N Touch

One man band

Not that there was anything for him to prove. But Devdas once again puts Shah Rukh at the top of the hype heap. Bollywood reporter, Subhash Jha writes about the star who has made it to the top of the ladder and stayed there for more than 11 years.


Tell him he is brilliant and Shah Rukh brushes off compliments like the bumble bee hovering around the character, Paro in the film, Devdas. Ask him how he got a grip over the elusive and enigmatic character and shah Rukh shrugs, not willing to divulge the formula — because there is none. Or so he claims. Jha asked him why has Devdas’ character worked in such a big way? “There are so many ways of looking at him. He is a lover.  He is a loser and an alcoholic. I don’t see him as any of these. “I see him as a tragedy with a happy ending. All of us deep down inside love the idea of being sad. But I don’t like showing it — Devdas showed his sadness. But he can’t express his love for Paro. When he does express it, he says it to a prostitute.” He talks about the role of Devdas as he saw it. Shah Rukh spoke about his character with a certain passion in his voice. “So how could Devdas be a true lover? He shouted his love from the rooftops. He drinks himself silly, he hits his woman, he runs away from marriage commitment, he returns to taunt his woman on her wedding day and to clinch it all, in the most troublesome manifestation of love, he comes and dies at the woman’s doorstep.”

That was his character of Devdas in the movie, Devdas. Jha wanted to know what research he undertook before playing this character. Shah Rukh replied by saying, “None at all. “I can’t explain the process of my performance. It’s very personal. Unfortunately the critics and those who analyse films in this country cannot differentiate between characterisation and performance. I put my heart and soul into every role, even something like, Yes Boss. “After acting in 40 – 45 films in more than 11 years, I can’t say that it is hard to do any role. Devdas is a very, very good role, no doubt about it. To me it is difficult, challenging, beautiful and multi-dimensional as Dilwale Dulhaniya or Kuch Kuch Hoata Hai or Asoka. Responding to the question of whether the audiences watch the star and not the character, he said, “Most of the time I cannot claim to be an actor great enough to curb the tendency to be a star. “When you read Robert Ludlum’s novels, you read different stories. But there’s a certain style to them all, which you look for. Most actors have a certain style attached to them. Even the biggest actors in the world are stylised.
 
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Dilip Kumar, Balraj Sahani, Uttam Kumar, Utpal Dutt, Nana Pataka, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajesh Khanna — they all had a style. The best compliments he received for his character Devdas were from his wife and his children who nicknamed him, Devdas. “My kids did not see the film. They are too scared to see their father die. But they saw the promos. Now whenever I am in a dhoti and kurta, they know that I am Devdas,” he said. Jha asked Shah Rukh what was his formula for the success he enjoys. “No set formula for me.  After Friday is over, start to plan something else, not necessarily better. Earlier when I went on the roads, they called out, Deewana, Baazigaar and Badshah. I never slowed down to hear them. I quickly moved on. Nowadays everywhere I go, even when I go to drop my son to school, people shout out the dialogues of Devdas. I quickly want to move on so they can call me something else on the road,” he answered. He responded to the comment, “11 years and still at the top”, by saying, “You don’t believe this, nobody believes it. But you can’t touch this.” Will Devdas probably be the best film of his career, Jha wanted to know. Shah Rukh answered, “If I accept that, I might as well retire today! The next one will be the best.”

Backlash from Soldado

TRINIDAD and Tobago continues to be haunted by allegations of corruption against the former UNC government. On Thursday, we were told that the government has been sued for US$100 million by an international oil company claiming, among other things, that a former UNC minister and officials of Petrotrin had solicited bribes in order to influence the award of the contract for developing the South West Soldado oilfield. The Texas company, FW Oil, had succeeded in obtaining the offshore exploration contract in 2002 but it was later terminated.

According to Attorney General Glenda Morean-Phillip, the breach-of-contract matter will be settled through arbitration proceedings which will begin in Tobago in December. The AG, speaking at a press conference at Whitehall, declined to name the former UNC Minister who is accused of soliciting the improper payment, except to say that he is no longer a member of Parliament. Normally arbitration in cases such as these are held in private, so that the media will not be admitted to the sessions, which are expected to last about six weeks, and therefore the public will not be given the details of the proceeding until, perhaps, it is concluded.

