After the riots, a commission of inquiry was ordered by the Colonial Office in England, led by Lord Hamilton.

Although Hamilton recognised that the actions of Capt Baker and the police force gave the impression that the entire Carnival was going to be stopped, he went on to recommend strict regulation of the festival.

In many ways, the barrack yards were the heart of the Carnival. “The authorities recognised that the barrack yards were the places where the Cannes Brulees bands assembled and planned their routes, masquerades, costumes, assaults and offensives on the police and upper-class enemies.” However, time must not serve to romanticise the living conditions.

Historians have documented the prevalence of crime, alcoholism and drug use as well as “child abuse, juvenile vagrancy” and extremely poor family life. Mental illness, suicide and insanity were also prevalent.

Not surprisingly, physical conditions were also atrocious. One description of the materials that the structures were made of says they were similar to “boxes horses are shipped in. A long line of ten by twelve-feet boxes, nailed together with a window and a door allotted to each. The outward appearance is enough to give one a shuddering sense of repulsion.” Cooking often took place outside and privacy was virtually unheard of.

So, Carnival was more than just an opportunity for cultural expression.

In many ways, it represented an opportunity for the people of the barrack yards to manifest their personhood, and for a time, to exist in another reality where they were in charge, where they had the power.

The systematic and consistent attempts to restrict Carnival were thus resisted at every opportunity. Laws were passed, for instance, moving it from being commemorated in August and the important link to emancipation, to being aligned with the European Lenten season. The length of time for celebrating was reduced to two days. Masking was banned except on the two days of the celebration.

There were objections also to the conch shells, drums and other instruments typical of African cultural forms.

Attention was also directed towards the warring stickfight groups and other manifestations of the Carnival such as dancing or the beating of drums, playing of chac-chacs, blowing of conch shells or other instruments typical of African cultural forms.

In 1884, under the guise of preserving the peace, a proclamation was posted by the governor stopping the celebration of Cannes Brulees from midnight, ordering instead that the Carnival start at 6 am. In that same year, two ordinances were passed; one allowing the governor “the power to prohibit by proclamation dance and torchlight processions,” and the other banning “the carrying of torches, the beating of drums, the blowing of horns, and any assemblage of persons numbering ten or more armed with sticks or other weapons of offence.” No doubt in protest against these new regulations, stickfights resumed in villages such as “Montserrat, Oropouche and Couva.” In San Fernando, the police charged into stickfighters to disperse them, and there were confrontations in Arouca and Princes Town as well. The constant legal and physical attacks meant that the stickfight was forced underground for a time.

In the final part of this series, we will explore the question of the evolution of our Carnival in the face of continued conflicts between elites and those who sustain the traditional characteristics of our festival.

D a r a Healy is a performance artist and founder of the NGO, the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN.

After all was said and done, the Bill was passed unanimously by all 39 MPs present for the sitting. The Government granted an amendment that had been requested (it had also acceded to a request for a committee review).

Taxpayers cannot help but wonder why all these concessions were not granted a long time ago and why they had to be made in the first place. Far from being any kind of political victory for anyone, what was really conceded on Thursday was that this exercise was a tremendous waste of Parliament time. In truth there is no reason why the situation should have been allowed to become as protracted as it did.

Now that this Bill is out of the way, the legislature can move on to pressing matters such as the too long delayed Marriage (Amendment) Bill. We hope upcoming debates will not witness the same level of filibustering and that the same conciliatory mode which took hold in the end will once more prevail. Certainly, the laws allowing child marriage have been on the books for too long and the Parliament needs to present a united front to the people having listened to much public feedback for the last few years on this matter.

Going forward, the passing of the FATCA legislation will be a much-needed feather in the cap of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as he prepares to approach the White House. The call of US President Donald Trump and his invitation to Rowley for talks constitute an opportunity for this country to demonstrate its commitment to relations with the US, particularly on crime and security, and to also advance the Caricom agenda. Rowley will be able to demonstrate this country’s willingness to entertain legislative changes to buttress areas of cooperation that may be deemed essential to the work of law enforcement agencies across borders.

Meanwhile, it is important to not lose sight of the need for further steps to be taken to actually implement the Tax Information Exchange Agreements Bill. The first hurdle which will have to be overcome is the Senate where the legislation requires a three-fifths majority. Presumably, given the amendments to the Bill on Thursday night, the legislation will now meet with favour there by senators aligned to the two main political parties who together hold the requisite numbers needed for secure passage. It remains to be seen if the Independents will raise any objections that will sway both parties to make further adjustments, sending the legislation back to the House of Representatives once more.

