— T&T and Guyana in focus
AGAINST A raging controversy over claimed racial imbalance and discrimination in promotions in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, a well known criminologist was on Wednesday sworn in to head the country’s Police Service Commission (PSC). Professor Ramesh Deosaran, a former independent Senator, was quickly chosen to succeed the controversial lawyer and politician, Nizam Mohammed, whose appointment was revoked last week by President Maxwell Richards, and followed a bi-partisan stand by Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and Opposition Leader, Keith Rowley.
Mohammed, who was controversial even when he had served as Speaker of the House, provoked raw anger with his public claim that contrary to the country’s national anthem that ‘every creed and race finds an equal place’, ethnic imbalance and discrimination in promotions should not continue to survive in the country’s Police Service to the disadvantage of citizens of East Indian descent.    
Worse, he vowed to work to change the composition of the Police Service to reflect the ethnic structure of the twin-island state of 1.03 million multi-ethnic nationals with the dominant categories, being of East Indian origin (40 percent), and approximately 38 percent of African origin. Those of mixed ethnicities are estimated in official data to be some 21 percent.
Needless to say, as chairman of the PSC, Mohammed had no such mandate and, driven by his own prejudices and arrogance, it was just a matter of time before he ended up as he did –without the job he had relished, now assigned to the respected academic and criminologist, Deosaran.  
The reality is that issues of race and religion generally provoke emotional debates, particularly in multi-ethnic and plural societies like Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and, to a lesser extent, Suriname, in our Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Different perspective
The initial participants in such emotional discourses may be political elements, often identified with a particular ethnic group and party. But it does not take long before other actors, including those bracketed as ‘professionals’ and ‘intellectuals’, become involved.
This, largely, was the scenario that has been occupying the attention of the Trinidad and Tobago media following the shocking public utterances of the now ex-PSC chairman, Mohammed, whose self-destructed observations on racial imbalance in T&T’s Police Service, and discrimination in promotional opportunities cost him his job.
Nevertheless, if by his own clumsiness and arrogance it was easy for all and sundry to pour ridicule on Mohammed, the harsh reality remains that for all its very appealing national motto of ‘Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve’, issues of racial imbalance and discrimination—so deeply rooted in our Caribbean colonial history—should not really be ignored but seriously and dispassionately addressed.
This is as true for the government, political parties, media, social organizations and the people in general of Trinidad and Tobago, as it would also be for Guyana and Suriname—both multi-ethnic, multi-cultural societies of CARICOM.
I was particularly impressed by the offering  on ‘The Need for National Discourse’ of fellow ‘Express’ columnist, Reginald Dumas, a former head of this country’s Public Service and well respected — if not liked — across ethnic and political boundaries. Dumas made clear, and I quote:
“…The fact is that there are imbalances and inequalities and inequities cross the society, whether of race, or gender or generation, or region or employment, or religion…What we must NOT do is single out this or that aspect because it affects us adversely and neglect or appear to neglect, other aspects where we have advantage…Clearly, if we have an advantage, others do not; and those others must be expected to be disgruntled…”

Guyana’s approach
If those who are so emotionally outraged and/or distressed by the careless comments of the ex-PSC Chairman, Mohammed, but do have an interest in facing up to the wider issues of racial and gender imbalances, inequalities and inequities, as alluded to earlier by Reggie Dumas, I would suggest that they consider paying some attention to how Guyana has been dealing, and continues to deal, with its own challenges linked to race-based and religious factors.
Far from being a model multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, plural society (where does such a perfect nation exist in our global community?), Guyana has been quietly responding to the enormous challenges to deal with ethnic imbalances and fair promotional opportunities in its security forces (police and army).
The historical context for some of the policies and ongoing initiatives dates back to the year preceding Guyana’s political independence in May 1966. Against the infamy of race riots, the governing and opposition parties and then colonial power, Britain, agreed to establish a Commission of Inquiry by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in October 1965 to examine the burning issue of ‘Racial Problems in the Public Service’ ( disciplined forces plus civil service).
The intention was to encourage a system of recruitment, NOT based on race, to ensure fairness in appointments and promotions based on MERIT, as distinct from ethnicity and political persuasion. Space does not permit me to deal with relevant sections, but that ICJ Report would be available in the archives for perusal.

New initiatives
With a change in government in 1992—after 28 years of successive controversial administrations led by the current main opposition People’s National Congress (PNC)—governments of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) quite wisely avoided shrill cries for ‘changes’ in the disciplined forces (with their historical dominant profile of African descent). It has been endeavouring instead to cultivate a culture of renewal, geared to reflect the national motto of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’.
Neither the government nor opposition would wish to claim much satisfaction for what have been so far achieved. But Guyana has certainly been ‘walking’, in measured footsteps, the ‘talk’ on approaches to challenges on ethnic as well as religious and gender imbalances.
While the Guyana Police Force has, within recent years, been more forthcoming in its recruitment policies, based on merit, the government had established the Guyana Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), vested with executive powers. It has been maintaining a high profile in fulfilling its mandate that covers sensitive issues of race and religious discrimination. In addition to the ERC, Guyanese have access to an Ombudsman — the institution that came with independence.
As it is in Trinidad and Tobago and some other CARICOM states, Guyanese non-government organizations maintain an active interest against gender discrimination and, increasingly, for all its prevailing social and political woes, the government and opposition, as well as labour unions and the private sector are speaking to the need for a generally lived reality of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’.
It is a hard row to hoe, but both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago undoubtedly have lessons to offer each other on how best to move forward—together.