N Touch

Norvan is the best

He stands tall among the people in his field. He is the one person thousands go to for cultural direction. And although he has so many responsibilities, Norvan Fullerton, 54, is able to maintain his friendliness and charm wherever he goes. The route that took him from an ordinary performer to the Director of Best Village was filled with many obstacles, but Fullerton proved that he had the strength and determination to conquer the odds and to rise to this height of success he’s now enjoying. It was no surprise therefore when the government  chose Norvan Fullerton for the Chaconia Silver medal at this year’s Independence celebrations. He received this award for 28 years service to the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy competition and community development. “I dedicate this award to all the people who are working tirelessly for the Best Village throughout Trinidad and Tobago and in particular the Malick Folk Performers,” he said.

Fullerton is always busy and getting an interview with him is not easy. In fact, half of this interview had to be conducted over the phone. Answering the question about wanting to see his reactions while speaking to him, he responded, “use your imagination.” He was busy last taking care of his ailing mother. Fulfilling his role as a dedicated son and a productive worker, he juggles his time like crazy. He requested that this interview be taken in his car while he drove to a meeting with the National Carnival Committee. And this is one of the strangest interviews I have ever done in ten years of journalism. Despite the rush to get his notes in order, he spoke about his climb to success. “I was born in Martin Trace, San Juan and I attended the Gandhi Vedic Memorial as a child. That’s why I know a lot about East Indian culture, so don’t try fooling me about anything. I know about  the culture inside out,” he smiled handsomely while speaking. After graduating from Emanuel High School in San Juan, he entered the police service. In 1968 he was enjoying his work as an officer, when he came in contact with a gentleman who spoke words of wisdom to him.  “He said when someone is a public servant, they spend all their time getting their job right and they have very little time for anything else. He told me that in order to explore my full potential I must be able to spend all my time as I choose.”

This conversation had great impact on young Norvan. He quit the police service and started working as an Insurance agent with Algico. His love for dance and drama led him to the Barataria Community Council (BCC) where he was an ordinary performer like other youths of the San Juan/Barataria area. Back then the Barataria group scored high in the PM’s Best Village competition. And Norvan was looking at success coming from the cultural arena. In 1974 he had the opportunity to work with a bunch of youths from the BCC, when the then director, Ronald Amoroso left the country for an overseas tour. The days in Barataria were difficult. As a young man he spent endless hours coming up with the perfect plan to have groups unite and produce good material for the stage. He had some measures of success but he felt that he should start his own group. It was then that the Malick Folk Performers came into being. It is a fact that this group is the most popular in the history of Best Village having taken the winning trophy for seven years. This achievement really describes the magnitude of the man who is Norvan Fullerton. He is by far one of the most admirable director and producers the country has ever seen.

Then what is the secret to his success? How is it that he can mobilise people of his area and produce such a marvellous production year after year? “You conceive the idea, you believe that you could get it done and then you go on to achieve it. It is that simple, and that complicated,” he spoke like a philosopher. He told his members that there is no stage that is too big for them. He wanted to establish a simple village group that could get on any stage to display the culture of the country. This, he accomplished with long hours of planning, raising funds and rehearsing with members. Being a humble human being, everyone related to him with ease. He was never too high or too big for them and as a result of this he was able to convince his members to work hard to get the result they craved. “Best Village is uniquely designed to unite the people of a village as one big family. They breathe the same air. They enjoy the same breeze that blows across the village and therefore they develop a kind of rhythm about them that makes them different from the other villages, although they live in the same country,” he spoke about the depths one must explore when uniting people of the same community.

