Noble goals
October 03, 2004
By Raffique Shah
www.trinicenter.com/Raffique/2004/Oct/

Raffique Shah said: "It then outlines eight "principles of fairness", the first of which (in my mind) supersedes the others. It says: "We are committed to building Trinidad and Tobago as a united nation, with its people, though of different ethnic origins, having common hopes and aspirations". In other words, whatever our race or religious differences, we are all "Trini-to-the-bone"."

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Well this might be a good idea, but not if being "Trini to the Bone" mean denying or not encouraging 'appreciation' for our diverse cultures, and ultimately our common African human origins. However, in Trinidad the government, and by extension most people, discourage debates on African history. They have discouraged African oriented Radio and Television programs from since the colonial rule of this country. So this country was never about fairness, and certainly was not about truth or enlightenment.

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Raffique Shah said: "That this should be underscored tells a worrisome story of how many of us see a decline in what was taken for granted for many years. Talking with journalist Errol Pilgrim (among others), he said it would take us "two generations to get there". I reminded him that two generations ago we were there, living like one big family in which differing political views or religions or races did not matter. He concurred."

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It is utterly foolish to claim that this country was ever 'there', if the meaning of 'there' is we had a harmonious society. This country has been hostile to learning from our cultural diversity. The old PNM accommodated the Indians for political motives, and allowed them free airtime on the state media to propagate their idea of culture and religion, but they remained hostile to calls for allowing African oriented programs in schools and the media.

UNC came to office and were also as hostile, to the extent of encouraging the closure of one attempt to develop an African based Talk-show.

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Raffique Shah said: "Sadly, we have allowed the politicians in the main to drag us into the hellhole we are now attempting to climb out of. Not that others did not help in that road to self-destruction. But the politicians must take the brunt of the blame for this degeneration in race relations."

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The media was part of the machinery used to maintain the anti-African status quo. The media, and that includes the journalists in general, and the miseducation system, still do not see the legitimacy in African based programs while they all have no problem with the 24/7 Indian and American based programs. Ask Ken Gordon how come they included Indian cultural shows on TV6 but could not find African cultural television programs. The state media is the same.

This country was founded on greed and oppression, and it remains so today. The only people who materially profit from the illusion of togetherness are the Syrian/White business people. Indians and Whites have propagated their idea of culture, while Africans have been denied. That is the simple truth.

Of course, I am not saying that the Indians and others have it right, but I am saying that none of these hypocrites including Ken Gordon and Raffique Shah were/are supportive of including African culture, views and values in our national discourses.

So the lying continues.

There will be no Peace without Justice!