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What’s so outstanding about Dr Kriyaan Singh? Author and blogger Rhoda Bharath queries President Anthony Carmona’s appointment as temporary Independent Senator:
Dear President Carmona,
I trust this letter will find you in the best of health.
I write to raise concerns about a recent appointment to the Independent Bench in the Senate. According to the provisions listed on the Parliament’s website Independent Senators must come from “outstanding persons from economic, social or community organizations and other fields of endeavor.”
The late Dr John Spence, himself a sterling example of independent thinking in the Senate, opined that “Independent Senators should study the Constitution carefully and understand the rationale behind its various positions.”
In light of this clear criteria for selection, I wish to query the appointment of temporary Senator, Dr Kriyaan Singh.
I, along with other right thinking citizens, have observed a disturbing trend in the comments and posts made by Dr Singh on social media. I have attached for your perusal several screen shots of posts or comments that appear to be either politically charged, ethnically prejudiced or sexist in nature, if not openly derogatory.
It begs the question what precisely did you find “outstanding” about Dr Singh, and why exactly has he been chosen by you to represent alternative views in the Senate.
The citizens of Trinidad and Tobago have had Independent Senators of the ilk of Corinne Baptiste-McKnight, Helen Drayton, Angela Cropper, Martin Daly SC, Dana Seetahal SC and Karl Theodore, to name but a handful.
So how exactly do we arrive at the selection of Dr Kriyaan Singh as a temporary senator? Have we sunk so low as a society?
Are there no other options at all? Are there no other persons capable fulfilling the responsibilities of a temporary Independent Senator?
What your selection says to the wider public is that you have decided that this young man is capable of impartial and critical thinking on issues that affect legislation and will shape public policy.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/TTFA)
Your selection says that he is “outstanding” and a worthy representative for the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Based on the evidence before me, I challenge that.
Do these posts and comments represent the type of senator you wish for the nation, President Carmona?
I hope that in this instant you do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
Sincere regards,
Rhoda Bharath
Right Thinking Citizen of Trinidad and Tobago
We are living in difficult times. We are witnessing the world, as we know it, turn topsy-turvy. But we want Read more
On 3 February 2021, as Trinidad and Tobago was gripped by a search for 23-year-old clerk Andrea Bharatt, blogger Rhoda Read more
Last week, we marked the tenth anniversary of Dana Seetahal’s murder. Justifiably, her family bemoaned the slow pace of events. Read more
“[…] The T&T constitution is defective in one important respect. Too much power of nomination and appointment resides in the Read more
“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons Read more
Mark Antony’s speech from Julius Caesar is worth recalling at this juncture in our country’s history. It speaks to how Read more
Rhoda Bharath works as a lecturer by day and remains obsessed with politics by night.
Follow her blog here: https://rhoda-bharath-jxtv.squarespace.com/
Madness…
Men like him…Ins Ish..JW..have no place in our parliament…far less near ah pen and piece of paper….
Oh wthhhhh…. is this acceptable for someone sitting in parliament?? Revoke his appointment…arrogant self righteous little twit
He was appointed as a temporary “Independent Senator ” but he hasn’t acted over a year now because of social media uproar over his rants on Facebook which was highlighted by the traditional media as well
Why are they dragging their asses on the revocation? Smdh..banana republic
Sarah Dawn Dookran-Mohammed he’s not a Senator he only acted as a temporary senator & hasn’t acted as one since the outcry over his racist post on Facebook
So has there been a replacement?
He’s not permanent so there’s no “replacement ” it’s only when a permanent independent senator is unable to sit during a debate they ask other persons to fill in & he was one of those that would act regularly but after the whole blow up over his racist post, letters were sent to the President of his character as well as letters being written to the editor
This place eh play it jokey
I haven’t acted over a year now because I declined being appointed until Camille provided a source of funds to the bank. Nothing to do with the diatribe written by these media.
I may not be able to stand up but at least I stand for something rather than sit behind a keyboard or phone and rehash irrelevant stories in an attempt to make my dying form of media relevant
Yeah. And the post in question had almost 3,000 shares eh! A crazy, racist rant. But it does show how desperately we need to have a talk about race in T&T.
