Open letter to the Government and the people of Trinidad & Tobago.

To I fellow countrymen,
I speak with you as a concerned citizen

Greetings and Blessed love in the most holy of names,
Qedamawi Haile Selassie 1st Abbajanhoi.

National Unity:

Let me briefly take you back to the 1970’s period of our history together in Trinidad, the National Joint action Committee (NJAC) the National United Freedom Fighters ( NUFF) THE Tapia, the Oil Field Workers Trade Union (OWTU) the Valley line Sugar Workers and many others marched and demonstrated with a unity never before seen in Trinidad and Tobago, all were calling for the unity between Indians and Africans, today, it’s depressing to be subjected to the racial slander being perpetuated upon the nation by our so called “leaders” (unpaid and cheap labor is the sole purpose of colonization, labor is the only bargaining chip any population has), 1970-1975 the ruling party of the hour used all sorts of divide and rule and strong armed tactics to quell the tide of rebellion against crooked government policies, there was no question of race here, everyone was suspect of planning seditious acts, there was a sense of National pride amongst the population, the government forces even resorted to all manner abuses against the population, meanwhile, all the nation was asking for was a little better living standard, which is a basic human right regardless of race, class, social standing or nationality, any nation, in it’s development will be faced with situations such as these, it is the handling of these situations which are important, between 1962 ( > joke < independence) and 1975 Trinidad went through and enormous set of changes, the details of which is yet to be taught as history in our schools.

N.JAC took to the streets, NUFF took to the hills and jungles of the island,( with guns in hand) as in the words of a popular calypso “ah hear meh little bredda talking bout revolution dey, change is on the way” or so we believed, this was a changing time in our history as a country, at that time we saw bloodshed, imprisonments, false reports, media misguided propaganda, demonstrations and some changes in the infrastructure of the country although some schools were being built, the problem of illiteracy still continues even to this day. Everybody got the usual demands met to some extent, more pay and the all the other perks to shut up….

Let me draw your attention to the words of one greater than us….

(Excerpt from one of Qedamawi Haile Selassie 1st Abbajanhoi”s speech)
1962

"The ultimate resource of a nation is its people. Unless this resource is employed for the benefit of the nation, unless the latent good which it represents is exploited to the maximum for the common good, the nation will languish, poor in spirit, lacking in achievement. But no people can make their full contribution to the life of the nation to which they owe allegiance unless they possess and enjoy those few fundamental prerequisites indispensable to rendering their participation in the affairs of their country both possible and significant.”

The growth of a people is complex and interrelated. Man must be educated: he cannot come to grips with or cope with or understand the modern world unless he has been taught about it. He must be assured of a minimum economic security: he cannot concern himself with matters going beyond the day-to-day satisfaction of his physical needs unless he is fed and clothed and sheltered, nor can he acquire a sufficient degree of social consciousness to be able to subordinate his own personal interests to the good of the nation and the development of its society. Freedom, Liberty, the rights of man - these mean little to the ignorant, the hungry, the ill-clothed, the badly housed. Haile Selassie 1st 1962.

After all these years of painfully trying to foster national unity and a national identity in Trinidad, we are once again being brought to the doorsteps of national disunity by illiterate Africans and Indians who pose as community and administrative leaders and who fail to see the benefits of national unity. That translates to the families and then on to the children…and then it spills out into the streets…and the violence continues…this is a sad state of affairs.
But Unity does make a good coffee table conversation…don’t it ?
We see yet once again the teachings of colonization raising it’s head, these people are using religion and ethnicity to separate and divide the country to serve their own interests, I have arrived at this conclusion due to the not so distant past few years and the current unbalanced nature of events in the country today. I have arrived at this conclusion based on my own insight into the problems we face as a nation….
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Whereas the People of Trinidad and Tobago-
a. have affirmed that the Nation of Trinidad and Tobago is founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God, faith in fundamental human rights and freedoms, the position of the family in a society of free men and free institutions, the dignity of the human person and the equal and inalienable rights with which all members of the human family are endowed by their Creator;

b. respect the principles of social justice and therefore believe that the operation of the economic system should result in the material resources of the community being so distributed as to sub serve the common good, that there should be adequate means of livelihood for all, that labor should not be exploited or forced by economic necessity to operate in inhumane conditions by that there should be an opportunity for advancement on the basis of recognition of merit, ability and integrity;

c. have asserted their belief in a democratic society in which all persons may, to the extent of their capacity, play some part in the institutions of the national life and thus develop and maintain due respect for lawfully constituted authority;

d. recognize that men and institutions remain free only when freedom is founded upon respect for moral and spiritual values and the rule of law;

e. desire that their Constitution should enshrine the above mentioned principles and beliefs and make provision for ensuring the protection in Trinidad and Tobago of fundamental human rights and freedoms;
Now, therefore, the following provisions shall have effect as the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago: These are the things that our constitution is founded on.

Excerpt from Qedamawi Haile Selassie Abbajanhoi 1936 speech to the League of Nations at Geneva: "The specter of racial discrimination which has for so long cast its dark and evil shadow over much of this globe is slowly disappearing. Men are coming increasingly to be judged by their talents and abilities rather than by the less meaningful and far more superficial standards of race and religion. But there yet remain those who, in their bigotry and ignorance, resist this flooding tide, and it is against these that our efforts must be directed. . H.I.M Haile Selassie 1st.

To achieve this level of unity where our people can see and taste the benefits of their actions and contributions to nation building, there are a series of natural steps to take,
We have to educate the people with the idea of removing the colonial mind set, which is our first task.
We have and will continue to produce fine, talented and upstanding people of all ethnicity, if we have one hungry person in any community, then the administration is lacking in it’s obligation to that community and the country as a whole.
With the current ongoing investigations into administrative corruptions one can only assume that the administration is lacking in it’s obligations.

Excerpt from Qedamawi Haile Selassie Abbajanhoi
“secure the conditions whereby men will entrust their security to a larger entity, or risk annihilation; persuade men that their salvation rests in the subordination of national and local interests to the interests of humanity, or endanger man's future. These are the
objectives, yesterday unobtainable, today essential, which we must labor to achieve. Until this is accomplished, mankind's future remains hazardous and permanent peace a matter for speculation.” . H.I.M Haile Selassie 1st.

Excerpt from Qedamawi Haile Selassie Abbajanhoi
“Peace is a day-to-day problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an "is", it is a "becoming." We cannot escape the dreadful possibility of catastrophe by miscalculation. But we can reach the right decisions on the myriad subordinate problems which each new day poses, and we can thereby make our contribution and perhaps the most that can be reasonably expected of us”

Today , we are being placed in a situation with our backs against the wall as our so called “leaders”
( ruling party and opposition) play mind games with the nation…..with the ongoing political pollution the nation is starting to feel the vibrations of major revolt…
Mr. Prime Minister – Mr. Opposition Leader- Mr. President…..as a concerned citizen I ask that you stop and consider your ways and let your conscience be your guide……

Thank you respectfully
Concerned Citizen