruct a society in Tobago free from the manic populist impulses more devoted to using the youth than building them into responsibility. They must look to liberation by 2005 or too many will be dead literally, spiritually and figuratively by 2020.

A R JORDAN
Sangre Grande