N Touch

Fainting on parade

SOLDIERS and members of the armed services of whatever country are expected not only to be physically fit but also prepared for action in the most difficult and inhospitable places and conditions. Their tough and rigorous training is supposed to make them battle-ready, fit to undertake any operation, no matter how exhausting, in defence of their country’s sovereignty or aimed at maintaining its peace and civil order. Whether the members of our Defence Force are up to that level of physical preparedness is now in doubt, having regard to the unprecedented number of faintings we have seen during military parades over the last week or so.

On Sunday morning, the large crowd watching the Independence Day Parade on the Queen’s Park Savannah went abuzz with surprise and speculation as at least seven young members of the protective services fainted one by one on the sun-splashed parade ground. One of them, a female soldier, collapsed on the hot pitch and had to be taken away on a stretcher. These embarrassing incidents came as a dismal “follow up” to what transpired a week ago at the 41st anniversary celebrations of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force at Teteron Barracks when a total of 14 soldiers collapsed while performing a ceremonial drill before President Maxwell Richards. During the two-hour afternoon (4.30 to 6.30) parade, soldiers and coast guardsmen were seen either collapsing or kneeling down on one knee in apparent distress. At one point it seemed as if the parade ground was under attack by an unseen enemy as two and three servicemen fell at the same time. Members of the medical squad on standby were kept busy, rushing on to the parade ground to ferry away the “victims” either on stretchers or to assist them in limping off. During the prayer session, it appeared that the men on parade were assaulted by another and different force as nine of them fainted. To add a final touch of irony, the faintings occurred while Brigadier Ancil Antoine was wishing good health to President Richards and advocating reform of the military health care system.

Now faintings during such military events are nothing new. We have had on occasion the odd soldier or policeman succumbing to heat exhaustion and having to retire from the parade. But the collapse of so many supposedly able-bodied defence personnel while engaged in nothing more strenuous than ceremonial parades is a matter that must concern the authorities responsible for the security of our country. What if they were called upon to defend the country against invaders or hunt down insurgents in remote and forbidding terrain for an extended period? How fit would they prove for such an exhausting physical challenge? Something has to be wrong, and the idea that our defence force personnel may becoming mamby pamby for lack of vigorous training is worrisome. Is there a regimen for such training? What exercises do our soldiers regularly undertake to keep in good physical shape? The last time we reported the Regiment undertaking serious field training or carrying out “war games” seems to be in the distant past. One woman in the Grand Stand on Sunday blamed the faintings among the soldiers to “the kind of food they feeding them.” Who knows, maybe she is right. This speculation certainly seems more to the point than the silly excuse offered by Public Affairs Officer Capt Cheryl Richardson who felt that the soldiers needed to learn “relaxation techniques.” In our view, exactly the opposite is required.

Hinduising the landscape


On Monday June 9, 2003, Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda consecrated the 85-foot-tall Sri Karya Siddhi Hanuman at the Dattatreya Yoga Centre and Mandir Orange Field Road, Carapichaima, Trinidad and Tobago.

The mega-Hanuman, standing tall in the central skies — the only one of its size outside India — was consecrated by Swamiji in the presence of thousands of local and foreign devotees. The statue was funded by local and foreign well-wishers and not the government as some suggests. Indeed the SDMS contributed $50,000 at an early stage of the fund-raising efforts. Many other Hindu organisations and individual Hindus joined in the fund-raising efforts of the Dattatreya Yoga Centre. The construction of this Hindu and Indian monument ushers in a new era in the Indian civilisational presence in Trinidad. The unveiling of the Hanuman Murti unnerved many non-Indians and non-Hindus as they are faced with an imposing and towering symbol perceived to be pagan. This affront to the Abrahamic based faiths provoked emotive reactions including calls to tear down the statue. On Power 102 FM a morning talk show host virtually embarked on an electronic crusade against the Hanuman Murti. Perhaps the first Hindu monument was the Swami Vivekananda at the Divali Nagar site. This effigy was originally built to last a year but managed to survive for over ten years. This towering statue of one of the great Hindu teachers formed part of the skyline. Decay of the materials used for the Swami Vivekananda will no doubt soon force the management to eventually remove the huge statue.