Norvan has lived in San Juan all his life. He married a girl name Cynthia in 1971 and together they have three children. Michelle, 28, Norva, 26, and Norvan Junior, 24. His wife died in 1998 following kidney failure. Since then he has plunged himself more into social activities and he gets a lot of fulfilment from this. He is so dedicated to Best Village that he dreads travelling on a plane that takes 18 hours from one destination to another. “I feel I could do so much with that time. It is really frustrating sitting in a plane for so long,” he said. He said that Best Village has been able to churn out the best performers in the country as well as the best artistes. Today Best Village also promotes environmental sanitation, sports, art and cooking. 
The common folk of the village have the opportunity to showcase their talent in any of these fields. “The government is offering a place to do rehearsals, which is the community centre and they also offer incentives for purchasing costumes. The groups must come together and work with each other.” Fullerton sped off into the distance. His destination? Queen’s Hall. After a hard day’s work he must attend the shows of the village in the night. The soldier continues the battle, fighting a worthy cause and getting fulfilment and satisfaction from his work. “If I had the opportunity to live life again, I would not change a thing,” he said.

Drawing better than liming

In primary school Teddy Joseph used to draw “Street Fighter” video game characters Ken and Riu on sketch pad pages, take them to his father’s office, make copies of each and distribute them to his classmates for a cost of $1 a piece, sometimes 25 cents depending on the size of the drawing. “One time I did like four separate drawings and did like 20 copies each and they all sold out,” said the 21-year-old artist and early businessman. This was during his five years at La Horquetta North Government Primary School. Art always fascinated him. Maybe it’s true about what is said of people with long slender fingers, he thought — they’re “artsy”.

Years later, after pursuing Art and Craft in secondary school and Graphic Design at YTEPP (Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme), Teddy is convinced that drawing is his strong point. His family and neighbours are the judges. He brought out from his bedroom, a picture portrait of his grandmother when in her youth and an exact representation of it, which he drew. It was done in dotted form, and detailed from her protruding collar bone to her ruffled strands of hair. The portrait was lightly sketched in pencil first, and then took form with ink dots. “At YTEPP I learned different techniques like dots, shading in one direction, doing the curly effect, the normal view, the bird’s eye and worm view… It made my drawing look more realistic,” Teddy said. “But you have to have a li’l skill… You have to have the eyes, how yuh picture things.”

So, he’s not spurred on by what money he could attain, since he’s never really sold any of his art, but he is encouraged by commendatory words. “When somebody watches my work and say it’s good, I’m encouraged to draw more.” The time spent perfecting portraits and landscapes equates to less time spent liming on the block. “Drawing keeps me busy. My grandmother’s portrait took about three weeks, because I was working at the time and every evening when I came home I would drop a few dots. Sometimes I am inside the whole day drawing and I might come out and play a li’l football with the fellas on my street. Once or twice you might see me on the block,” he said. Teddy said that it was so easy to fall into vices, since the youth in his hometown of La Horquetta in recent times, has been known to carry on negative activity. “Sometimes when I say where I’m from people look at you funny. But is up to you, who you liming with, once you know how to move. It always have the good group, the bad group and the Okay group.”

He added: “The place where you live has a little bit to do with shaping who you are because of your friends, but you must know what you want.” Teddy lives with his father and brother. His mother passed away some years ago. His life was never one of extravagance and many of his wants were never forthcoming but, “I always had my parents backing”, he said. His goal is to be “my own boss. I want to be able to say I could rest now and go at my own pace. Drawing was the only thing I knew and it’s something I don’t want to stop.” Currently, he’s employed at a craft shop in Barataria. He assists in making “outfits” for souvenir dolls. “I saw the ad in the classifieds for an assistant. I called, carried down some of my drawings and I got the job… I mind doing that and selling some pictures and having like a second salary.”

Ricky’s on a roll

The talented Ricky Khandoo, 30, of Eastern Main Road, Sangre Grande follows a busy schedule, singing in five shows per week at many venues throughout the country. Ever since he reached the grand finals in the 2000 Mastana Bahar programme, Ricky has been called upon by both religious and non-religious organisations to perform. He remains one of the most sought after singers from the Sangre Grande area. Ricky, who is a “Response Driver” with Securicor, has just completed a recording of religious songs for the upcoming Divali season. Surrounded by a mountain of cassettes and CDs, Ricky spoke to People from his rehearsal room in Sangre Grande. “I believe an artiste should be well prepared for any stage performance. Maybe a singer might be well known or even well qualified but it is still completely necessary to do several rehearsals before attempting any performance,” he said. When an artiste goes on stage, he/she becomes the property of the audience and whatever he/she does, impacts on the audience, he added.

