Raj Jadoo, former president of the Arima Business Association and a man with more than 40 years of business experience, says as time changes the people and the country has changed.
He blamed the elders for the delinquent behaviour of children "because we are supposed to set the bar for them and in general the society."
Jadoo, the owner of Jadoo's Bookstore, said, "We have allowed children to do things as they please under the guise of 'love'.” He said parents, especially mothers, must watch the way they dress. The use of alcohol and the smoking of cigarettes by parents are poor examples to set for children and it is even worse when people send their children to purchase these items, Jadoo said.
"Who are we to blame then?" he asked.
Jadoo, touching on the education system, said it does not cater to children who are not academically inclined and believes it accounts for behaviours that are not acceptable in society.
According to Jadoo, a large percentage of our children cannot read and parents put the blame on the Government, teachers, and principals but fail to blame themselves.
Jadoo said while there was a high unemployment level in the catchment area, he admires some parents who in spite of low income ensure education is first and foremost for their children. He applauded such parents because to liberate a child you must educate them, he added.
The Arima businessman, touching on crime, said idle hands cause problems in society. "Everybody wants a quick fix, everybody needs money instantly and this is the reason for the young ones turning to crime.
"We must also remember that there are suppliers. Our Government always speaking about big fish, but where is the big fish? Where does it come from East, West, North or South? Yet a finger cannot be pointed to anyone in particular, so they say. If the drug trade could only be addressed, there will be little or no crime."
Speaking about business in Arima, he said there are many problems which businessmen face—the attitude of some workers, their lack of dedication and commitment towards their job.
He said that as a people, we are failing to realise that our present jobs will soon become extinct because of technology. "Robots will take most of our jobs," he added. Jadoo recommended that we get into robotic engineering.
On his journey in business, Jadoo said it takes time, commitment, dedication and challenges to build a successful business. "You may know my name but not my sorrows and whence I came from.
"I love my country and I am very patriotic. I will love to see more stringent measures be taken and the sail must be set to trap the wind, so we will go in the direction that we planned. Until the last tree has fallen and last fish has been caught only then we will realise that we cannot eat money."
Jadoo said there are more than 100 stores in Arima offering a variety of items at competitive prices.
Jadoo’s wish for Arima is for the authorities to deal with the traffic and parking problems. He said there are many parking lots in Arima but "for some unknown reason people prefer to break the law."