The building of monuments has been long associated with the development of civilisation as it links some of the key components of civilisation such as culture, art, technology and often religion. A monument can be described as something set up to keep alive the memory of an idea, a people, an event, a person as a tablet, statue, pillar, building, etc and it is often something that is significant. Monuments inspire collective memory and serve to forge national identity by commemorating those individuals, events, and ideals, which reflect the national creed.  Public monuments deal with time. They can be seen as attempts by individuals, groups or nations to project interpretations of past time into the future. Time plays a part both in the ideas behind the construction of monuments, and in their reception. The term “monument” is derived from the latin word “monere,” which can be read as “to remind” and also “to teach” or even “to admonish.” Indeed no other group in the nation has embarked in the building of monuments to date.

Secretary General, Sri Satnaryan Maharaj, declared at the Plum Mitan SDMS Mandir recently as well as on several radio talk shows, that the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha would be re-directing its efforts in the coming year towards the construction of Hindu monuments in Trinidad. Hinduising the landscape and indelibly stamping the Hindu and Indian civilisational presence in Trinidad. The first of these monuments, revealed Maharaj, will be a Lord Ganesh Murti that will be located on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway opposite the St Augustine Girls’ High School. The 25 acres of land opposite SAGHS was bought on behalf of the Hindu community by SDMS founder, Bhadase Sagan Maraj, in the 1950s. Since then the SDMS has been planning to construct a Hindu complex that will make the Hindu population and the nation proud. The SDMS has established a committee to oversee this particular project. The committee is being chaired by Mr Raj Jadoo, President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (Trinidad Chapter). Mr Jadoo told the attentive audience that the Lord Ganesh Murti is planned to be sky-scraping 108 feet high. Jadoo also revealed that this Maha Sabha project will be assisted by the VHP of India. Already schematics and technical drawings for the Murti are on their way to Trinidad. Jadoo revealed that soon an account in all the major banks will be opened to assist the SDMS fund-raising efforts to see this project materialise.

Lord Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha’s left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties. The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. When the masses pass the soaring Ganesha along the highway it will be these ideas and concepts that it is hoped will be evoked.

Outside India symbols of Lord Ganesha can be found. Just like in Cambodia, Vietnam and some other Southeast Asian countries, Hinduism was a big part of the beliefs of Indonesians. Remnants of more than 300-year (some are more than 1000 years) old temples have been found and excavated in Indonesia. There were located prominent Ganesh statues. Most of them are still intact and preserved in museums and some are still on their places where they were placed more than one hundred decades ago. There are at least more than 15 spots all over Indonesia where Ganesh statues were found. In India, Ganesh has many names like Ganapati, Vighnesvara, Gajanana, Gajadhipati, Lambkarn, Lambodar and Ekadant, while in Indonesian language it is named “Gajah” which is most probably derived from Sanskrit word “Gaja” or elephant. One of the Indonesian currency notes carries the picture of Ganesh. The currency symbol (“Rp” India = “Rs”) and its pronunciation (“Rupiah” — “Rupe”) are actually almost similar to India’s.

NHA denies throwing out couple

THE EDITOR: The NHA is refuting allegations made against the organisation in a Newsday article captioned “NHA throws out couple”. This was written by news reporter Lennox Forde and published on August 24, 2003.