Ministers of government soliciting bribes from companies in order to secure contracts for them is a vicious kind of corruption not only because it illegally unlevels the playing field and may result in all kinds of irregularities and inefficiencies but, as we now can see, it exposes the country and its tax-payers to serious and costly risk. According to the AG, TT can end up having to pay US$100 million plus other costs including heavy legal fees. Already, two English attorneys, one a Queen’s Counsel, have been engaged to represent the government in this matter. In addition, this kind of corruption serves to erode the good name and reputation of our country.

In advance of a settlement, the AG has declined to name the former Minister or the Petrotrin officials implicated in this bribery scandal or the amount of money they allegedly requested from the Texas oil company. She noted, in fact, that there would be no legal follow up action against the persons involved in the dispute with FW Oil. In our view, however, this can hardly be the end of the matter. The fact is that this scandal erupted some two years ago when the UK firm of Integrated Security Services, hired by Petrotrin, conducted an investigation into bribery reports over the Soldado bidding.

The ISS report, excerpts of which were published, concluded that “there was compelling information to suggest there is a high-level conspiracy involving international companies, a Minister with the TT government and senior members of Trinmar, to benefit financially.” We recall that this report was given to the then Director of Public Prosecutions Mark Mohammed and became the subject of police investigations. We must now ask, whatever became of these investigations, are they still in progress? How come no charges have yet been laid? The AG has also indicated that the Government will approach the US government for help to determine what legal action can be taken against anyone involved in this affair under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This newspaper insists that our country exercise and maintain a zero tolerance for this kind of corruption. We cannot have Ministers and public officers seeking to enrich themselves by the dishonest abuse of their office and authority. Apart from its economic damage, it serves to undermine the moral and ethical standards we must live by. Otherwise all fall down.

Silly season again — elections


Some years ago, while Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams was still alive and kicking, Professor Selwyn Ryan publicly posed the rhetorical question: “Does Dr Williams take us for a nation of sheep?” In the context of today’s politics or what passes for politics anyway, the equivalent question might well be phrased thus: “Do our politicians in general and the political leaders in particular take us for goddam goats and unmitigated asses? What crimes,” I ask myself, “did we, collectively, commit in a possibly earlier incarnation to be saddled with that lot?”

Now I don’t like to tell tales out of school and I usually try not to draw conclusions beyond the ambit of the evidence but I couldn’t help noticing that in at least one political pair of politicians (conjoined at the hip?) there was what you might call a “well balanced team,” to wit, one was, as the saying goes, “more fool than knave and the other more knave than fool.” When I reflect on the level of puerility and the absurd antics that characterise the pseudo-political goings-on on the part of the political actors, I can only throw up my hands in despair and disgust and utter a feeble “battle cry,” “Good Lord, put a hand!” Now I’m inclined to go further than that and appeal to my dear Lord, “to put a foot as well.” But much as I would like to see the Lord’s footprints, “not on the sands of time,” but on the backsides of some high-profile “political animals,” as they like to be called, I’m more than a bit apprehensive about those feet ending in certain “celebrated political mouths,” given the prevalence of “foot-in-mouth” disease in some quarters. In any case, there’s always the risk of a foot being swallowed and “How it go look?” — to borrow Ronnie Mc Intosh’s hook line, if what sweet in goat mouth turns out to be sour at another aperture. However, to be more or less specific, I heard, or thought I heard someone, in authority, say that, “… crime is now confined to criminals and doh worry be happy, if you’re just an average citizen you’re only liable to be counted as collateral damage if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when criminals choose to strike — and that could be almost anywhere, including the sanctuary of your own home.

There’s that other fellow (that ball of political confusion?) who, in my view, pays little more than lip service to solving crime and not only opposes measures to deal, legistively, with burgeoning criminal activity but — and I may be wrong there — seems to be in his glee at any hint of an inability to deal effectively with the escalation of criminal activity. He’s never at a loss for some bogus reason for not offering any legislative assistance. It may not be stretching it to say that in any serious national crisis that affects the entire citizenry, “If you are strategically placed and can help or hinder, then if you’re not part of the solution then you’re part of the problem.” But try telling that to some of those seemingly “brain-dead” politicians and their retinue of “no-brainers.” It’s a great pity that politicians tend to loom large on the political landscape and we tend to lose sight of the real important things like the systems, succession models and the transitional political phases that the country is going through, however imperceptibly. I forgot to mention that one fellow who makes heavy weather and apparently gloats over the crime crisis actually achieved political office with the promise that he had the solution for the crime problem and, “those who do the crime will do the time.” We are yet to hear of an account of his stewardship in that respect. How ole talk beats performance any day of the week and twice on Sunday! But you’ve got to hand it to him, because he apparently can take positions that are diametrically opposed to the genuine interests of his traditional supporters and hoodwink them with some silly platitude that, “… half of me is yours and the other half is yours.” Take that in yuh rukungkutung!

