I am writing to support Wayne Kublalsingh's right to starve for his beliefs–as I believe that everyone should have the right to express their opinions and protest the injustices of the world, if they so choose, as well as the right to end their lives, if they so choose.However, I think many T&T people are too selfish and cynical to really give a hoot about any one man's death–or about wider issues of endemic corruption, or issues of habitat destruction.
So I feel Kublalsingh is really wasting his valuable life.I'm starting to think that his starvation protest is both extremist and ineffective in our particular society.Surely there are better, more effective and creative ways to protest a State decision or action which you feel is unfair and/or corrupt and/or destructive of community life and wildlife?
What about taking the same elements of theatre and heartfelt self-sacrifice, and harnessing these qualities to other more productive, and more joyful, protest ideas: such as, for instance, having a ritual "performance" every Friday lunchtime (in a public space with lots of people), harnessing the trappings of a costumed ole mas band to make some serious points?
You could give prizes for the best designed costume, the best expressed theme, the best skit or robber-talk, and document the whole thing, putting it online or filming it, to trigger folks to better understand the issues, raise awareness, and perhaps sign mass petitions.Or use some other totally different medium or cultural expression to better get across your message–and tie this in to winning public support.
From a specific issue of the displacement of some residents, the movement seems to have expanded to include generic, all-encompassing issues of corruption, abusive state power, killing of life in the Northern Range hillsides, and differing notions of development. I have visited parts of the village area through which the disputed part of the highway will pass. It seems like an industrious, peaceful, self-sufficient village, with lots of greenery still intact.
There are bamboo groves and mango trees, successful small businesses and places of worship. I was struck at the lack of garbage, and the absence of starving vagrants, out-of-control crime and polluting traffic–things so common in Port-of-Spain.That piece of the Southland between Debe and Mon Desir is like a pastoral Trinidad–beautiful and green and thriving, despite generations of government neglect.
The people don't demand government handouts and don't burn tyres in the middle of the road to protest. They help each other, and quietly get on with working their land and running their small businesses.I heard a villager there comment that he didn't want any highway to disturb all of this–to shatter the togetherness of the village, and bring destructive values, urban chaos, violence and mess into this largely peaceful, rural, close-knit community of Hindu roots.
I have to agree with him. Though I don't agree, any more, with the starvation form of protest.
Mike Ingledew
via e-mail