These are the facts:
On March 10 2000, Mr Lionel Reid, tenant of Building No 2, Apartment No 3-5, Almond Drive, Lady Young Road, Morvant, requested a transfer of accommodation to another apartment in Port-of-Spain due to the death of his wife, and the fact that his children all attended school in Belmont. On Friday August 10, 2001, the Allocation Committee approved the transfer of Mr Reid from Building No 2, Apartment No 3-5, Almond Drive, Lady Young Road, Morvant to Apartment F, Building No 58-60, George Street, Port-of-Spain. On October 17, 2001, Mr Reid submitted a sworn affidavit with the members of his family listed as follows: Stephanie Collingwood, common-law-wife; Krystal Reid, daughter; Paul Collingwood, son; and Gershwin Pierre, son. At no time, either verbally or in writing, did Mr Reid make mention of Ms Deane Loraine and/or Mr Kevin Townie, as being members of his family. By our letter dated March 26, 2002, Mr Reid was reminded that allocation of Apartment F, Building No 58-60, George Street, Port-of-Spain is subject to the prior return of keys (to the Authority) for Building No 2, Apartment No 3-5, Almond Drive, Lady Young Road, Morvant. Mr Reid later complied and returned the keys for the apartment in Morvant to the Rental Administration Department in April, 2003.

On April 29, 2003, approval was granted by the Executive Director, Mr Noel Garcia, for Ms Michelle Mc Nicol-Edwards and her family to be re-located from her bedsitter unit to the said apartment. Subsequently, Ms Mc Nicol-Edwards informed that she was unable to take up residence because the apartment was occupied. Investigations conducted by the Authority revealed that the unit was in fact being occupied illegally by Ms Deane Loraine and Mr Ken Townie. They were informed that the apartment was already allocated and that they were required to immediately vacate the unit. On May 29 2003, Ms Loraine pleaded with the Authority and was allowed two weeks to obtain alternative accommodation and vacate the apartment. She agreed and made a written commitment to that effect. Meanwhile, Ms Mc Nicol-Edwards persisted with her demand for the apartment allocated to her by the Authority. All requests by the Authority for Ms Loraine to vacate the apartment failed and a final notice was issued on June 17, 2003, which was also ignored. Finally, the Authority instructed the bailiff to retrieve the apartment which was carried out on July 15, 2003.

LENORE JOSEPH
Communications Manager
National Housing Authority

Government must create jobs, not fire workers

THE EDITOR: The authorities are trying to solve the crime situation by placing more policemen and soldiers on the street to stop criminal activity, yet workers are being laid off and driven on the bread line.

As long as there is unemployment there would be more crime. The plan is not likely going to work successfully as long as the authorities are not too interested in making employment a top priority, providing jobs not only for the boys, but for all people interested in working while trying to eradicate poverty. This is the government’s responsibility and they are to fulfil the many promises they made at the last general election. Many persons who may have lost their jobs and are qualified may be able to find alternative employment, but there are those who are weak socially, and when they realise that they cannot find a job to take care of their wives and chidlren, then through frustration, may react negatively.

The people who have lost their jobs have to find ways and means to take care of their families. We read in the newspapers about three weeks ago where tragedy struck when an ex-Caroni worker bought a car to use as a taxi, and tragically died when the car crashed, seriously injuring his wife. The talk of a 20/20 vision would never come to pass as long as we are saddled with unemployment and crime. If this present regime is serious about eradicating poverty and building a nation, they are to find jobs for the unemployed, not fire workers.


HORACE DESORMEAUX
Port-of-Spain

Some progress on Dr King’s dream

THE EDITOR: Forty years ago Dr Martin Luther King Jr made his famous speech, “I have a dream.” (August, 1963). Forty years later, has that dream become a reality?

The world back then was different, black people, people of African descent, were being humiliated and scoffed at by white Americans. What prompted Dr King to make that famous speech was the injustice that were being forced upon black people and he spoke out about it. Blacks were denied their civic rights. Part of that dream was to see little black boys and girls joining hands with white boys and girls. Although the dream has not yet been realised, black Americans, black people around the world are now accepted in every sphere of local, regional and international life. Black people have made strides since those days, although at times, people are still frowned upon because of the colour of the skin. Black people still have to make greater strides in their quest for recognition. We can only hope that dream 40 years ago will still be realised and that the world will become a more tolerant place to live. Hopefully one day we will realise his dream.