Even though he knows a tune and has been singing it for many years, he still goes through rehearsals before taking it before an audience. He has been going through hundreds of recordings both from yesteryear and the ones that are being released in India now. Responding to the question about him doing only the songs created in India, he noted that from time to time he does attempt the local chutney but there is a demand for the songs that are recorded in India. “In many instances the local audience craves to hear the local artiste perform an item that was made in India. For example, we have two of the most popular singers in the country who are involved in delivering these tunes.  Both Indar Kanhai and Raymond Ramnarine are well known for taking the tunes from India and remixing them for the local stage,” he explained. Among the highly religious tunes that he will be releasing for the upcoming Divali celebrations include Tuma Vinti Suno, Ma Jai Ambay Ma, Jagadam Bikay, Mata Rani, Kahe Sootal Baho, Oh Rama Ho, Mat Kar Tu Abhimaan and Sukha Kay Sab Saathi. Most of these tunes were released in India over 60 years ago. “The songs carry deep religious messages. The music that accompany these songs are so spiritual that even a 100 years will go by and the songs will remain popular.”
He noted that while he is into religious songs, he himself is not a religious person. “I should be doing more devotion. But for many reasons we try to put off the things that are important to do the things that bring momentary pleasures,” he said with a smile.

Remembering the days when he started singing religious songs, he said that he, being an executive member of the Biche Temple, wanted to complete each service with songs. And he decided to sing bhajans (religious hymns), but he could also comfortably try film songs, calyposos and chutney. “This goes to show that when you are appreciated for your attempt as a child you can never lose the love for the art when you grow up. I actually yearn to go to the temple to sing. It brings great peace of mind and fulfillment as a practising Hindu,” he said. In the world of the performing arts Ricky acknowledges that fact one must be versatility and be contemporary, in order to reach the younger audience. “I guess as an artiste I don’t want to be typecast as a religious singer or a calypsonian. I want to be able to sing any kind of song which is in demand.” He is at present a front line singer with the band Rhythms International, of Cunupia. The band travels to many of the villages in the country for fund-raisers, weddings and entertainment events. He noted that the voice of India’s singer, Manna Dey really inspires. “I love to listen to the voice of Manna Dey. The songs are so soulful and heavenly that I just meditate on the tune to get a little peace of mind,” he said. Incidentally it was two of Manna Dey’s songs that brought great success in Mastana Bahar. He sang the songs Laga Chunaree Mai Daag and Man Tad Pata through the competition series. Ricky is also preparing for the Carapo Hindu Sabha’s Divali programme which is carded for October 11.

Playing down crime?

ONE would have thought that by now the UNC has had its fill of making idiotic charges against the media. After all, what did the party and its leader achieve by their on-going warfare against the Press when they held government office? Who did ex-PM Panday persuade when he accused newspapers of printing lies, half truths and innuendoes? Indeed, what did he achieve when he called for a boycott of Newsday, except to help in boosting the circulation of this newspaper? But then we have all come to accept the fact that attacking the Press is an old, instinctive and convenient stratagem for politicians to which they frequently resort when a bankruptcy of ideas sets in or when they need a ready-made ploy to impress their constituencies and intimidate the media.

So now the UNC has come up with the charge that the country’s newspapers are deliberately playing down the reporting of crime. This attack is not the result of a spur-of-the-moment outburst from a UNC parliamentarian. The accusation has been made in a considered statement issued by the Opposition party on Wednesday. It charges that since Crime Committee chairman Ken Gordon met with media houses last month, crime had been taken off the front pages of the nation’s newspapers. The UNC sees this as another attempt by the media to be “soft on the PNM Government” and considers that we have become part of the Government’s public relations machinery. And as if the release was not enough, the charge has been voiced publicly by UNC Senator Wade Mark.