To shift focus a bit. We need to examine our so-called political parties with regard to their constitutions — such as they are — their traditions, succession arrangements and their evolution. Dr Williams claimed that his greatest achievement was not only to establish his party but maintain its existence by employing the old colonial “divide and rule” technique, in which the UNC leader Basdeo Panday was a knowing and useful pawn in Williams’ political chess game. That’s a story by itself and Panday should be minded to develop it in his memoirs. It goes without saying that both the PNM and the UNC are personality based parties. It may surprise some people to learn that over two decades after his death the Doc still has a political constituency that’s beholden to him and helps the party win elections. I’m not at all persuaded that Dr Williams cared dearly about “the changing of the guard,” in the event of his death or incapacitation — his bogus resignation notwithstanding. He was more concerned with looking over his shoulder, after his break with Arthur Robinson whom he scathingly referred to as, “the traitor deputy.” Thenceforth, there was to be no perceived heir apparent. The local election silly season would not be complete without an eye-catching Basdeo Panday gimmick, hence a quickie constitution change to accommodate a selected deputy or more than one selected deputies. Who will be handed “the poisoned chalice?” Will this political farce be passed off as “succession planning?” I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see. Given Panday’s penchant for the unorthodox, it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s no limit to the number of deputies selected by the puppet master. For maximum leaders, deputies are not essential — ask Ramesh Maharaj — and today’s blue-eyed boy may one day discover that what maximum leaders require are good, subservient handymen who appreciate that “all can’t be captain, some must be crew.” Ask John Humphrey.

Let us embrace change

THE EDITOR: Every day is an opportunity for growth, an opportunity to discover and test our strengths and capabilities. Challenges seem never-ending. The more hurdles we conquer, the more we are faced with. This is only because we are capable of doing so much more with our strengths and talents, and unforeseen changes allow us to develop our potential.

Growth means change. As they say, “Change is the only constant.” Should we run from change, run from a life filled with excitement and opportunities. We therefore need to embrace change and thereby grab the positives that come with it. “Behind every dark cloud is always a silver lining.” Change is not always easy to accept. We may have to adjust how we behave, how we think, what we do. But we must realise that change is part of life.  From the day we were born to the present moment, we have gone through various changes, which have contributed in making us who we are today. We must remember that we may not have a choice over what happens to us. The good news, however, is that we can control our reaction to those events. Change is occurring continuously in every facet:
• Social and economic changes
• The environment is becoming more unstable, complex and unpredictable
• Scientific and technological knowledge is changing rapidly
• Life is becoming more demanding

These challenges mean that we have to daily improve the way we do things personally and professionally. Change is for everyone, you and me. Are you willing to make the difference? Do you wish to develop and utilise your gifts and talents? Have you dreamt of a greater life? These cannot be fulfilled without us accepting change and adopting a positive attitude in dealing with the events that follow. Instead of thinking what we would lose, let us think of what we would gain. I am certain that once we are willing to adapt and face change as an opportunity for growth, the future would be bright for us all. We have each other and we have God.


DEXTER EMRIT
Tunapuna

Remove duties on basic foodstuff

THE EDITOR: In a recent news release, Legal Affairs Minister Camille Robinson-Regis stated that her Ministry is leading an initiative to reduce the price on basic foods in Trinidad and especially Tobago, particularly in rice, flour and oil.

To the Minister, let me offer a helping hand in this respect. The blatant facts are as follows: flour, oil, rice and macaroni all attract huge duties of 25, 40, 25 and 40 percent respectively. Importers of these products pay the necessary duties, and are still able to sell these items cheaper than the protected local manufacturers of these said products. This is the reality of the situation, and you very well know this. Why, in God’s name, are you protecting these people? When consumers buy these products, these duties are included in the prices they pay, so implicitly, it is really the poor who pay these duties to the Government. What a shame.