KEN SMITH
Woodbrook

Houses with no sporting facilities

THE EDITOR: I read with interest a tribute paid to George Bovell III by Bally Maharaj of Arima Discount Mart in the Sport Express of August 28, 2003 under the caption “The making of a champion.” Maharaj lauded the sporting accomplishments of the family from George Bovell I to the present champion, as well as their business acumen in successfully running their enterprise, Malabar Farms.

As fellow Arimians, we wholeheartedly join with the entire nation in extending congratulations on this noteworthy achievement. It is like a breath of fresh air in a country that is besieged by myriad of problems especially the criminal elements. Maharaj’s encouragement to citizens of this country to use this family as a role model to teach our children moral and spiritual values and to support them in whatever desires, hobbies, sports, or culture they wish to pursue are highly commendable. He ends his tribute with the exhortation “Let’s make champions and not criminals”. What he neglected to say was that Malabar Farms has been building houses on every square foot of land which is leased from the Arima Borough Council, without any consideration for the sporting and recreational needs of the home owners and their children. These youths are restless without any outlets for their pent up energies and there are the ever present lurking opportunities for them to engage in nefarious activities. All these youths need is a space to organise their games of small goal “sweat” and windball instead of having to play on the road. These games do not need any big capital outlay as leather ball cricket, swimming or other expensive sporting disciplines which their parents can ill afford.


Levi browne
Chairman, Arima West Community Action Group

Need for a middle class Cepep

THE EDITOR: Many opinions have been voiced on the value of the PNM’s CEPEP Programme — from ardent supporters who see the results oriented programme operated by small entrepreneurs as a positive model to fervent detractors who question the aimlessness of the output and the apparent politics of the programme.

However, both parties have missed what may be quintessential weaknesses, ie (A) the programme is state-funded and may well act to further propagate the curse of dependency that afflicts the country, (B) that no new industry or sustainable job creation activity is taking place and (C) that the middle class — the backbone of developed societies — is being left out. Therefore, even a cursory analysis of the future of this programme will show that there is a need for operations that (i) do not need to be funded by the state beyond incubation, (ii) support activities that bring into being new industries, and (iii) encourages the involvement by the middle class who traditionally can harness the necessary resourse to effect long term economic changes. If ‘no one is to be left behind,’ then the Government should be actively inviting and pursuing proposals that would (a) attract the under-employed middle class, who having graduated from Form 6, University and other Tertiary Education Institutions are traditionally left to drift in the morass of youth employment, (2) target indigenous industries capable of engaging significant numbers of persons in skills based occupations, and (3) generate levels of foreign exchange consistent with that required to support internal requirements and where possible contribute to the national pool.

The advent of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, while increasing significantly the population and probable market sizes, will do virtually little or nothing to (a) reduce levels of structural employment that exists throughout the region, (b) cushion against the eventual absorption of some of our local industries on the principle of “doing less with more”, (c) take advantage of diminishing returns to identify niche markets where we can excel and (d) provide gainful employment for citizens who are outside the traditional education/lifestyle norms. Successful government initiatives are those that free individuals to pursue goals more closely akin to their liking than to simply follow the path already in existence. While most Third World nations can point to several manufacturing or trade oriented incubator programmes, there is a marked absence of service-based initiatives.It is the combination of the natural creativity of our citizens with the availability of production, marketing and investment advice that can operate to free the middle class to bring about true economic growth. In this regard, programmes like CEPEP may work for the underprivileged but achieve nothing at the level of the educated but under-employed middle-class.The next step is clear — To weather the challenges of the SME and eventually the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), we must seek to merge the concept of self help for the underprivileged with the availability of the under-employed to realise a new citizen who is truly entrepreneurial and who has the tools to make a success of business activity without the need for dependency on the state.

LOUIS R
HERNANDEZ
Diego Martin

Easy does it for Sugar Mike

SUGAR MIKE destroyed a field of 11 opponents to stride home an emphatic victory in the feature Sagicor Independence Cup on a sloppy track at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday.