As far as Newsday is concerned, we find ourselves at a loss to respond to such an accusation since it is not only patently untrue but it also amounts to a gross insult to those who manage the country’s independent media houses. If, in their current state of confusion, UNC officials see the media as part of the Government’s public relations machinery it is only because the Opposition party itself has had little to offer the country in terms of inspiring ideas, insightful analysis, progressive ideas and constructive proposals. Newsday, for one, could hardly be expected to support or comment favourably on the UNC’s blanket policy of non-cooperation as a strategy for demanding constitutional reform above every thing else. Indeed, the Opposition party’s latest attack on the Press may well be seen as another reflection of its internal difficulties and its inability to rise to the challenge of a credible Opposition, further evidence of its urgent need for change and revitalisation.

This appears to be the case because no regular reader of TT’s daily newspapers will be impressed by the absurd charge that reports of crime have been taken off the front pages at the behest of the Government. The accusation, in fact, becomes comical when placed alongside the concern recently expressed by Senior Police Officers that the country’s newspapers were giving undue prominence to violent crime and calling upon the nation’s Press to be less sensational in its reporting. But we have even questioned this view by the Police since the incidence of major crime is a primary worry of TT citizens and our reporting of it contributes in no way to its cause but, instead, serves to keep the country informed. This newspaper takes pride in its independence; we reject the UNC charge which is easily disproved by a cursory glance at our front pages over the last few weeks and during these anxious times; nor do we accept the view that we are sensationalising the violence that besets our society. There can be no let up in the fight against this scourge; that is our opinion.

It’s still baby talk to me


On Monday September 29, 2003, a presidential proclamation will declare the Red House, the place where the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of  the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago shall convene. On that day, President Max Richards is also expected to give his maiden address in the legislature, during which he will seek to convey to the congress and to the country, the civilised nation; he desires them and us to mould. If the President is passionately eloquent, the Republic’s people, within and without the Red House, will be elevated by his discourse, to a fantasy world in which Trinidad and Tobago is a real country. Many of us may try to linger up there on cloud Max for as long as we can after the President finishes his speech. However, no words, not even the Head of State’s will be uplifting enough to keep us — citizen or representative — buoyant for long. Not these days.

Once the President’s oratory job is complete, the legislators of the Balisier Government and of the UNC non-Opposition — the party whose acronym is now farcical for it is neither united, national nor a congress — will descend to their dead baby talk, to their flavourless, crass debates. They will not pay their constituents the respect to lead us at least by word, if they cannot by deed. The paint on the aged parliamentary chamber walls will flake more, as these cringe at the language of those they contain. The task of making the President’s dream words a reality will be left to his Independent nine. Outside the Red House, life after the President’s speech will be as tasteless as it will be within the Chamber, but not as dull. We, the people of the President’s Republic, will continue to soak in the pools of our blood and of our tears, as our youths are slain in the hills and the corpses of our slaughtered kidnapped kin dumped on the plains. We will watch the murder toll climb faster than the police can draw their weapons and we shall feel
helpless.

Gang battles for control of drug blocks or of State patronage will continue unabated as one youth with a gun, steps in to fill the shoes of his peer whose bare feet now lie tagged in the morgue. Kidnappers, old, new or recycled, will coldly target and stalk their next victim. It will be as perilous to be affluent as it is to be impoverished. The illicit drug trade, run from way above on high by god knows who and by some very rich devils, will keep on thriving while its users and street peddlers are arrested by policemen who appear to specialise only in observing suspicious behaviour “while on patrol.” And as, to no avail, we grab our mops and tissues to erase the stain and the pain of the murders and abductions and as we pray to our gods to make us less afraid, in the Houses of Parliament, men and women will point fingers at each other, unashamedly seeking to assign blame. They will then pass new laws, both good and bad, and outside the Red House, most of us shall infringe even the least of the old statutes and rules. We, no matter our societal class will run over pedestrians at zebra crossings, break red lights, park in no parking zones. We will, many of us, buy our driver’s permit.