All you have to do is simply remove these duties, and after old stocks have been disposed of, prices will automatically fall. The poverty line (37 percent) will also fall. Is this not what good governance is all about? People must always come first, profits and shareholders must take a back seat. Duties and surcharges should only be levied on luxury goods. Why did the Government bail out BWIA for a second time and did not force its shareholders to contribute its share? In the end almost 950 workers lost their jobs. This is a classic case of cliquism, aided and abetted by a government, which is doing exactly the opposite of what it has been elected to do.

DOODNATH MAHARAJ
Arima

Zero tolerance please!

THE EDITOR: I was taken aback when I read an article in one of the daily newspapers about the Defence Force being zero tolerant on any of their officers who abuse drugs and other substances.

May I ask, what about your officers, whether male or female, who have issues with immorality? The one who feels “macho” and must have more than one woman/man. The one you know who attends your functions with their “deputy” on their arms knowing they have a wife/husband at home and you say nothing to them. Family lives are destroyed by substance abuse; they are even destroyed by immoral lifestyles. Check yourselves, don’t only be zero tolerant for drugs; be zero tolerant also for the men/women who are destroying their homes by living in this manner.


LYSTRA GRANT
Marabella

To change the fruit, we must change the root

THE EDITOR: The astonishing incidence of crime in Trinidad and Tobago within recent times is not a phenomenon created either by the change of Government from the hands of UNC to PNM or the appointment of Mr Chin Lee to the post of Minister of National Security; or for that matter, any other frivolous concoction of charges of political incompetence.

It might, perhaps, be more appropriately seen as the materialisation of a philosophical thought, that the spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum; for, with this unprecedented descent of evil deeds and depraved practices upon us, it is reasonable to assume that the existence of a vacuum in the moral structure of this country is a reality. We have been witnessing for decades now a changing society; one that has become notorious for its abandonment of the values and ethics which once characterised our culture; and it is the forsaking of such values as self-respect, respect for others, self-discipline, honesty, loyalty and modesty that has led to the entry within our culture of iniquitous practices, including rape, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, kidnapping, gruesome murders, unbridled corruption and carnage on the nation’s roads. There is, however, the feeling in some quarters, that this non-conformity to moral principles is a result of what is construed by some as unsatisfactory social conditions; but it would be unreasonable to justify criminalistic behaviour purely on that basis; and we are talking here of issues such as unemployment, the widening gap between rich and poor, marginalisation, the minimum wage, discrimination of one kind or another and feelings of disgust and frustration with any one politician or political party.

These factors may certainly play a contributory role in the perpetration of perverse behaviour, but they certainly are not the main players in the game. In my view, the perpetration of crime is influenced more by character than by circumstance. There is a good old maxim which says, “To change the fruit one must first change the root”; which suggests that if we want to reduce or eliminate crime, we must first change the root of the evil. We must begin by changing the perspective and priorities of parents. We must move to counsel them with a view of raising their level of consciousness as regards their responsibilities to their children. For example, it is significant that even before a child is born, it is determined that it will exert qualities of a genetic nature which are inherited from its family line; but beyond that, as it continues to grow during its babyhood, its parents exhibit some strong influences that will affect its future — and parents must know this.

In addition, psychologists claim that every child becomes engaged in building its own character; and by a process of introjection, selects from its parents and others, the ingredients which it wishes to adopt. These are circumstances which we cannot ignore; for it is abundantly clear that hereditarily and environmentally, the role of parents in the development of their children’s character is an enormous one, more especially if we are right in thinking that the perpetuation of crime is influenced more by character than by circumstance. We must also look at the structure of our institutions of learning to ascertain the extent of their contributions to character building. We think that it is the duty of our schools and religious bodies to assist in fostering a sense of moral responsibility among our young people by introducing them to such values as self-restraint, courtesy, a sense of gratitude, regard for proper authority and even fidelity. But however pro-active we might be in our efforts to reduce the current role of crime, we must be cognisant of the fact that there will always exist a certain level of delinquency due essentially to the potential of human beings in general to wrong doing. In fact, some writers are convinced that each of us is a criminal in the sense that we are highly endowed with impulses which, if they are not brought under control, will certainly lead to acute social misconduct. If there is merit in this theory, then herein lies the potential for the creation of another vacuum in the years to come, if we are not on the alert. As this country continues indefatigably to struggle against the assault on its cultural life, we the citizens must be patient and cooperative and acknowledge the fact that in the battle against crime, results are never immediately automatic.

