corruption, General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics

$49M rip-off

6 Comments

By Clint Chan Tack
June 13, 2013 – newsday.co.tt

Dr. Keith RowleyOPPOSITION Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday accused Government of using last year’s flooding in Diego Martin as a smokescreen to award millions of dollars worth of contracts to its friends. Rowley, who is also Diego Martin West MP, made this charge as he debunked the earlier contribution of Finance Minister Larry Howai during debate on the Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) (Financial Year 2013) Bill 2013 in the House of Representatives.
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General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

All the Queen’s donkeys

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By Raffique Shah
June 08, 2013

Raffique ShahTHE DILEMMA I face every week writing a column must be no different to what my colleagues in all the print media do: what can I write about that’s reflective of good things happening in the country? Surely, there must be positives in the society, nation-building initiatives, achievements by citizens that are worthy of public praise.
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General T&T, Law, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics

No to jungle justice

30 Comments

By Raffique Shah
June 01, 2013

Raffique ShahAT all times, human beings must be able to distinguish right from wrong; it is what differentiates us from other life-species. At all times, too, man must have the fortitude to stand up for what is right, to speak out against injustice, whatever the consequences he may face for his outspokenness. Today I feel compelled to make such stand on an issue that many may deem unimportant, and for which I risk being condemned.
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Gender, General T&T, Politics, Religion

Religion and the National Gender Policy – Keep the Myths Out

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By Corey Gilkes
May 30, 2013

BibleAnyone needing confirmation that our organised religious bodies are by and large irrelevant and stultifying entities should look no further than their views concerning the National Gender Policy (NGP) here in Trinidad along with the LGBTQ and abortion issues. By now it should be common knowledge that Minister Marlene Coudray announced that the issue of same-sex relationships and equality would not be included in the discussion on the NGP. Frankly, it is of no surprise to me that the NGP is being watered down in the way it is; much of the impetus behind this diluting is coming from, predictably, the conservative religious bodies in the country – and no doubt the instinctive bias and prejudices among those in the political elites. This is being done by the time-honoured practice of isolating such issues as the LGBTQ question (which really isn’t what the NGP is about), then eventually other topics, just wait and see.
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General T&T, Hindu, India, Race and Identity

Happy Indian Arrival Ki Din

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By Stephen Kangal
May 29, 2013

Stephen KangalOn the occasion of the 168th anniversary of the commemoration of the arrival of the East Indian community to Trinidad may I focus on the post-arrival vindication and justification of the system of Indus Valley customs and values. This tried and tested system has underpinned, dominated and pervaded the modus operandi of the East Indians and has been responsible for the degree of fulfilling lives and good law-abiding citizenry that they have conducted in T&T in spite of the adversarial conditions and hostile and negative environmental and social conditions that they had to overcome to gain acceptance to their culturally persistent way of life.
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Africa, Caribbean, General T&T, Hindu, India, International, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Indian Indentureship: Afri-centric Analysis

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By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
May 29, 2013

Dr. Kwame NantambuThe purpose of this article is to conduct an Afri-centric, linkage analysis of the Indian Indentureship system.

In his magnum opus titled Capitalism & Slavery (1944), Dr. Eric Williams postulates that: “The immediate successor of the Amerindians was not the African but ‘poor whites’. They were regarded as ‘indentured servants’ because before leaving England, they had to sign a contract binding them to service for a stipulated period for their passage. Others were criminals/convicts who were sent by the British government to serve for a specific time on plantations in the Caribbean.” (p.9).
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corruption, General T&T, Law, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Police, Politics, Security

A matter of trust

30 Comments

By Raffique Shah
May 26, 2013

Raffique ShahI CANNOT quite figure out why so many people are shocked by Keith Rowley’s “revelations” in Parliament last Monday, or alarmed that the string of e-mails he read into Hansard; at first blush, appears to be as bogus as Clifton De Coteau’s black mop. Parliament has long degenerated into a theatre of the absurd, a forum for dishonourable members to slander and scandalise each other, an arena in which targeted citizens are crucified before hordes of reality-television viewers, a fate far worse than that which Jesus Christ is said to have suffered however many centuries ago.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, Police, Politics, Security, UNC

Rowley: Plot to cover up section 34

26 Comments

Plot to cover up section 34

By Gail Alexander
May 21, 2013 – guardian.co.tt

Dr. Keith RowleyOpposition leader Dr Keith Rowley wants the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Integrity Commission to probe e-mails purportedly bearing the names of frontline government officials who allegedly wanted to tap the DPP’s phone after the Section 34 furore. Rowley also claimed the e-mails revealed moves to shift the DPP to the judiciary and further discussed intended intimidation of a T&T Guardian reporter who broke the Section 34 story last September.
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Food, General T&T, India, Labour, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

The Closure of Caroni (1975) Limited

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Politics before food

Sugar and Energy Festival Street Parade: October 09, 2005
Sugar and Energy Festival Street Parade – October 09, 2005

By Andre Bagoo
May 18 2013 – newsday.co.tt

THE CLOSURE of Caroni (1975) Limited and consequent devastating impact on the agriculture sector and TT’s food security, may be directly linked to political considerations surrounding the then PNM government’s fear of a repeat of the 18-18 general election deadlock of 2001, Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz said yesterday.
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