We, the nation’s mothers and fathers will protest violence in schools by lighting fires and then wonder why our children belong to gangs and not to book clubs. We will go on teaching our offspring that the blaze, the gun or the cutlass is mightier than the tongue or the brain, that wrong and strong is right. We will curse our neighbours, kill them if they aren’t careful. We will hit our spouses, if we do not stab, chop or choke the life out of them. Inside the Red House after September 29 2003, we will hear boasts from each side of their dedication to consultation, justice, peace, equity, transparency, to new paradigms and well-worn clich?s. Outside the House, we will soon know the boasting was just good Trini mamaguy, for we will still not be entirely convinced that the administration’s various housing projects are not another form of voter padding, not when the relevant Minister refuses to face the media. We will continue to question the hypocrisy of a Prime Minister, who once ignored repeated calls for him to relinquish his post of party leader, now telling others at what age to retire. We will still be unsure that the gas boom benefits will reach us all. We shall not believe that any government knows how to stem the rising red tide.

We will curse and criticise our leaders for their false promises, and lack of transparency. Yet, as we swear, we, the civilians, shall still seek to make of the simplest transaction a corrupt deal, an occasion for offering a bribe, for short-circuiting any and every system. And as we express further horror at the base level of parliamentary debates — as if we went into the polling stations blindfolded — we know that what we have seen during the lifetime of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is what we shall get in its Second. Inside the House and outside the Red House walls. Despite the best efforts of President Max to transform us with lofty words, we, the legislators and the people, will moments later, return to the languages we prefer speaking and we understand best: Old talk, gun talk and baby talk.
Suzanne Mills is the Editor
of the daily Newsday.

No such thing as free education

THE EDITOR: Have you ever considered what is the cost of sending a child to school? Well from my own experience at form three, this year, it will cost my parents just over $3,000 to send me to school. This figure is based on basic necessities. These are books $1500 uniform $500, transportation $500, plus the cost of extra curricular activities like field trips, donations and additional expenses not catered for about $500. What if after my 14 years of primary and secondary schools, I came out with little or no passes, how would I feel then. How would my parents feel. Over $40,000 gone down the drain.

There are several things to consider here, there is surely no such thing as free education and parents certainly do not give enough thought towards what they are getting themselves into when they are having kids. My point is quite realistic when you consider that there is 23 percent illiteracy in our population. How is that possible? Close to 23 percent of our population could not afford their children basic schooling. This figure of 23 percent illiteracy can be used to analyse our society. That is how much crime, poverty, delinquency, illiteracy, immorality and several other sectors that exist here in Trinidad and Tobago. The big question is, How do we resolve the situation? The answer may lie in a national family planning drive.


MICKELL GUNNESSAL
Student of Iere
High School

Keep up the good work, Nikki

THE EDITOR: I feel strongly that if I do not write in your publication about this I will be doing an injustice to the people of Trinidad and Tobago! I went this weekend to see the performance of Nikki Does Movie Towne Live, and I have to say that this is one of the best productions I have experienced in Trini-dad. In my opinion, the whole mood for this show began with the highway signs I saw in Sea Lots, at the intersection going South, and even to my surprise, down South! I was very curious about the play because I thought that this was such a creative way of promoting live theatre that it certainly got me wanting to see it!

Well I did! I have quite a hectic schedule but I felt that I had to make the time to “relax”…and there is no better way than to be entertained…and Movie Towne is a nice venue for that. I began to relax from the moment I sat in the cinema seat with my popcorn and listened to the wonderful music pla-yed as the pre-show music. The production itself was very cleverly put together with the music that related to each performance. Of course, I must also give justice to Nikki Crosby herself. A very talented young lady. I learned that evening that she wrote several of the pieces she performed, and each performance was very well done! She is a very talented and convincing actor and I cannot begin to imagine how she did what she did on stage that night. Great job Nikki, and keep up the good work! When is the next production? Can’t wait!


A RAMSEY
Lange Park

We will awake to loud explosions

THE EDITOR: Please allow me a space in your newspaper to express my views. It’s strange to sit and wonder about past times and present times. I for one would like to know how did we, our nation, end up here. Today as we look at the many pressing matters facing us, there are mainly two points I would like to touch on, Health and National Safety. It is obvious that this regime does not see that the Health Service of this nation is in need of great attention. I had a friend,  a patient at the hospital where this mysterious illness occurred. She lost her first born to this bacteria. Her friends and family have tried in vain to console her in every way possible, but she’s overcome with grief.