Thereafter relevant orders will have to be issued by the Office of the President and also regulations will be subject to negative resolution of Parliament at some stage in the future. The timeline for all of these processes is highly variable, meaning it could well be a long time before the matter sinks in.

Still, as much as we question the tactics deployed by all stakeholders in this affair, the least we can say is that the FATCA issue has underlined the globalised nature of our world. No man is an island, and this country relies heavily on international partners and is affected by developments in other countries tied to us by blood, economics, society and culture. If we have learned anything, we have learned that.

Justice Nadia Kangaloo, presiding in the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain yesterday ordered the girl be placed in a licensed Community Residence, in accordance with the Children’s Authority Act of 2012. As there are no licensed Community Residences, the child will be housed at the Children’s Authority.

Lawyers for the teen, Anand Ramlogan SC, Ganesh Saroop and Alvin Pariagsingh approached the courts with an emergency application for an administrative order to have the girl from the home. The teenager complained that after the High Court and Court of Appeal last year ordered that she be granted immediate access to her lawyers, she became the victim of extreme harassment at the home.

She said was victimised, abused, ridiculed and became fearful for her safety and life.

Her lawsuit contends that she is in great distress, and has become depressed because she dared to take her complaint to court. Unable to withstand the pressure, the girl ran away from the home and does not want to return as she fears she will be attacked for ‘snitching on the home.’ In her claim before the court, the teenager provided the report of independent child psychologist Dr Natalie Humphrey who recommended that she be immediately removed from the home. “I strongly recommend that (name withheld) be immediately removed from the custody, care and control of the St Mary’s Children’s Home and be placed in the care of some alternative suitably, qualified and competent institution,” Humphrey said in her affidavit.

The lawsuit also pointed out that the psychologist also confirmed that during her interview with the teenager, two staff members of the home interrupted and insisted they be present, contrary to the order of the Court of Appeal which granted the teenager access to her legal advisers.

State attorney Josephina Baptiste appeared for the Attorney General while Sharlene Jaggernauth appeared for the Children’s Authority

Eight service stations reported fuel being delivered with contamination of water. This is a very serious issue with major implications.

The Government-owned and operated National Petroleum Company Ltd (NP) appears to be at fault.

Petroleum dealers are already suffering from a meagre profit margin because of the imposition of a punitive 200 percent increase in the Green Fund and Business Levy.

Apart from this, these dealers also must contend with problems such as a lack of pump attendants, dilapidated service stations and competition from Unipet, a private entity.

The Minister of Energy (anyone knows who that is now?) and Finance Minister Colm Imbert have ignored repeated calls from the Petroleum Dealers Association for a revision of the current slim profit margin.

Now they may be held liable for damaging citizens’ vehicles because safety procedures and checks may have been ignored elsewhere.

The trust of the motoring public in the ability of the Government to operate service industries like NP properly and effectively is being questioned seriously.

This issue will have a further negative impact on operators and will create a crisis of confidence among the motoring public.

It could well result in a switch to Unipet, resulting in the loss of jobs at NP.

In addition, there is the real risk of several service station operators being forced out of business because of the inability to earn a profit in the face of growing operating costs.

The dramatic rollback on the achievements of the previous administration and board of directors is extremely unsettling and typifies a Government that may be red but certainly not ready.

The Government seems to have dropped the ball on this issue.

On February 20 in the House of Representatives, in response to a direct question from the Opposition, the acting Minister of Energy was unable to provide any explanation for the contaminated fuel being sold at NP service stations.

Not only is this a critical threat facing the service station industry, but it is also one that can have serious legal consequences for both State-owned NP and the Government.

The independent retailers receive their supplies from NP and, therefore, being the end of the custody chain, are not culpable for any contaminated products.

The Minister of Energy needs to immediately demand a full report from NP on this issue and ensure that all steps are taken to prevent any such reoccurrence.

Neil Gosine former chairman National Petroleum Co Ltd

Passengers waiting to clear Immigration and persons awaiting on them in the arrival areas, stood for several hours while others sat on suitcases, chairs or in some cases, on the floor.

A passenger arriving from Toronto, Canada aboard Air Canada on Thursday, told Newsday he spent five hours trying to clear Immigration as there were only two officers at the booths to deal with the influx of passengers.

