Tag Archives: Raffique Shah

General T&T, International, Labour, USA

Joe Young: last man standing

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By Raffique Shah
October 07, 2012

Raffique ShahLAST Tuesday, one of this country’s great labour leaders and patriots, Joe Young, made his exit from life. Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, as this gentle giant was hurried to some morgue, unmarked and indistinguishable from others. Not that he would have wanted otherwise. It was his final interaction with the ordinary man with whom he lived and mingled freely, for whom he fought many a battle. At age 80, Joe must have endured more than he could in this cussed country that he so loved. He was ready to join his ancestors, to re-link with old comrades.
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Caribbean, Finance, General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, Politics

Tell me something good

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By Raffique Shah
September 29, 2012

Raffique ShahI WAS privileged to have known and spent some invaluable time with one of this country’s great thinkers, CLR James. He was in his winter years, mostly lying in bed, but his mind remained razor-sharp. A conversation with “Nello”, as he was fondly called, was worth several high-level lectures at any university, so I extracted the most I could from him during what would be his final sojourn in the land of his birth. Today, I remember him more for his wit than his wisdom.
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corruption, Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Protest, Security

Backward ever, forward never

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By Raffique Shah
September 22, 2012

Raffique ShahIN ordinary times, the Prime Minister’s decision last week to fire Herbert Volney for allegedly misleading the Cabinet on a critical issue (Section 34) would have won the lady universal acclamation. But these are extraordinary times. The baying of the hounds continues unabated, the sounds of fury rise to crescendos, refusing to be silenced by the sacrifice of one silly goat. The natives are restless.
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Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media, Parliament, People's Partnership, Politics, Security, UNC

Volney paying now

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By Sasha Harrinanan
September 22, 2012 – newsday.co.tt

Herbert VolneyTHE firing of Justice Minister Herbert Volney, two days ago by Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar, was karma for his controversial 1998 dismissal of a manslaughter trial against Brad Boyce, who was before the High Court for the 1996 killing of Jason Johnson.
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Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Labour, Law, Media, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Security, UNC

PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Statement on Proclaimation of Section 34

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September 20, 2012

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarMy fellow citizens, much has been commented and reported upon the Administration of Justice (Indictable Offences) Act 201 and the proclamation of Section 34. I chose to remain silent on the matter since any premature pronouncement could have been deemed injudicious and appear to influence the outcome of my own investigations and examination of the issue.
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corruption, Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Parliament, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

Watchdogs of democracy

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By Raffique Shah
September 16, 2012

Raffique ShahFIFTY years ago, in one of his now-famous speeches delivered during the euphoria of Independence, Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams told citizens of the fledgling nation, “…Democracy, finally, rests on a power higher than Parliament. It rests on an informed and cultivated and alert public opinion….” I recalled that injunction last week when the nation was shaken from its Jubilee stupor to learn, through the alertness of the media, that an injudicious act of Parliament was about to hurl us down a legal precipice, the consequences of which are best left to the imagination.
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Business, General T&T, Labour

God will not help the stupid

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By Raffique Shah
September 09, 2012

Raffique ShahAS ironical and comical as it may seem, the one word that drives the fear of God into the average Trini, is “gas”.

Yes, you read right—gas! I know the more enlightened in the country might think that Shah finally flipped his lid…he gone off. After all, if anything, for the sake of country, we need more gas.
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General T&T, Politics, Sports

Part-time patriots

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By Raffique Shah
September 02, 2012

Raffique ShahPATRIOTISM. I have seen and heard this word used, misused and abused so much over the past few weeks, I felt like retiring as a patriot, surely an oxymoron that would have reduced me to a moron. Patriots, like revolutionaries, racists or bigots of any shade or persuasion, cannot resign or retire or even change. Either you are, or you are not.
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General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics

Wine and have a good time

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By Raffique Shah
August 26, 2012

Raffique ShahI SUPPOSE there are a few achievements that we can celebrate at age 50. Top of my list would be the blessing that as a nation of many ethnicities we have not degenerated into bloody race wars or violent religious conflicts. It’s for want of trying, I should add. Many ethnic, political and religious misleaders, past and present, have worked hard to steer their flocks into confrontation. They could not give a damn about the possible consequences of their manipulation. Luckily for us, as David Rudder sang, most Trinis just “want to wine and have a good time and look for a lime”..
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England, General T&T, Politics, Sports

No political blight

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By Raffique Shah
August 19, 2012

Raffique ShahI EXPERIENCED déjà vu last Monday, a feeling of “been there, seen that” as I watched the Prime Minister and her Cabinet colleagues milk golden boy Keshorn Walcott for all he was worth, and then some. Politicians can be merciless in extracting their mileage from achievers. Walcott, having endured two extensive world-class sporting events with all the in-built tension, not to add energy- sapping hours of travelling, was forced into an ultra-marathon homecoming to satiate the political appetites of the powers-that-be. In what should have been his hour of glory, I felt sorry for the boy.
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