When I see the Health Minister smiling on the television as though this is a laughing matter, I wonder if he knows what it is to bring a healthy child into this world and lose it in a matter of days. Definitely the crime situation is out of hand and Mr. Manning should face the facts. I will admit measures have been put in place but yet they have provided no relief to the citizens of this country. Parents are afraid to send their children out in broad day light, persons are being kidnapped in their own yards, not to mention shootings. What has this country come to? Anyone can see that there are too many guns and ammunition on our streets, but is the Police Service doing anything about it? When will our Ministers address us and put us first for once? Come on people wake up from this slumber, negative forces are tearing at us, bash those who do nothing. Then again let’s not, continue sleeping when we awake they will have completed their Vision 2020 and how beautiful it shall be. We will awake to fireworks and loud explosions, when all has ended.


WENDY CHUNUN
Central

Wake-up call for Afro-Trinidadians

THE EDITOR: Intra Afro-Trinidadian race relations is probably a bigger problem than inter-race relations that most of us care to admit. It seems that the Afro-Trinidadian is prepared to blame all but himself for the poor state of social and economic affairs this racial group has found itself today in modern Trinidad and Tobago. Even with a so-called afro-Trinidadian based Government which presi-ded over the governance of the country for well over three decades, the Afro-Trinidadian is faced with an unprecedented deterioration as a group and sub-group of cosmopolitan Trinbago. If Laventille is to be used as the yardstick to measure success, progress or the sate of affairs of the African racial subset, then the argument that something is radically wrong becomes more apparent. The fact of the matter is that communities such as Caroni were at one time the microcosm of poverty stricken Trinidad, an appellation we begrudgedly must now supplant with the more realistic description of “progressively developing a growth rate of phenomenal dimension.” Note this area of land is physically occupied by the Indian sub racial group.

At the same time we have witnessed to our chagrin a decline in the vertical and horizontal social-class movement of the Afro-Trinidadian subgroup, with very few exceptions. The measurement for arriving at this conclusion lies largely with a comparative analysis which unambiguously demonstrates that not only is the Afro-Trinidadian stultified in progress, but has actually retrogressed. The Afro-subset once occupied and dominated all areas of academia, the public service, the professions, the artisans bases and, save for an intervening seven years, the political arena. Yet the writing is on the wall for a excruciating furtherance of decline of this group as compared to both the other major race and the minor ethnic groupings in the country have managed to forge past this once enviable position held by Afro-Trinidadians. Laventille therefore cannot be viewed as the exception to this trend, but the typification thereof of the Afro-Trini’s plight, since this area is dominated by Afro-Trinidadian residents.

The issue of discrimination resulting from race is simply a facade and “crying wolf situation” to obfuscate the responsibility that Afro-Trinbago as a sub racial group must seriously engage in deliberate introspection and re-evaluation. The deliberate objective of which is raising the bar for concerted development strategies in every facet of national life. The role of the emerging and existing leaders are crucial to this conscientious disposition; for it requires that every Afro-Trinbagonian realise firstly that on the progress index, we are at the bottom. To this end the role of leadership at the government, community, institutional and family levels is an indispensable parameter for any realisation of a collective forward surge as a group. Children must be once again taught to go to school and learn well. Persons in positions of influence, whether in Government, the civil service and private sector must not see their African brothers and sisters as enemies or free loaders, but as one of theirs for whom the opportunity is given to provide a helping hand towards progressive independence. Too often we have Afro-civil servants, those in banking, business and Government predisposed to slighting based on an ingrained stereotyping that Afro-Trinidadians are indolent, unprogressive, self-destructive and have no grasp for business. There are many daily encounters and research to support this position, although we prefer to pretend that it does not exist.