“I spent almost as much time in your airport than I spent in the air reaching here from Canada. This is not a nice way to start my Trinidad Carnival experience,” the passenger said. The passenger, who asked not to be named said the majority of persons waiting to be cleared, were tourists. “There were huge arrivals with the majority being tourists coming for your Carnival.” Passengers arriving, he added, “became angry, frustrated and hungry. The situation was very chaotic and people jostled to get to the front of the line.” Another passenger, who contacted Newsday to highlight the issue, said he felt very embarrassed to be a Trini and hear the anger among the tourists. “It was very embarrassing to come home to our an international airport with guests, to be treated in this manner.” Among flights that landed between 3.10 pm and 6 pm were Air Canada from Toronto, JetBlue from Fort Lauderdale, Copa Airlines from Panama City, Jet Blue from New York, Avianca from Panama City, Aero Mexico from Panama City, British Airways from St Lucia, Iberia from St Lucia and Caribbean Airlines (CAL) from St Vincent.

Contacted on the situation, Nigel Ferguson, Chairman of the board of directors of the Airports Authority (AATT) said he has “absolutely no jurisdiction on what Immigration or Customs should or should not do.” The airports authority, he said, merely provides the facilities for Immigration to carry out their work.

Ferguson said that social media reports of angry visitors walking out of Customs without their luggage being checked were false. He said that the problems at Immigration were not new. “We have had meetings with Immigration and pleaded with them to improve the situation.” Newsday spoke with other airport officials who confirmed the chaos but referred this reported to Acting Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi- Andrews for further comment.

Efforts to reach Gandhi-Andrews for comment yesterday proved futile.

Calls to the two deputy chief immigration officers, the Assistant Chief Immigration Officer and the immigration offices at the North Terminal and South Terminal of the Piarco International Airport, all went unanswered. National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, under whose portfolio the Immigration Department falls, also could not be reached for comment.

Video images of the chaos at the airport were uploaded to social media. “Two officers working…

over 4 hours just to get through Immigration!!! Nah!!! Piarco and the Ministry of Tourism (sic) get a plan during Carnival time do better than this please!!! Please!!!” a Facebook user wrote in a post linked to the video images.

But all eyes will be on Pan Elders Steel Orchestra that will be going for the beaver trick. At the Savannah Party two weeks ago, the band was considered by most to have given the performance of the event.

They won the semi final in gran fashion, beating the second placed steelband by nine clear points.

Tonight the band will be playing in position eight, Roti and Talkarie arranged by Duvonne Stewart, and another wonderful performance is expected. However the real battle will be in the large band category as 10 points separate the first seven bands going into the finals. Reigning National Panorama Champions Desperadoes will be on first in the large band category, and will play a Carlton”Zanda”Alexander of Good Morning, the band that placed second to them by one point after the semi final, Massy Trinidad All Stars, will play Full Extreme arranged by Leon “Smooth” Edwards in the penultimate position.

Third placed bp Renegades takes the stage in seventh position and will play s Duvonne Stewart arrangement of Good Morning.

PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars with We Are Conquerors arranged by Liam Teague intends to up their ante and position tonight, while Republic Bank Exodus will closed off the competition with Good Morning arranged by Pelham Goddard and Terrence “BJ”Marcelle, and they too are noted to big final night performances.

The following is order of appearance, tune and arranger

Medium Conventional
1. Pan-Demonium……………………………………. Cheers To Life………………………………………………………………. Akua Leith
2. NLCB Valley Harps……………………………….. Total Disorder…………………………………………….. Michelle Huggins-Wyatt
3. NGC Steel Xplosion………………………………Wet Meh Down…………………………………………………………Arddin Herbert
4. Melodians……………………………………………. UmBaYao………………………………………… Amrit Samaroo &Marlon White
5. Courts Sound Specialists………………………. Dangerous………………………………………………………………..Rudo Forteau
6. Curepe Scherzando……………………………… Stranger…………………………………………………………………. Yohan Popwell
7. NLCB Buccooneers………………………………. Rhythm Run Things…………………………………………………… Seion Gomez
8. Pan Elders…………………………………………… Roti & Talkarie……………………………………………………….. Duvone Stewart
9. Petrotrin Katzenjammers……………………….. Good Morning……………………………………………….Terrance “BJ” Marcelle
10. NGC Couva Joylanders………………………. Band of the Year……………………………………………………… Kareem Brown
Large Conventional
1. Desperadoes……………………………………….. Good Morning………………………………………….Carlton “Zanda” Alexander
2. PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars………………………We Are Conquerors……………………………………………………..Liam Teague
3. MHTL Starlift………………………………………… Good Morning…………………………………………Robert “Robbie” Greenidge
4. Skiffle………………………………………………….. Good Morning……………. Kendall Williams, Odie Gonzales, Mark Brooks
5. CAL Invaders……………………………………….. Full Extreme…………………………………………………………….Arddin Herbert
6. Phase II Pan Groove…………………………….. Red, White & Black…………………………………………Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
7. bp Renegades……………………………………… Good Morning……………………………………………………… Duvonne Stewart
8. FCB Supernovas………………………………….. Rumble In The Jungle……………………………………………… Amrit Samaroo
9. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps…………………. Single…………………………………………………………………….Clarence Morris
10. Massy Trinidad All Stars………………………. Full Extreme……………………………………………… Leon “Smooth” Edwards
11. Republic Bank Exodus………………………… Good Morning……………………… Pelham Goddard/Terrence “BJ”Marcelle