From the off in the 1850 metres event on the turf course, jockey Brian Harding had the American-bred bay colt on the firmer outside and close to leader Inswinger who tried to make all. The former champion rider asked his mount to go on 300 metres out and he accelerated to the roar of a huge Independence holiday crowd to go on to a five-and-a-half length victory to take the $120,000 winner’s purse. Inswinger held on for second, but the three Barbados runners showed they will be a force later on Derby Day. Hard Dancer led the Bajan trio, finishing a surprising third, while the better fancied Feet On Flames was fourth after being very prominent early, while Lion Country finished fifth. At the end of the race, Sugar Mike’s owner Bertwin Samlalsingh said he was not surprised at his horse’s easy victory on the turf course, which some turfites felt would be against him. He said: “I am not surprised since he ran on turf at Gulf Stream (USA) and finished a good third.” A big disappointment in yesterday’s feature was second favourite Phantom Bidder who finished a well-beaten 11th.

Another disappointment yesterday was the fourth placed finish of overwhelming favourite and Celebration Time. But the Glenn Mendez-trained colt was last to leave the starting stalls in the Sagicor Life Saver II Handicap over 1750 metres. Sweet Tempo also flopped badly in finishing fourth behind shock winner Ring Dang Do in the Sagicor Endowment Restricted Handicap also over 1750 metres. Ring Dang Do rewarded backers with the biggest tote dividend $51.90 and $800. Also giving backers sound reward for their faith was Kay-Gee-Bee who paid $38.00 and $4.20. Six superfecta dividends surpassed the $1,000 figure, with the best coming on the quartet of Ring Dang Do, Squee Sintru, Gaza Strip, Sweet Tempo —$4,094.80.  And the top three also returned the best trifecta of $4,110.40 Harding had a good day in the saddle landing three winners.  No other jockey had more than one, while Grant Lourenco who saddled Sugar Mike, Douglas Bennett and Stephen Jardim were the leading trainers on the day saddling two winners apiece.

Warner mourns death of top referee

CONCACAF president Jack Austin Warner yesterday expressed deepest regret and sympathy over the passing of former CONCACAF Referees Committee chairman Javier Arriaga Muniz of Mexico.

Also chairman of the Referees Committee in his native Mexico from 1966-1986, his early involvement in football was as a player, but it was in the area of refereeing that he left his mark upon the game at the Mexican, CONCACAF and FIFA level. He became chairman of the CONCACAF Referees Committee and was Refereeing Coordinator for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The following year, Arriaga Muniz began 11 years of devoted service as a member of the Referees Committee of  FIFA, where he was consistent in his work to improve the standards and opportunities for game officials in the region. Arriaga Muniz was inducted in the CONCACAF Hall of Fame in 1994. “Everyone within the confederation should be grateful for the time and energy which he put into the game he loved,” said Warner.

Shabazz released from Miami jail

ASSISTANT National football coach Jamaal Shabazz returned home on Sunday after being released from the Federal Detention Centre Miami.

Shabazz who was detained by US State Department officers in July for alleged possession of a forged American visa, was set free by a Miami judge last week, who ruled that the 41-year-old Jamaat-al-Muslimeen member had served his time. The soft-spoken coach of the Caledonia AIA and technical director of the national women’s squads, was on his way to attend a coaching course in the United States on behalf of the TTFF, when he was arrested by officers at the Miami Airport. According to Shabazz, who also goes by the name Hyron Best, he was ordered to perform 15 hours of community service in Miami, including coaching sessions, once he returns to the US. But the affable Shabazz noted that his re-entry into the US will depend on an agreement between  the Trinidad and Tobago Government and the  US Embassy at Marli Street, Port-of-Spain. Shabazz is  eager to know his status with the national teams by week end before resuming his coaching duties. But he must first sort out his travel documents, the cause of his arrest. FIFA vice-president and TTFF special advisor Jack Austin Warner who was in the Unirted States for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, gave assistance to Shabazz while he was in detention, and at his hearings Shabazz was represented by Federal Public Defender Faith Mesnekoff.