Hello, Hindutva

By Raymond Ramcharitar
July 4, 2012 – guardian.co.tt

lettersI could be mistaken, but it seems that the Highway Re-Route Movement activists are using their protests as a medium to deploy a Hindu-centric protest language to address the national community, and (presumably) the Government. Since, looking at the visual statements, a new vernacular is making its debut in the national conversation/cussout, it might be important to point out that we’re not really sure what they’re saying.
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Jack’s lawlessness and Corruptibility

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 03, 2012

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeLife in T&T is very funny business. Yo know way yo going; yo don’t know where yo’ likely to reach. The government declares a state of emergency, arrests over 8,000 black young men under the guises that they are/may be criminals. No charges made, no apologies offered and no compensation paid. In fact, we are told by the AG that if dey tink dey go make any money off the state for these illegal arrests, dey lie. He waiting for them. He would release the legal power of the state against them. They had better not even think about seeking compensation.
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Return of Sheriff Lobo

By Raffique Shah
July 01, 2012

Raffique ShahWHAT more must Jack Warner do to prove that he is unfit to be this country’s Minister of National Security? Declare war on Tobago or Venezuela or Barbados? Introduce a death squad to go around executing persons he suspects of being criminals or gangsters? Arrest and detain persons perceived to be opponents of the People’s Partnership Government?
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Warner was right – Afri-centric analysis

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
June 29, 2012

Dr. Kwame NantambuThe decision by newly-appointed Minister of National Security, Austin Jack Warner to demolish the “Highway Re-route Movement” camp on government land was the right thing to do.

The fact of the matter is that since T&T has degenerated into a lawless society, now is the time for a totally responsible government to take the bull by the horns and enforce the laws of this country, period. Long-outstanding half measures did not work; in fact, they have exacerbated the crime problem to the nth degree.
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Politics and Promotions in the Cabinet Re-Shuffle

By Stephen Kangal
June 27, 2012

Stephen KangalThe Cabinet reshuffle, dubbed the new “pan- Cabinet”, would appear to be engineered, driven and tuned exclusively by the politics of consolidation, internal cohesiveness and ministerial promotion/demotion rather than enhancing performance in the post-MSJ era. It is a case of creating some over-lapping and ill-defined courses for horses while earning a six-month respite from the rising tide of adverse media reviews and infrastructural and labour discontent.
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Mother jailed for ignoring child’s sex abuse

By Reshma Ragoonath
June 27, 2012 – guardian.co.tt

VictimA Gasparillo woman who turned a blind eye while her nine-year-old daughter was being sexually abused in their home in 2003 has been jailed for nine months. The woman, who was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, appeared before Magistrate Alicia Chankar in the San Fernando court. She was convicted of failing to report to the police that her daughter was being sexually abused by a 20-year-old man.
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A sad situation

Newsday Editorial
Wednesday, June 27 2012

VictimTHERE’S certainly nothing to celebrate about the jailing of a mother for having abused her child, as one wonders how all her children will now fare without her.

We refer to the imposition of a three-year jail sentence on Kamla Ramcharan, 29, of Longdenville, Chaguanas, for burning the left hand of her daughter, Vishala Bikharrie, eight, on a hot tawah, in a supposed attempt to discipline the child for allegedly stealing $5 from a schoolmate.
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Learning from Ancel Roget’s Insights

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
June 26, 2012

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI don’t know Ancel Roget. I never met the brother until last Tuesday when I attended the Labor Day rally at Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad. I was impressed tremendously by his eloquence and force. His address was pitched directly to matters at hand and raised substantial questions. His address was stamped with his character and did much credit to the labor movement.
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Cabinet Reshuffle: New Ministers

Swearing-In of Cabinet Ministers and Government Senators
Swearing-In of Cabinet Ministers and Government Senators

New Cabinet to strengthen Government
Government’s parliamentary team has been strengthened with the appointment of veteran politician Ganga Singh as Senate leader, replacing Emmanuel George.
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Yesterday, today, tomorrow

By Raffique Shah
June 23, 2012

Raffique ShahYESTERDAY, David Abdulah was a darling of the People’s Partnership. To hear it from the mare’s mouth, David worked tirelessly to forge a working relationship among disparate elements whose commonality was not so much the love for country or liberty as it was their hatred for Patrick Manning. Mark you, yesterday, even Patrick hated Manning for his uncontrollable appetite for wastage of a windfall that could have been used to bring a measure of social and economic equity to a nation mired in inequities.
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