Guyana Observer News

Racist politics by T&T PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Monday, 23 August 2010

(CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Aug. 20, 2010:)

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Excitement preceded Trinidad and Tobago`s first female Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar arrival for a 10-day visit to New York City last Friday. However, that enthusiasm in the Caribbean and Trinidadian American community has quickly dissipated since the PM it seems is more interested in the Indian community than West Indians. Ahead of the visit, a meeting of Diaspora nationals was promoted in Brooklyn by a local organization there, leaving many to assume that it was the PM`s first and only official New York meeting with her nationals and friends of the Caribbean. Imagine the surprise of many when it was also announced that the PM would be rushing off to two events in southeast Queens, NY, that same evening to meet with a different section of the Trinidad and West Indian community.

In a nutshell – the Brooklyn meeting it seemed was for Afro-Trinidadians and the southeast Queens meeting for Indo-Trinidadians/Caribbeans. In a country that is not only multi-ethnic but has a history of an ethnic voting divide, this move was disturbing.
Worst of all, with five ministers of government in tow at a $380,000 burden to the taxpayers of Trinidad and Tobago, the PM`s office and her handlers have refused to speak to the Caribbean media, blatantly ignoring the fourth estate, Caribbean or mainstream.
Infact, Garvin Nicholas, who is listed as press secretary, seems to badly need a course in public relations as he has missed a major PR opportunity in this visit for both Caribbean and mainstream media publicity. Mr. Nicholas has no photographer documenting this historic visit and seems content to take the PM`s photos with his camera phone while standing aside and seeing no need to set up any real photo ops.
Most importantly, real news photographers seeking access to cover the visit are being shut down and ignored while Nicolas complains of his email not working properly.
Really now? And where is the consulate in all this? Shouldn`t they be the one guiding Mr. Nicholas on the media in NY and the community leaders? Well last we heard the sitting counsel general was trying to wrangle a flag away from a Trinidad and Tobago national on Sunday since he had none and neither did the PM until some smart Alec handed her one on the float in the Indian Day Parade.
But let`s backtrack to the PM and her itinerary. While she has made no time to speak to Caribbean media, she certainly has taken time out to be interviewed by Indian television, which begs the question: is she the Caribbean-born PM of Trinidad and Tobago or of India? Can you imagine the PM of India visiting here and giving no media interviews to his media? Can you imagine the outrage this would cause?
For those who may think this is too harsh please note that PM Persad-Bissessar not only participated in the Indian Day Parade, an unprecedented move, but she has had two fundraisers with the Indians, one in Long Island, NY and one in New Jersey. This is in addition to her exclusive meeting with the GOPIO on Monday at the New York Marriot, where she is shelling out the big bucks to stay with her entourage; and of course that Indian TV interview.
And what about Caribbean American meetings? Nothing beyond a bunch of listings for attendance at several nondescript events in the Indo-Caribbean community in Queens.
To make matters worse and to show the obvious ineptness of her PR person and handlers, the PM`s itinerary has not been provided beyond Monday. So her meeting with New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly Wednesday was truly a surprise and it certainly went undocumented by media photographers here.
A post-release issued by Nicholas said Persad-Bissessar and Kelly `discussed many strategies for preventing detecting and prosecuting criminal activity in Trinidad and Tobago.` Really now? So can we expect to see another foreigner added to the payroll of Trinidad and Tobago in its crime fight in the near future?
The fact is that the PM`s visit here is a waste of time and money and Trinidad and Tobago nationals paying for this should take her to task on it. What exactly has she achieved? Certainly there has been no real return on investment in the form of public relations? And what about meetings with real investors and diverse groups of nationals and Caribbean Americans in power in this city?
Has she met with members of the New York City Council or other city politicians to leverage power and investment opportunities? Or was this really a visit to India New York, the same Indians who hardly believe Indo-Caribbeans have any link to India and who consider many, `nigger coolies.` Their term not ours.
These are the questions that need to be seriously asked especially as the PM gets ready to spend more mula to return here next month for the UN. A historic moment has been squandered and the PM has left many wondering if she is the head of state of the multi-ethnic twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago or only of some of the people. What a shame, what a disappointment, what a lost opportunity!

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