I don’t like his opinions…even if he wants to mean well..he sounds arrogant…
Arrogance I could live with. Racist views I can’t…
I have seen a couple of his rants and he is disturbing and off putting..how on earth that qualifies as being a representation of an independent senator
Well, Kamla did give us Jack Warner as National Security Minister. So she has a strange sense of humour.
Boy…not one group or the other any better…a bunch of clowns…
Bloody circus not even funny
Well, we have Marlene coming back… So there you go.
Don’t even start me on that!!!
Not that I would class Marlene with Jack and Kriyaan… But she as hell shouldn’t pass the fit and proper test either. Smh
I often wonder why we have so many educated and positive thinking young ppl to chose from and your option is this???
Listen you have different plateaus of mad ppl. You just mentioned most in one statement
Our option pool has dried up?
Quite intriguing. There is no young person on the horizon with a different mind from the establishment and status quo. They are all replicates. From colonial crowns, to elitism, to colorism, to cliques, greed and the craveness to societal status. And yes, all subscribe to racism, whether its the black negro who looks down on the areas of despised ghetto, or the town browns against black skins. ( this one gets peculiar, cause the blackest of black can hate black desperately, or… Endless norms.
Sad, really
That’s why we left
Trinidad and Tobago has enough problems without more division. The answer he proposes is the opposite of what we need.
I don’t mean ignore them. I mean that our leaders need to condemn this. It’s disgusting and we never seem to want to do better, even when it’s easy.
At first glance he seems noble but soon enough the real character appears.
I guessed the president wanted to be groundbreaking by appointing a person who uses a wheelchair. However I am certain there were better candidates within the different abled community.
Independent senator Ian Roach was appointed some years ago and uses a wheelchair
He was a much better choice
Ask yourself since Roach had been appointed how many full sittings if senate he’s been in and how many meaningful contributions he’s made, especially to the persons with disabilities he was selected to also represent.
Just asking not arguing
Senator Roach has always made practical and excellent contributions to debates in the Senate and he has on numerous occasions advocated for those with disabilities during debates in the Senate
Ignore them at our peril though. I don’t go looking around Facebook too much but I think it would be wrong to underestimate people who appeal to the baser instinct.
Donald Trump showed us that already.
Yes I saw the comment also. Why do we validate idiots like this? Can we not do any better?
Yeah… Just saw a crazy comment from him online and remembered this piece.
To the point
Aite the person who wrote that article seems a bit off in thier comparisons. Totally off.
at least the president was smart enough to not name Rohda Barath as an independent senator …
she is 10 times more disgusting that Sneator Singh ….
Mrs. Barath is finding fault with a person who is much more upstanding and honest than she could ever claim to be ….
In a time when we vote for : “the lesser evil” …
If we look at what is “availiable” ,,,
Senator Singh is a great choice when we look at the other options…
example a: Rhoda Barath ,,, she makes Senator Singh look like a bite up shilling …
Stueps
WHY DOESN’T HE GO AND LIVE WHERE HE IS WELCOME
lol all pigs are equal just some are more equal than others…. remember the fiery protests and road blocks… where are they now… and all this fake isis threats to justify ssa bill to take away peoples privacy… these people vote for a dictatorship on the basis that he tell them that the ppg was dictatorial lol……. fucking dotish fools we have in this country
He cannot be controlled so he must be a bad choice. If he was more like JJ who “Trusts the government” would he be more palatable to you? Where was this public outcry when radio hosts were doing their best to discredit him? Who is Ronda Barrath anyway?
He testosterone level high and he can’t use from he waist down so he acting up . It’s not a nice feeling to have
Every single one of us has a political bias, this falls squarely on the laps of the President you mean to tell me no back ground check on this man?
Yeah Rhoda shut your stink mouth why you did not talk about junkman I mean junkere
Reminds me of someone Coonilal Moonilal or whatever the name is
“Shut your stink mouth?” You don’t see the irony of defending Kriyaan while using language like that?
