"How could such an assault on farmers go unnoticed by the police and the relevant authorities? Where were the police? If the media were alerted to the story, how could the police not know of that volatile situation? Or were certain rogue cops part of the gang, as some spokespersons for the beaten farmers allege?"
-Raffique Shah, writing in the
Sunday Express, February 20
There is a strange, dangerous feeling in the air. Perhaps the sudden death of Norris Deonarine has not helped to solve our anxiety. Perhaps it was stress that killed this agricultural hero, mixed with the possibility of police corruption and thugs unlimited. This was like the wild, wild, west. You almost could not believe your eyes. The news on TV was about Lopinot and a war between terrorists and farmers. TV crews but no police. Cutlasses splashing in the sun, but no police. Blows in your clothes, but no police. Where are we headed? The Attorney General speaks about blood flowing in the street and people being killed like cats and dogs.
Then Daniel Guerra goes missing. Just eight, but missing. You would hope that no "leggo" beast would attempt to violate this child. You have to hope because hope is what keeps us alive. Resilience is based on something called hope. Hope has to be our oxygen. One night police officers strike. They are sick. Unconfirmed reports stated that they had the scarlet pimpernel flu: now you see them, and then you don't. Nobody is informed. The virus also strikes the guards at the home of the Attorney General and the Chief Justice. Back to 1990, with rebranding if you please. A bit of mutation but the results are the same. Before 1990, you had the eerie feeling which made you think that you were in the twilight zone of uncertainty. We were dancing our way to a finish line called quagmire.
If you remember well, nobody wanted to call a spade a spade. Today nobody wants to call a quagmire a quagmire. Destiny beckons us, but we can't define the destiny. It is not the tale of the young and the reckless but the insecure and the reckless. URP got pregnant and produced Cepep. Corruption is infectious. Sautt was sort of efficient but different police commissioners were sort of confused. This species of officers were accountable to the politicians but not the police administration. Sort of strange. There were promises and promises and more promises to regularise Sautt. Plenty intelligence gathering agencies but after all the multiplication of these agencies, detection rates remained abysmally low. Murderers are in charge, except for the rare occasions where there are shootouts between bandits and police. The results are always the same-bandits dead, police escape and are alive.
Plenty analysts-seeking to do a perfect analysis of the paralysis. Many of them remain clueless. Their aristocratic armchairs never permitted them to engage in dialogue with the grassroots section of the population. Responsible citizens crying for help. Apparently, the cries are falling on deaf ears. People like officer Sharbodie are suffering from too much stress. They refuse to give up. They are true patriots. They are prepared to give all to make a difference and in spite of disappointments, they maintain the struggle to change and save lost youth. While designing this article on Sunday night, heartbreaking news hits our country. The news at 7 pm indicated that Daniel Guerra is dead. Shocks and more shocks. Pain and more pain. Blood and more blood. Just eight, and the victim of a monster in human form.
If the twin tragedy of Norris Deonarine's demise and the vicious death of eight-year-old Daniel Guerra cannot move us, then we are destined for destruction. Richard Ramoutar, writing in the Sunday Guardian, presents some potent questions. As you read the following paragraph, you will be convinced that his conclusions are sound: "Events of the last few days suggest that as a nation we are gradually descending to the edge of the precipice unless quick, incisive, restorative actions prevail... failure to act in the national interest may lead to a state of emergency. Why are we unable to pro- vide safety and security for the citizenry?"
There is something rotten in the State of T&T. Last week there was the continuing, ugly spectacle of a student humiliating, intimidating and pulverising a teacher in broad daylight and in front of several students. From significant reports, this student is a clear and present danger. Where are his parents? What will be the outcome? Of course, the teachers and other students are traumatised. Should young idiots be allowed to disturb the stability of a school? My frank opinion is that we are already in a state of emergency crafted by the mafiatic thugs in our society. Therefore, we should not affirm or applaud the police officers who have forgotten how to protect and serve.
I have not engaged in Gibbs bashing but the country is entitled to know what has happened to the US$94,000 scandal. The citizens have a right to know. Was this money linked to an untouchable parasite in central Trinidad? How much power does this parasite have? How connected is he to a senior police officer. Or is this just a dream? Was this US$94,000 dougla-rised money? Was it 50 per cent legal and 50 per cent counterfeit? Was a junior police officer placed under the barrel of a gun because of his honesty? I was in Parliament on Friday and witnessed the hostility generated during the debate on the Act to amend the Constitution to make special provision with respect to capital offences.
Now this bill requires the support of the Opposition, who apparently has decided to reject it, claiming it was all part of the Government's distraction strategy. As I sat there, a thought struck me. Would we ever operate in a mature fashion so that we could have a national assault on crime? Judging from the tone of the debate, this will not happen anytime soon, so that Parliament may continue to be an irrelevant institution. When will we ever learn? Let us not return to 1990!