Tag Archives: Raffique Shah

General T&T, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Racism Watch, UNC

Fanning the race flames

12 Comments

By Raffique Shah
June 01, 2014

Raffique ShahThe persons who orchestrated the racist placards that triggered a furore that lingers long after the protest-dust has settled do not belong to any “lunatic fringe”, as some politicians suggest.

They are perfectly sane, albeit devilishly motivated in their evil designs. Anyone with a modicum of sense could discern that the pro-Rowley placards were intended to have the extreme opposite effect—cast the PNM leader as a bigot, as being anti-Indian to the extent that he would display his venom openly, outside Parliament to boot.
Continue reading Fanning the race flames →

Gender, General T&T, Hindu, India, Politics

Whither India?

19 Comments

By Raffique Shah
May 25, 2014

Raffique ShahWith Narendra Modi taking office as Prime Minister of India following a convincing victory in the month-long general elections, the world’s largest parliamentary democracy, India, stands at critical crossroads.

The close to 200 million voters who propelled the controversial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power comprise in the main Hindu nationalists who see the country as Hindu first, anything else afterwards. But they were not the decisive elements that drove the Indian National Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty out of power in a humiliating rout.
Continue reading Whither India? →

Crime in T&T, General T&T, Politics, Security

Rumours of War, Weapons of War

18 Comments

By Raffique Shah
May 18, 2014

Raffique ShahMaybe he does not realise it, but by his untimely utterances and seemingly panicked posturing, National Security Minister Gary Griffith is fuelling fear among the populace.

Last Friday, according to news reports, rumours of an imminent coup triggered a virtual self-evacuation of Port of Spain, leading to the early closure of some businesses and traffic jams on roads leading out of the capital city.
Continue reading Rumours of War, Weapons of War →

Crime in T&T, Murder, Politics, Security, Violence

Dana’s death in vain

21 Comments

By Raffique Shah
May 11, 2014

Raffique ShahAfter all the tears and anger and outrage and tributes and exhortations, what do we do? Dana is dead, gunned down gangland-style, making for good copy for a week or two, but what after that?

The politicians shed buckets of tears and scream: her death must not be in vain! The police vow to leave no stone unturned in their quest to bring her killers to justice. The preachers say she was an exemplar, her colleagues-in-law deem her irreplaceable, her friends say only good things about her, and her extended family mourns in a dignified manner.
Continue reading Dana’s death in vain →

Complaints, corruption, Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, UNC

Another scandal we’ll forget

2 Comments

By Raffique Shah
May 04, 2014

Raffique ShahDoes anybody remember or know what happened with the scandalous “Section 34” issue? I recall that in the euphoria of the 50th anniversary of Independence, on August 31, 2012, some powerful person had that section of the Administration of Justice Act surreptitiously proclaimed, thereby opening a gateway to immunity (well, almost) for persons charged with corruption in the Piarco Airport matter.
Continue reading Another scandal we’ll forget →

General T&T, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Brotherhood that Transcends Race

14 Comments

By Raffique Shah
April 27, 2014

Raffique ShahAs we grapple with divisive elements in the society that seem to thrive on fomenting mistrust between our two main ethnic groups, I take comfort in the fact that for the vast majority of our people, especially the young, racialism and racism have little space in Trinidad and Tobago.
Continue reading Brotherhood that Transcends Race →

General T&T, ILP, MSJ, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

Crucifixions and Resurrections

3 Comments

By Raffique Shah
April 20, 2014

Raffique ShahThe UNC minister or activist who mobilised a gang of hooligans to disrupt a public meeting staged by dissident Barrington “Skippy” Thomas last Thursday evening should be taken before the party’s firing squad and shot—with “goat pills”. He (or she) has done irreparable damage to the United National Congress’s image, if that is at all possible.
Continue reading Crucifixions and Resurrections →

General T&T, Passed on, Police, Politics

He cast a giant shadow

35 Comments

By Raffique Shah
April 12, 2014

Raffique ShahRay Robinson was the most titled politician in the history of Trinidad and Tobago: President of the Republic, Prime Minister, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, and for good measure, Chief Olokun Igbaro of the Yoruba people.

But he was not the most successful, certainly at the polls. He was King of Tobago but a knave in Trinidad. In fact, he was a Tobagonian politician whom Trinidadians loved to hate.
Continue reading He cast a giant shadow →

Finance, General T&T, Politics

Patriots built bank

22 Comments

By Raffique Shah
April 06, 2014

Raffique ShahThe cavalier manner in which certain senior officials at First Citizens responded to the legitimate concerns of citizens over aspects of the bank’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) exposed them as not knowing their own history, or caring about public trust that is critical to the success and survival of such institutions.
Continue reading Patriots built bank →

General T&T, People's Partnership

The Sacrificial Ram

14 Comments

By Raffique Shah
March 29, 2014

Raffique ShahGlenn ‘Hamper Man’ Ramadharsingh is one shell-shocked politician. As the poster boy for performance in the People’s Partnership Government, he cannot understand why the Prime Minister fired him for a relatively trivial sin, when he (and she) sees and knows of other ministers who have committed far graver offences, seven and eight-digit crimes, and they remain riding tall in the saddle.
Continue reading The Sacrificial Ram →