The problem I’m having with this so-called President (Powers), is that he KNOWS about the posting of this Singh buy and even if he didn’t see them, I’m SURE that he’s heard of them. But this beaver looking fella DOES NOT CARE. He NEVER revoked the appointment despite the outcries. Now after TWO WEEKS, he’s YET to assent the SSA Bill. The man is WICKED, BAD-MINDED and SPITEFUL, with an AGENDA and he must GO TO HELL!
Once someone takes part in the political process then it can be claimed that they have a “bias”. In the 20+ years that I have been elligible to vote, I have voted for the two main parties……so does that make me biased or independent?
My understanding of the criteria for a independent senator is someone who has had no involvement with any of the political parties and can’t be construed through their public words or deeds to have a political bias and the person also should be seen as representing the interest of some civil society group (ie business, labour, religion etc).
However everybody in Trinidad would have an opinion on national (and by extension political issues).
So if I am liming with friends and express an opinion one way or another does it make me “non-independent”.
Posting strong support and / or strong condemnation against political leaders is a totally different thing (in my opinion).
It amazes me some of the things that supposedly intelligent people post on social media without thinking of the impact it can have later on
I know of companies outside of Trinidad that view a potential applicants public social media posts as part of their vetting process (it will soon happen in Trinidad).
In my opinion the Ian Roach and Helen Drayton situations are different.
Dr Singh by his public utterances has indicated that he has a political bias and is therefore not independent.
As a society we need to stop blindly following a political party and analyse specific issues.
If the only argument you can make in support of an issue is “well they did it also” then it probably means that both (or all) sides are doing the “wrong” thing.
A picture of Dr Rowley as a dog and that is a joke that is why Trinidad is the way it is because people have no respect for one another and you all talking about the criminals if those who are supposed to set examples what do you expect from the younger ones when some of us accept this kind of behavior as right and rewarded for it
Carmona knows exactly what he is doing. That is what makes this so scary
And he doesn’t give a %$#@ what the people are saying. I cannot stand this man, not by sight or to hear him.
If rowley could be prime ministerio anybody could be a senator.allyuh pnm people feel this is pnm country. That not working again.allyuh defending them and you all don’t evento get a piece of the bread only the crumbs.RED AND READY!!!!
The president will have a real hard time finding independent senators. But Singh is definitely not so hard to accept as being on the side of the opposition.
I heard on a radio interview on 102 fm. People should think twice about about jumping on board on Dr. Singh ship.
While Dr. Singh might be a good vet and a seemingly generous person as displayed by some of his public acts, I have no idea why Carmona would see him as Independent Senator material. He has a deep disgust for the ruling party and just based on his Facebook posts pre-election has no similar ill feelings towards tanty Kams. From those public utterings alone he should have been disqualified from the president’s consideration. When you add the nasty sexist and crass rantings against the reporter well….you really have to wonder if Carmona fell asleep. He would put Singh in a category that had the likes of Martin Daly. ..Dana Seetahal. ..Helen Drayton. ..Angela Cropper. .Rolph Balgobin. Have any of those people inspired actual revulsion by their words?
there has been concerns expressed about the independence of many “independent” senators…..not the least is the antics of drayton who by her actions raised eyebrows recently. Be that as it may…but it seems here that if one is critical of the party in power one is automatically deemed to be of the opposition party.
Steups who really listens to Rhoda Bharath that hack. There’s nothing wrong with Kriyaan Singh as an independent senator. The man is a citizen of the country and has the right like anyone else.
Who d f is Rhoda Bharath??!
Maybe if u read a bit more you’d actually know who she was. Oh and there is always a brief description of the writer at the end of their post too…(wink wink)
” The man is a citizen of the country and has a right like anyone else.” With logic and reasoning like the aforementioned statement no wonder why your two names add up to just one…
well said Mr Ron dell
BULLSHIT! So you have NO PROBLEM with the Facebook postings? I’m sure not. The names alone spells UNC. Did he act as someone “independent”? Ah guess yes, because he was nasty against the man you people hate.
You idiot the man’s facebook postings are covered under free speech. There’s nothing wrong with his postings. I bet you didn’t say anything when a man came to parliament and LIED about false emails.
Unless you grew up in another country you would have a political bias, this would have been inculcated during ones upbringing. Its really a matter of whether a person can act independently during the execution of their duties.