The competition, part of Thursday night’s Kaisorama, was held at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain.

Gypsy faced several challengers including Myron Bruce (Myron B) – who incidentally won the Humourous Calypso category, Joseph Vautor-LaPlaceliere also known as Lingo, and Leslie-Ann Bristow (Lady Africa).

Also in winners row was Maria Bhola who sang My First Lady and took home the Best Political Commentary title.

President Anthony Carmona was a very avid spectator, at least for the first half, and wholeheartedly applauded Bhola’s selection in which he was portrayed.

Giving a very impressive performance was Terri Lyons whose song The Phrase took her to the top of the Social Commentary category beating back National Women’s Action Committee (NWAC) 2017 Calypso Queen, Sasha Ann Moses who sang Main Witness and Lornette Nedd-Reid, also known as Fya Empress who mere hours before she appeared on stage was at the San Fernando High Court fighting to be allowed to compete in tomorrow night’s National Calypso Monarch. Fya Empress, singing Guilty, qualified as a finalist but was eventually disqualified after semi-finalist Lynette “Lady Gypsy” Steele, who was left out, challenged Fya Empress’ inclusion as a competitor in the Dimanche Gras show on the ground that she was not a Trinidad and Tobago national. A decision was taken by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) to drop Fya Empress and replace her with Lady Gypsy. However, Fya Empress found herself back in the finals after High Court Judge Frank Seepersad ruled that she was entitled to compete.

Dressed in all-white and carrying enough energy to move the crowd to their feet, Pan Groove’s electrifying performance of Winston “De Original De Fosto Himself ” Scarborough’s In De Minor earned them first place with 277 points, maintaining their position at the top of the table from the semi-final round.

Laventille Serenaders and Arima Golden Symphony tied for second with 274 points.

Still basking in the glory of the band’s first ever victory since competing in this category for the past six years, arranger Kion Robinson said, “Most importantly, it feels really good to bring some hope to the community and youths.

It was the first time we brought home victory and the feeling is great,” Robinson said.

Apart from Tobago Pan-Thers who placed sixth with 271 points, every other band shared their place with at least one other. Pan Trinbago President Keith Diaz said, “It is the first time I have seen this happen.

You know what caused that? When a judge is finished, he doesn’t see the points anywhere, that is put in an envelope and sent to be scored.

No judge sees no score sheet after he sends through the scores, so that is why you have ties.

Nobody not rubbing off nothing and putting back on points. It is very professionally done.” As all competitions tend to go, not everyone was pleased with the results.

Petrotrin Siparia Deltones brought an entourage of over dozens of people that, in conjunction with the band’s fiery performance of Leroy “Black Stalin” Calliste’s “Bun Dem” roused the passion of the crowd more than any other band.

The audience groaned when it was announced that they tied with Tamana Pioneers for seventh place.

“The nuts man say we win, the police say we win, the spectators say we win, the gate man say we win, the sound man and all say we win,” said a peeved band captain Akinola Sennon.

Diaz congratulated Pan Groove on their win and said he was very proud of all the young players, arrangers, and pan tuners who prove that the future of the national instrument remains bright.

“People are only studying negatives coming out of pan and not the positives. I see they are spending money on crime but not on the development of steelbands in their communities. A lot of steelbands are having programmes to help young people which curbs crime in communities and they are not getting any help, but no discussion is being held with Pan Trinbago.

“They are putting millions of dollars in buying more police car and they wouldn’t spend a cent in the development of steelbands in the country. But we like it so,” Diaz said.

One of the “negatives” coming out of pan in the lead up to Panorama 2017 were accusations that Pan Trinbago used money — some of which were State funds — to purchase luxury, high-end vehicles. The organisation was also accused of financial mismanagement after cheques pan players received for having played in Panorama 2016, were not honoured by the bank.

