General T&T, International, Politics

Spectre of people’s power

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By Raffique Shah
March 13, 2011

Raffique ShahTHERE’S a spectre stalking the world. It is yet another resurgence of people’s power. Every so often in history, the oppressed, those who face discrimination and subjugation, people whose rights are trampled upon, rise up in a tsunami of discontent. At the cost of some lives, the masses sweep aside monarchies, dictators and even elected governments that have assumed an arrogance that creates a chasm between those who wield power and those who put them in office.
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General T&T, International

Big Quake and Tsunami in Japan

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King of Carnival Wade Madray portrays 'Pacific Tsunami' from Legacy's South Pacific
King of Carnival Wade Madray portrays ‘Pacific Tsunami’ from Legacy’s South Pacific

BIG QUAKE
TOKYO: A ferocious tsunami unleashed by Japan’s biggest recorded 8.9 earthquake slammed into its eastern coast yesterday, killing hundreds of people as it carried away ships, cars and homes, and triggered widespread fires that burned out of control.
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Culture, Entertainment, General T&T, India, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Tourism

Plebian Carnival

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By Selwyn R. Cudjoe
March 09, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOh what a difference an election victory makes. For time immemorial we were told by some that the steelband could never be considered as the national instrument—there was always the dholak—and that carnival was not really the national festival. They always sought to convince us that devali was comparable to carnival and emblematic of the national consciousness; hence the need to promote devali in the same way in which carnival is promoted. Somehow carnival was too black.
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Culture, Entertainment, General T&T

Collier recolonising Dimanche Gras?

By Raffique Shah
March 06, 2011

Raffique ShahTHE new Dimanche Gras Overlord, one Dr Cyril Collier, believes that the show’s calypso content is “too long, too boring”, according to a Guardian newspaper report. He is quoted as saying he is “very passionate about bringing the Dimanche Gras back to the days of the plantation owners”. Arguing that 12 Calypso Monarch finalists singing two songs each takes about three hours-plus to complete their segment, Collier suggested the show’s three components—mas, pan and calypso—should be allocated equal time.
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Crime in T&T, Death Penalty, General T&T, Law, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Violence

PNM’s Retrograde Death Penalty Politics

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By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
March 05, 2011

HangingMonday, 28 February 2011 will not only live in infamy but it will also be recorded as one of the darkest days in the history of public policy decision-making process in T&T. This historic, albeit unforgettable, day witnessed the opposition PNM voting against the constitutional amendment to resume hanging as the most effective penalty/punishment/deterrent for murder.
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Culture, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity

The Limitations of Multiculturalism – Part III

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By Selwyn R. Cudjoe
March 02, 2011

Part I – Part II – Part III

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeAny society that aspires to be a cohesive national entity must be willing to accept all of its history; not just parts of it. And herein lies a problem that no multiculturalism in Trindiad and Tobago can fix: that is, a proper estimation and acceptance of Dr. Eric Williams’ role in our national development. It is precisely the inability of most of our Indian population to accept the totality of our history and the heterogeneous nature of our origins that prevent them from acknowledging Dr. Williams’ status as the father of our nation.
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Culture, Entertainment, General T&T, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Protest

Jack: Not me and Skinner Park

By Cecily Asson
February 28, 2011 – newsday.co.tt

Jack WarnerSaying that he will never be part of the crowd that gathers each year in Skinner Park, San Fernando for the National Calypso Monarch semi-final, Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner yesterday hailed the bravery of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar who on Saturday received loud boos from patrons when asked by master of ceremonies to acknowledge her presence.
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Entertainment, General T&T

Thanks for the Panorama music

By Raffique Shah
February 27, 2011

Raffique ShahAMIDST the continuous cacophony in the political gayelle, blood-curdling cries from the killing fields of Trinbago, and two million tonnes of “tatah” spewed in the Chutney Monarch wasteland, last Sunday’s Panorama semi-finals came like a refreshing, calming breeze that soothed a badly wounded nation.
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Gender, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity, Security

Playing the Race Card

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
February 23, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeJack Warner is the last person I thought would play the race card but then as my mother says, “You never know.” Here is Kamla and the PP getting their licks because they don’t know their ears from their navels but all Jack could say when workers use the democratic tools to protect their interests is they are targeting Kamla because she is an “East Indian woman.” It is strange that Kamla’s East Indianness never came up when she was running for the election nor, for that matter, was her gender seen in a negative light. In fact her being a Hindu woman seemed an asset given the place that women hold in the hierarchical structure of Hinduism.
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