-The T&T scenario with interventions by NJAC’s Daaga and PNM’s Rowley
Analysis
AS MISCHIEVOUS ‘race talk’ spreads in Trinidad and Tobago, there came a sober caution of ‘danger’ last Thursday from a legendary political figure of the 1970 ‘Black Power movement’ whose concerns could also be applicable to Guyana where a ‘cultural’ organization chose to engage in threats of racial insurrection.
Makandal Daaga — better known as ‘Geddes Granger’ during the popular 1970 social uprising, often discussed in the context of a ‘revolution’ — has well earned the legitimacy to proffer advice to governing and opposition political parties, as well as social/cultural organizations, to steer clear of emotional, partisan talk of race that could harm racial unity in this multi-ethnic, plural society of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Coincidentally, his warning — or rather more a plea — for an end to divisive political race talk came on the very day (April 20) of the appearance of a very insightful article in the ‘Express’ from one of his better regionally-known leading colleagues of the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Khafra Kambon, writing strongly against “abuse of African immigrants” in Trinidad and Tobago.
Both well known among Guyanese political and cultural organizations for their principled struggles for national unity, social justice and people’s empowerment across ethnic/political boundaries, Dagga is currently the Cultural Ambassador to CARICOM for Trinidad and Tobago’s five-party People’s Partnership Government (PPG) headed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
As such, he would also have been surprised to learn of the unprovoked warning that flowed last weekend from the lips of a leading figure of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) in Guyana — Tacuma Ogunseye — about a “violent struggle in the streets” by Guyanese of African descent should the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) fail to share power with the opposition, once it retains the government at coming presidential and parliamentary elections in August.
The difference is that while NJAC’s stature has been on the rise over the years for its matured responses on sensitive national political, social and cultural issues, ACDA seems to have frustrated itself into remaining, at best, a fringe group on the periphery of the Guyanese political/cultural landscape.
Last week, when Daaga made his intervention against the seeming obsession by some to engage in the politics of race, including ethnic head counting on public sector boards, at diplomatic missions and state institutions, he did so as NJAC’s representative in the five-party PPG that removed the People’s National Movement (PNM) from power with a landslide electoral victory at the May 24, 2010 general election, taking 29 of the 41 seats.
As Opposition Leader of the PNM, Dr Keith Rowley, was being challenged in parliament by Attorney-General Anand Ramlogan over what the latter said was a “mischievous race claim,” Daaga went public with a reminder that continuing ‘race talk’ could only result in “trouble” for T&T.
“The society,” he told the Express, “has become concerned about race and race divisions, and not about racial unity; we are playing with trouble if this continues…”
What may not have been music to the ears of PNM leader, Rowley — currently in a seeming rush to score political points over some contradictory statements and perceived divisions within Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s less than one-year administration — was Daaga’s  disclosure of a meeting last Wednesday evening among the five party leaders of the PPG.
“In those discussions,” said NJAC’s Daaga, “we were able to analyse the past, recognize what errors we made — and some of them were fundamental… Generally, we are very satisfied with the year’s work…We are one, and we are strong. We have proven that coalition can work. When we are through, Trinidad and Tobago will be a better place; the people will be more united…”

Kambon’s grief
On his part, Kambon — the well-respected NJAC colleague of Daaga — was doing last week what he normally does well: Exposing injustices in the system of governance — irrespective of ruling parties. This time, his focus was on perceived wrongs being committed by the justice system in dealing with incarcerated immigrants from Africa, who are subjected to degraded treatment while awaiting deportation to their respective homelands.
“For a country with a relatively minor number of immigrants from Africa,” lamented Kambon, (whose column appears fortnightly to commemorate the UN-declared ‘International Year for People of African Descent’) our (T&T’s) record is nothing short of disgraceful…
“Clearly,” he said, “there are some persons in authority with a determination to make Trinidad and Tobago as inhospitable an environment as possible for African nationals who either overstay their time or enter the country illegally…”
Examples mentioned by Kambon deserve to be urgently investigated by the offices of the Attorney-General and the Minister of Justice.
In the meanwhile, questions remain about the validity of a motion tabled for parliamentary debate by Opposition Leader, Rowley, requesting the House of Representatives to “reaffirm collective commitment to the principles of fairness and meritocracy in public affairs.”
The motion was initiated against the background of the recent “divisive statements” on racial imbalance in the Police Service as made by then chairman of the Police Service Commission, Nizam Mohammed. He was subsequently dismissed by President George Maxwell, following a bi-partisan stance of Government and Opposition for his dismissal.
Hence, the question has arisen whether a ‘reaffirmation’  by parliament on the “principles of fairness and meritocracy in public affairs” (core of the motion), is really a necessity, or just a manoeuvre by the PNM’s leader to squeeze some political capital from the demise of the ex-PSC chairman’s clumsy, ‘reckless’ comments about racial imbalance in the police service?
After all, by their principled stand against the public utterances and posturings of the former PSC chairman, ALL five parties of the governing coalition, as well as the opposition PNM, have already telegraphed to the public where they stand on “principles of fairness and  meritocracy in public affairs.”
In the circumstances, well-intentioned as it may perhaps be, Rowley’s motion could well provide more political theatre on the ‘race talk’ that others like Makandal Daaga feel should be seriously discouraged and for the society to seek better ways to cleanse itself from a political culture that also affects national unity and orderly development in Guyana.