The following column was written by Raffique Shah on 9 June 2000: IN 1970, I was the only Indian officer in the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment. I was also the youngest officer, having graduated from Sandhurst in July 1966, some four months after I had turned 20. When I returned …
Read More »The Sedition Ruling: Dr Crowne offers in-depth analysis on High Court decision
On Monday Justice Frank Seepersad declared sections 3 and 4 of the Sedition Act null and void (Vijay Maharaj and Central Broadcasting Services Limited v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, CV2019-02271—the ‘Sat Maharaj’ decision). The AG has since indicated that the state will appeal the decision. In this article, …
Read More »Of football and beauty pageants; Nakhid on Zozibini, Wendy and Sat Maharaj
Stuck between a growing social revolution here in Lebanon and our annual floods brought about by rampant political corruption—which gave rise to the aforementioned unrest—I had little time or interest in watching the recently concluded Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. My interest piqued of course when I saw on BBC World …
Read More »Noble: Education for the privileged; how the dice is loaded against poor students
In the 2012 budget, the government adopted a lofty goal: ‘Education for all’. It was built on the Draft Quality Standards for Education (2005) and inter alia sought to ensure all students achieved recognised and measurable learning outcomes so that they could contribute to the country’s economic sustainability and be …
Read More »Noble: The Arsonists of T&T; from Kamla and the Judiciary, to the PM’s Office, Stuart and Gary
Can a nation experience vertigo? The feeling of not just dizziness but when either your head or the room is spinning but you are not sure which? We are battered into unease almost daily by persons who seek to burn down our institutions or destroy our sense of calm. Arson …
Read More »MATT condemns heavy-handed and unprofessional TTPS conduct in raid on Jaagriti station
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) has received a report about ‘heavy-handed and unprofessional conduct’ of officers from Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) while on duty at Radio and TV Jaagriti. According to the account of the incident available in the public domain and based on the …
Read More »‘All nationals must denounce Sat Maharaj’s hateful rhetoric!’ Devant distances himself from Sat
“All nationals must denounce Sat Maharaj’s hateful rhetoric. The Constitutional Right to freedom of speech is not just a right. It’s also a responsibility. “We have a duty to speak out against evil, hateful beliefs through free speech of our own that advances our shared value of equality.” The following …
Read More »Master’s Voice: Fear of the dark; addressing Trinbago’s ‘Nigger’ question (Pt One)
“Where a black man, by working about half an hour a day (such is the calculation), can supply himself, by aid of sun and soil, with as much pumpkin as will suffice, he is likely to be a little stiff to raise into hard work! Supply and demand, which science …
Read More »Dear Editor: Here’s what I really said about Sat Maharaj; Fazeer responds to Ashton Ford
“So basically PNM people, which is Port of Spain and environs, don’t like Sat Maharaj because they see him as somebody who gets under their skin, exposes a lot of their inconsistencies… “And yes, Sat Maharaj says things that get him in trouble.” The following Letter to the Editor is …
Read More »Dear Editor: “Fazeer probably suffered severe memory loss!” Ex-PNM secretary defends party’s record with Hindus
“It is ludicrous that anyone with any modicum of decency can contemplate accusing the party of being anti-Hindu or against any religion. It is particularly disheartening when this is the stance of supposedly enlightened media practitioners who ought to know better, if they are really worth their salt.” The following …
Read More »EOC: Denying employment on religious grounds is illegal; SMDS: EOC is soliciting Nafisah and has proven bias
“Members of the public are reminded that denying employment to someone on the basis of their religion may constitute discrimination, and is prohibited by the Equal Opportunity Act. “[…] Persons who have been subjected to discrimination in their employment, on the basis of their religion—or any other status ground—can lodge …
Read More »Garcia’s response to hijab furore “lacks veracity and mature thought;” SDMS issues legal letter to AG
“The SDMS has not deprived Ms [Nafisah] Nakhid of any substantive right, […] indeed, the right of any qualifying citizen to participate in [the State-run OJT] programme cannot equate to a right to be enrolled specifically at the Lakshmi Girls High School. “Therefore, references by the Minister of Education with …
Read More »