To the allegations of buying vehicles with State money, Diaz said “All I am saying is that we never ordered any two vehicles.” He declined further comment saying the issue is before the courts. On claims of financial mismanagement, he said: “I want to state very clearly, Pan Trinbago for the past few years has submitted audited financial statements to government.

“We have done so because through the years there are a lot of things happening that should be discussed at the level of the Minister but she don’t want to listen to nothing we have to say.” Diaz said line Minister (Community, Culture and the Arts) Nyan Gadsby Dolly has refused to meet with Pan Trinbago for six months despite numerous calls for a meeting.

“The last time she met with us was last August.

This is 2017. This is not a communist country, this is a democratic country. You can’t listen on one side and not listen to what other people have to say. If you feel something and you ask a question to hear from us, then you will be able to analyse,” Diaz said.

He added that Pan Trinbago wrote six letters to the Minister and received no response.

He called for Government and the public not to pay attention to “fake news” on the internet and to give him and his organisation an opportunity to be heard.

Dawn John Durity, Abiela’s grandmother, said her granddaughter had a bright future before her life was cut short as the 15-yearold, who represented the country on the under-15 TT national team and was a Form 3 student of Signal Hill Secondary School displayed signs that she was determined to succeed and be all that she said she would be.

“I just want to say to my fellow Trinbagonians, we need to get up and fight, let us fight to save our country. Our women are being murdered, raped and trafficked daily, this has to stop. And to you men… we are not objects, that you can do with as you please. We are your mothers, we are your sisters, we are your aunts, your grandmothers and your girlfriends. We have a right to free choice, we are not your property, absolutely not your property. God made you stronger so that you can protect us, not slit our throats when you don’t have your way and though we are to make wise choices as far as humanly possible,” the grandmother said.

She appealed to the nation to do their part in this fight to protect women and root out gender based violence. “We need our Government, our Police, our Judiciary and our communities to protect us within their respective capacities.

Remember that the issues of violence against women is much more complex than what you think you see or you think you know about the victim. Let us not turn a blind eye or bash the victims and their families on matters we don’t know the truth about but rather come together, put things in place and fight the real monster that is raging in our midst and stealing the lives of our women.

“It is time for all of us to stand and fight back, we need to fight, gender based violence has to stop and the power is in our hands, all of us from the highest office to the lowest to take control and stop another woman, another mother from going missing or from turning up dead,” John-Durity said.

Pastor Vincent Allen warned the family against revenge as according to him, “vengeance is God”.

“Don’t allow this is come over here in Tobago from Trinidad, ask God to reverse it. When people do things on this earth, and feel that they get away with it, that’s a lie.

God is going to fix it and the Bible tells us that all things work together for a good to them that love the Lord, so out of this is going to come great things for you. Leave it in the hands of God,” he said. He noted that the society has to come together to fight the current ills.

“We have to come together and take back our land, we have to set an example. I want to advise the Government to do a carpet search of Trinidad and Tobago, North, South, East and West, it will inconvenience a lot of people but it is aimed at taking back our land.

“Get the guns off the streets, get the criminals and deal with them and that is what has to happen right here in Trinidad and Tobago, it is not right that God give you 70 years to live and somebody take it out at 15, it is not right.

“Only God can solve it, the police cannot do it, the Army cannot do it, the Coast Guard cannot do it, they are limited, they cannot do it, it is only we, when we get to know Lord Jesus and when we take the Lord Jesus as Lord and Saviour of our lives because he said when a nation is living for God, no devil, no evil will take over that nation and that is what we need,” he said.

Abiela’s funeral service was held at the Mt Pleasant Recreational Grounds. Among the people at her funeral was Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles as well as a number of other Assemblymen.

Following the funeral service, there was a procession from the Recreational Grounds to the cemetery at Buccoo where the teenager was laid to rest.

Abiela’s body was discovered at about 3.30 am on February 11 on the roadway, near a pile of garbage, at Solenn Lane, Fedilis Heights (North), Courland after she was reported missing to the Old Grange Police Station by her mother, Katherine Gill at 12.15 am.

In an autopsy conducted by Forensic Pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov, it was confirmed that Abiela died as a result of injuries to her neck. Newsday Tobago was told the girl left home in the company of a 19-year-old male friend, but never returned. He told relatives he dropped her off at a shop near her home around 8 pm. Police are yet to ascertain a motive for the killing, as no one has been charged.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Joanne Archie when contacted confirmed that the investigation into the murder is of top priority and progress is being made.

“One man has been released and one is still assisting police in their investigations. A file has not been sent to the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) as yet as that investigation is still ongoing,” Archie said.