Monthly Archives: October 2024

General T&T, Grenada

Honouring our heroes

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By Selwyn Cudjoe
October 30, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeSpeaking to hundreds of people at Progress Park, Grenada, on October 19, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell announced plans “to build a shrine at Fort George to honour deceased Revolutionary leader Prime Minster Maurice Bishop and others who lost their lives on October 19, 1983, as a result of internal conflicts between different factions of the Revolutionary Government”.

Although I welcome this gesture, I immediately became suspicions. A “shrine” sounded too much as the canonisation of the brother.
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General T&T

Generation Y

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By Raffique Shah
October 30, 2024

Raffique ShahI felt like Marlon Brando must have done in the opening scene, I believe it was, of The Godfather as he stuttered in his trademark nasal tone, issuing instructions from the Godfather to generations that would run the mafia after he was gone. No, I was not about to die or anything as dramatic as that.

Rosina had favoured us with that last farewell a few months ago, teaching us what the finality of death means: no more giggles, no more hugs, no more warmth—nothing as dramatic as that. It was a gathering of Generation Y of the Shahs, that my youngest brother, Feroze, thought we should assemble at my bedside for the youngest offspring to enjoy each other’s company, but most of all to give me an opportunity to see, hear, even feel these young ones, who have already staked their claims for leadership of the clan when I and my siblings and in-laws will have moved on.
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Gender, General T&T, Parliament, PNM, Politics

Language matters

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 23, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeTwo weeks ago, I responded to Nigel Seenathsingh’s letter that appeared in the Express. I wrote: “When I warned…about the dangers inherent in the Leader of Our Grief’s statements about women, I was not trying to demonise him or Stuart Young. I was only alerting my readers to be on guard about the violence against women [I emphasised women] that exists in our society and the role that language plays in this regard.”
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General T&T, Guyana

Don’t begrudge Guyanese

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By Raffique Shah
October 23, 2024

Raffique ShahIt was with a degree of shock, certainly disappointment, I noted that many of my fellow Trinis appear to be envious of our Guyanese brethren over the one-off payment President Irfaan Ali promised them by year-end.

I wasn’t aware initially of the multi-billion Guyana dollars payout until it was brought to my attention by one of the Guyanese living in my village. Once the details circulated, I did some checking to see precisely what was on offer. It was GUY$100,000 per citizen, once the recipient was age 18 years or more. Some rough calculations told me that, based on current exchange rates: GUY$210 equals US$1 and it takes TT$6.77 to equal US$1. Each recipient will therefore receive US$475.10 come January 2025. The estimated number of persons entitled to the grant is 500,000.
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General T&T, Politics

The leader’s schizophrenic behaviour

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 16, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeAfter the People’s National Movement came into power in 1956, Eric Williams took an inordinate length of time (sometimes as much as three hours) to deliver his budget speeches. He used them to reach his fellow citizens since the means of communication were not as widely available as they are today. It was also a way to expand the democratic process.

Today we live in an era of Facebook and TikTok. It is anachronistic for a minister of finance to spend five hours delivering a budget speech. It reflects an attitude of someone living in the past.
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General T&T, PNM, Politics

Lead by example, PM

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By Raffique Shah
October 16, 2024

Raffique ShahIt is said that if you live long enough, you would have seen and heard “Everything”. I am closing in on 80 years and based on my last 30 years’ experience, I do not think I have seen close to everything. I guess the wise men who made that statement lived in the “donkey cart” era, not cars-powered-by-electricity era.

In today’s world, say over a generation (30 years), pace of change is so dizzying that one can suffer multiple medical conditions just trying to keep abreast of technology alone. If for nothing else, I’d like to be here to see the noiseless cars powered by electricity, silently whizzing up and down the highways and the byways. I want to see “Bounce mih nah!” Trinis shout at motorists whizzing past silently.
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General T&T, USA

The Darkest Hour

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 10, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe“And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25)

On Friday September 27, I flew to Charlotte, North Carolina (NC), to spend the weekend with friends and family. I was also interested in the gubernatorial and presidential races that were taking place there since it is the home of Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, one of the most notorious politicians in the US. NC is also a pivotal state in the next presidential election.
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General T&T, T&TEC

Hire T&TEC, Irfaan

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By Raffique Shah
October 10, 2024

Raffique ShahThere I was, citizen Shah, last week Wednesday night, having secured the best seats money could never buy to watch my team, Trinbago Knight Riders, register a flogging on rivals Barbados Royals in a virtual semi-final of the Caribbean Professional League 2024, when it happened.

Not that an electricity failure was unexpected. I know a thing or three about such mundane matters because I have taken the pain to study it as I wrote many articles on power generation and consumption as Trinidad would go on to become one of the most industrialised countries in this part of the world. I was also a director on the Plipdeco Estate board where the then biggest power generation company, PowerGen, was located.
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General T&T

On being relevant

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 01, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOn Republic Day, letter writer Nigel Seenathsingh scolded me for “attacking” his leaders.

On that same day the Express published a full-page story about a PNM senator in a domestic violence matter.

The Express editorialised the following day: “Given the lead story in yesterday’s Express about a protection order placed by the court against Government Senator Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing, and not pronouncing on either innocence or guilt, it is assumed that domestic violence against both men and women will be a part of the discussion” at the AG’s consultation on domestic violence.
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Agriculture, Food, General T&T

Rowley’s ‘sexy’ agriculture

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By Raffique Shah
October 01, 2024

Raffique ShahSome day last week, several of my one-time associates and long-time friends managed to breach the hurdles TSTT has implanted on my ancient landline to isolate me from what passes for civilisation today. They called to ask if I heard Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley crowing like a “fowl-cock” when he rolled out a new programme his Government was about to embark on, one tag-line proclaiming: “Making agriculture sexy!”
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