However, the situation cannot be the fault of those exceptions who have worked hard and assiduously and achieved a level of socio-economic comfort that is considered acceptable by society. There is however, an intrinsic responsibility on the part of all Afro-Trinis to conduct themselves responsibly whenever they are the beneficiaries of assistance or opportunities engineered by conscientious individuals who are in a position so to do. Work ethics, gratitude, building interpersonal relations and being ever conscious that one’s performance will be the determining factor as to whether another break is afforded another of his or her kind are powerful imperatives that must criss-cross the mind on a daily basis. There is too much “pure hate and act normal” attitude among Afro-Trinidadians. There is too much unwanted envy and incessant preconceived self-imposed failure complex. There are too many who are in positions to deliver a philosophical chorus which can assist their fellow Afro-Trinidadian, but choose to ignore this responsibility. It is as if we have developed a generic proclivity to “hate our own kind.”

Slavery is long behind us, and the psychological bondage can no longer be the excuse in a liberal, democratic and equal-opportunity society. Our people must learn to perform and compete again. They must learn that to win is commendable. To be the best is gratifying. To accept failure without question is self-defeating. If Laventille is the microcosm in which the dismal performance of Afro-Trinidadians repose, then it is to Laventille we must look to engender the phoenix that will rise to begin the forward journey of Afro-Trinidadians that, as a community, has remained dormant for far too long. So let the renaissance begin Patrick Manning, Lennox Smith, Selwyn Cudjoe, Lloyd Best, David Abdullah, Errol Mc Leod, kafra kambon, Theodore Guerra, Dr Ralph Henry, Dr Brian Harry, Fitzgerald Hinds, The Gladiator, Hazel Brown, Archbishop Gray Burke and all those prominent Afro-Trinbagonians. Of course the place to start is with a massive sensitisation programme dealing with mind-changing attitude and a conscientious responsibility of all concerned, less we perish as a social and / or racial subset that make-up Trinidad and Tobago. We can no longer afford the banality of lip service!


ALFRED GEORGE
Tru Maque, Laventille

Other criteria for SRP selection

THE EDITOR: You may publish this letter written to Acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs

Dear Sir, I refer to an article by Wendy Campbell on page six of the Newsday on August 28, 2003 “SRP results a sad state of affairs.” Pain and horror reflected on the faces of those who did not pass the entrance examination to be selected and it reflected the poor education system this country has to work with. Out of the 13,000 applicants who wrote the examination “SRP dictation,” some did not finish, some wrote nothing at all, while one individual got only one word “robbery” correct. Applicants had to spell 138 words in a passage chosen by the Acting Commissioner of Police Mr Everald Snaggs. The question that should now be asked is, is this the correct approach for us to chose young men and women to be enrolled in the Police Service?

It is now clear in our minds that the level of reading and spelling is poor, the method used was a bit difficult to get good police officers or applicants who would stay on the job and become good police officers. On the other hand, those selected are the ones who would use this as an opportunity to pay their way to branch off into their chosen field. I personally have known several individuals who were not chosen because they did not make the highest marks. One of these gentlemen has been working with my organisation over ten years. He began as a teenager as a security guard. All he knows is security and presently he works with one of the leading security firms in this country. This gentleman is married with a family and settled in life. He has been trained in all areas of security including the use of firearms. He has been selected by his company to be a bodyguard for a lot of wealthy families in the country.

Also, he was chosen by his company to be one of the private bodyguards for a prime minister who visited Trinidad recently. I personally believe that if this gentleman is chosen to serve in the Police Service, he would bring honour and would be devoted to his duties. In light of the present shortage in the police Service, I strongly recommend that the selectors re-visit all applications with three years experience, working with a security firm and precepted and trained to use a firearm. They should be interviewed and if their grades or pass mark are within close proximity for qualification, the applicant should be given a chance. I also suggest to the Minister and the Prime Minister that as soon as the first 1,000 are selected and trained, another 1,000 should be selected and trained. When the second thousand are trained, consideration should be given to some of the best in the first thousand to be selected and trained to become full time police officers. I must remind the selectors that the very bright ones may not stay in the job and may move on with their lives to continue their studies to get better jobs. On the other hand those that are not so bright would stay on and make a career in the Police Service. Let us make the correct choice for the job by not using marks as the criteria but by choosing the correct persons for the job.


BALLIRAM MAHARAJ
CEO-ADM