VICTOR LOOK LOY
Arima

Time for us to grow a backbone

THE EDITOR: Everyday, we are bombarded with media propaganda funded by the Americans. Over 90 percent of the world’s population is aware of the reasons for America’s war on Iraq. America wants to be the big dog of the world and no one should stand up to them (not forgetting oil).

The American legal system has failed society. Their education system has failed when compared to other countries with fewer resources. Their ideas of capital punishment have caused a complete breakdown in their society. We in TT seem ready to accept their failed systems. Are we so brain dead, can’t we be innovative and think for ourselves. I recently saw a documentary on HBO, “The Iceman and The Psychiatrist.” The Iceman being ‘Richard Kuklinski’ a world-renowned murderer, serving multiple life sentences for killing dozens of people. The contract killer reveals with pride his methods and his enjoyment of killing. These documentaries though informative do something to a person’s subconscious, inevitably it gives some people ideas on hot to commit murder. It makes these beasts seem like celebrities, when in fact they should have been eliminated immediately.

The iceman re-lived the glory of killing. He was diagnosed as having a genetic predisposition to fearlessness and a paranoid personality disorder, free of any conscience. The Iceman killed his victims if they disrespected him. He killed people if they were judgemental towards him, if they looked at him the wrong way. The irony of it is that it shows the incompetence of the US legal system, which allows serial killers and murderers to enjoy maiming and killing innocent people yet they continue to enjoy the rest of their lives, leaving he families of the victims to suffer and bear their loses and be traumatised till their death. This monster should have been executed. In our case, the international human rights organisations and the Privy Council prolong the lives of these monsters. Remember, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” We in TT are being forced to accept systems of failure; the PNM government is propagating a criminal society, just look at the breakdown in the school system and the crime situations that are plaguing us. Don’t think that the UNC was any better, they were just as bad. When will we grow a backbone and say to the US and Britain, we will not adopt their failed systems, we will no longer follow their dictates. After all, we are an independent sovereign island.


JOHN MOHAMMED
Chaguanas

Trinity Cross a symbol of love

THE EDITOR: I am absolutely abashed about objections made by some Trinidadians to the name of the award: The Trinity Cross. It certainly cannot be the name ‘Trinity’, an English word which when translated into Spanish is ‘Trinidad’, the name of our homeland. Therefore, the objectors’ focus has to be the word ‘Cross’, which they say has a Christina bias.

It is foolhardy to think that Christianity invented the cross. History shows that the cross was in existence long before the birth of Christ on earth. States used it as a device for the execution of condemned individuals, generally regarded as being rebellious against the head of the country. A stout stake was erected on the ground to hang up that part of the body consisting of the head, torso and the legs of the condemned one, and at a convenient point on this stake, a ‘cross piece’ was fixed to brace the arms. It was the means used generally to eliminate from existence those found guilty of threatening the security of the state. It certainly was not an invention of Christianity. The cross Christ carried was made for Him before His Crucifixion and its construction was not done at the site of His execution. Hence, it had to be transported to the spot specially selected for the purpose. His executioners made Him bear it, but with its weight on His shoulder, He fell time and time again, exhibiting extreme exhaustion. They then made a man named Simon carry it for Him.

The protestors must carefully consider Christ’s modus operandi. Christ, in His lifetime here on earth had shown in the presence of dependable watchful witnesses His immense spiritual power, stilling the tempest, walking on the deep waters of the lake, raising the dead to life, and numerous other remarkable miracles, yet He condescended to go to His destiny with superb humility. This was a veritable object lesson for all witnesses to the episode. He did it for the redemption of all mankind even to the point of death, for whilst dying, He was heard to say: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Therefore, the ‘Trinity Cross’ must be viewed as a symbol of two invaluable characteristics which a human being should possess:- humility and love of humanity. Hence, there is absolutely no religious bias. Therefore, let the Trinity Cross prevail.

OTHELLO  DEMOOR
Toco

Pt Fortin must stand up for its rights

THE EDITOR: When they were in opposition it was very convenient for the PNM to identify with the plight of the Point Fortin residents. They were against what Atlantic LNG did and called for the immediate redress for the obvious damage within the community. The destruction of the Clifton Hill beach was no secret. Now that the table has turned, the question is: Has their position changed? If not, what is there to show in this regard?