I think that is an absolutely true, profound and mature statement. I can’t tell you that Kriyaan passes that criteria. But I definitely agree with the principle.
I don’t think it’s true for everyone, but I agree that it fits the vast majority. I vote for what seems the better option at the time.
Exactly. The individual should be mature enough to see past his bias when it counts.
Not entirely true. I born and grow right here. And i vote on issues. Not party neither race.
Everyone has political bias. It’s basically their view of the world be it socials or capitalist policies or anything of the such. I favour MPs in one particular party over another because of their agreed view on topics, does that make me partial to the party as a whole? No. Will the people of social media accuse me of political bias, hell yea.
Omg that pic of a dog ? Speechless
I don’t think there is no such thing as an independent institution in Trinidad anymore. Everything institution has beem compromised.
Shiva Durga you are defending nonsense by an individual who clearly has shown that he is not suitable for (independent or otherwise) public office. I could couldn’t care less who he supports however this is unacceptable. Curious to know what constructive critique was offered in this picture.
Petition.to remove The Numbskull Dunce Bloody Rowley Govt Now The Bunch of dysfunctional evil Clowns .What you say about that Joel Paul .???
I remember him going to the court and paying the fine for the handicapped woman who was held for weed. Maybe he did it because he is also handicapped or maybe he likes the publicity. Whatever his reason I saw a man who put his money where his mouth was to help a complete stranger and that my friends is more than ANY PNM or UNC politician will EVER do!
Pure shit
I agree wholeheartedly with Rhoda Bharath. This man is clearly an ass and he seems to enjoy the attention. So i dont plan to give him too much more of mine
I could say the same about Mrs. Barath,,
“she is clearly an ass and wants attention “
But isn’t this the same man who helped the disabled lady some months ago when she was arrested for smoking weed for her pain?
The same man who give a mother money , turns around and rape her daughter . Because he did something you consider good , as an independent senator he should go on face book and call the minister of finance out as suffering from short man syndrome ? And ass etc? Or put up a picture of Dr Keith Rowley as a dog and kamla as a smiling candidate ? Is that not baiting hatred ?
OUTRIGHT!
Hmmm
This is highly disturbing!
I remember this gentleman chastised Rachel Price in a most vicious manner not too long ago………
What about the independent senator Ian roach Who told the ppg to call election guess we could safely say he is a pnm he also help pass the Ssa Bill what about Helen Drayton that independent senator who became a director i think on the state own CNmg when the pnm came in power isn’t she a pnm so I ask you all here how independent are the independent senators
They don’t have facebook pages purporting preference of one political representative over another!
No, it’s in their mind ,you know when they vote.
Shhh simon, they will learn what political bias actually is. Careful they don’t use the SSA bill to spy on you if they aren’t already and that you have random encounters with officers.
Let them spy if they have nothing to do why they don’t spy on themselves
Oh my,another “independent” UNC senator. Well yes!!! Carmona you have such poor judgement.
Not so independent is he?
Good choice. Lets villify someone now for having opinions on issues. His use of satire in his post is wasted on most it would seem. As per bias it shows an obvious bias to the opposition, however they are not running the country and would be of little consequence in trying to provoke action. Does one critique a party that isnt in power to accomplish sonething? Bias or probably a smart choice on his part.
Well I guess the question then is, did he critique them when they were running the country??
Yeah on that topic i dont know. Cant be that hard for anyone to check. If it concerns anyone they should check.
And this is what we paying Carmona big salary plus $28,000 for? He too lazy to actually vet appointments like these.
Haha Reynard! It was quite unintentional ?.
Lollĺllllll brilliant rose!!!
@vet…pun intended?
Or is he a plain opposition President?
petition to remove his ass now
But what madness is this. What is wrong with Carmina his appointment should be revoked. Mr.President you are really destroying any semblance of a legacy you have left sheesh
lol he prolly just needed to pick someone quick between vacations
I shame as ah southman i grow up with TC and so far as a President. He has done NADA!
I agree… his personal circumstances are admirable in some regard but his impetuous social media presence questions his ability to be independent and truly representative. When did “keeping it real” transition into derogatory, mean-spirited commentary, which appears to show political bias?
Quite poor taste.