The sea wall replacement project currently in progress along the Clifton Hill Beach front has nothing to do with restoring the Beach to its pristine glory. Instead, its expressed purpose is to protect ALNG’s 36-inch pipeline. What arrogance! This demonstrates a total disregard for the real issue. The damage which starts from Guapo and extends all the way down to Fanny Village, Granville, Cedros and even as far as Columbus Bay has not been addressed. All the prized beaches along the entire coastline on the northern side of the southwestern peninsula have been severely damaged by rapid and increased erosion. The heavy silt brought down by heavy dredging activities upstream is also creating havoc and nightmare for the fishermen and other coastline communities downstream.  Damage to the mangroves, valuable plant life and other environmental damage are also visibly evident. Additionally, all the social, economical, recreational and fishing activities the residents enjoyed and benefited from prior to ALNG’s operation in Point Fortin are no longer in existence. The residents of Point Ligoure, New Lands and areas in the immediate vicinity of ALNG’s operating plant, complain daily of respiratory and other ailments resulting from the excessive dust, heat, extra bright lights and emissions. This emanates from large flares, which burn twenty-four hours a day in dangerously close proximity to their homes. There are also reports of heavy vibrations being felt in houses, with large cracks in the walls as evidence.

The residents live in fear that at any given moment their lives can be threatened by an explosion. Regular letters, requests and appeals to the EMA for assistance is either not responded to or ineffectively dealt with. What have these innocent law abiding Point Fortin people done to deserve this attack on their peaceful existence? Absolutely nothing! The EMA must be blamed because they legalised this onslaught against the people of Point Fortin by giving approval without proper investigation. The EMA must not grant any Certificate of Environmental Clearance for Train IV until these issues are resolved. Clearly, the Point Fortin people and their environment are taking a relentless but totally undeserving beating, from what is now described by the same ‘caring’ PNM as economic progress 2020 style. In any event the residents were there first, living peacefully with absolutely no threat to their lives, enjoying their property and their pollution free environment. Residing safely out of Point Fortin, the PNM’s top leadership and the owners and managers of the ALNG plant, are not subject to the nightmare they are imposing on Point Fortin people. Therefore, they could not care less about the crying need for urgent redress. While it is convenient now for the Government to turn a blind eye to the situation, it is grossly unfair to deny the Point Fortin people their basic rights. Their right to enjoyment of property and their environment continues to be violated with impunity. The revenue the multinationals derive from our natural gas must never be at the expense of the health, lives, limbs and livelihood of the Point Fortin people. Instead, ALNG should commit a substantial amount of that revenue to repair the damages resulting from Trains I, II and III and also for the development of Point Fortin. Why? Simply because, with ALNG’s operation in Point Fortin, it is the people’s community that is being destroyed and also they are being placed at risk.

Point Fortin people must come together not only for fete, wine and jam and Borough Day celebrations but they must stand up and demand that their critical issues are given the priority they rightly deserve. 1) The relocation, compensation and medical care for all affected residents. 2) Emergency response and evacuation procedures for the entire Point Fortin community. 3) Proper monitoring and air quality testing. 4) A general hospital with the much needed Burns Unit. 5) The complete restoration of the beaches and coastline. 6) A stadium with ultra modern sporting and recreational facilities. 7) A highway to Point Fortin. 8) The upgrade and paving of all the Field Roads. 9) A Technical Institute with the capacity for over 2500 students. 10) An agro and fish processing plant. These issues are crying desperately for urgent attention. The token handout by ALNG, BP and BG is an insult to the entire community. While these multinationals laugh all the way to their foreign banks, they are bombarding the entire country with an unprecedented level of “Green wash” Public Relations. Nevertheless, the people of Point Fortin must also accept blame for the continuing arrogance and disrespect to which they are subjected. The fact that ‘their party’ is now back in power provides no relief to the daily pressures they suffer as a result of ALNG’s operation within their community. They repeatedly make the fundamental mistake by confusing their support for party, with their lack of resolve to confront the real critical issues that seriously affect them. They must regain the true independent and fighting spirit of the past, with a commitment to struggle for what is rightfully theirs. The real power of the Point Fortin people will only be felt and respected, when they stand up and forcefully exercise it regardless of whichever party is in power. Until that happens, Atlantic LNG, BP, BG and the Government will continue to take them for granted, treating them with contempt and utter disrespect.


ANCEL  ROGET
President, OWTU Trinmar Branch