“THE statement by Dr. Cudjoe is a frontal attack on the Indian community of Trinidad and Tobago and reveals the ugly under belly of the People’s National Movement (PNM),” slammed Parsuram Maharaj, President of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO).

Maharaj said: “Dr. Selwyn Cudjoe, President of National Association for the Empowerment of African People (NAEAP) and a Director of the Central Bank, chose to use the occasion of Emancipation Day to attack the Indian community in his speech at NAEAP’s Emancipation Day dinner on July 31, 2006.”

The GOPIO head said: “Cudjoe carefully selected a few areas in the Public Service where he felt there were too many Indian public servants such as the Customs and Immigration.”

Maharaj added: “Had Dr. Cudjoe been interested in presenting the truth he would have referred to the survey conducted by Professor Selwyn Ryan at the Centre of Ethnic Studies, University of the West Indies (UWI) which found that Indians were under-represented in the majority of the Public Service and in particular the protective services.”

He stated: “GOPIO fails to understand the cry of oppression from Dr. Cudjoe in the light of the fact that his political party of choice, the African-based PNM has ruled the nation for over 50 years and remains in power to date.”

Maharaj said: “Cudjoe’s game of ‘crying wolf’ is dangerous and Dr. Cudjoe should accept that the government has spent a tremendous amount of taxpayers’ money on empowering its African base.”

“The poly of crying wolf to get even further government assistance will only enslave his people to hand outs and hold the government to ransom,” he added.

Maharaj lamented: “This attack on the Indian community by the Director of the Central Bank includes the religious traditions of the Indian community.”

He continued: “He wants to know why the continued silence by the Prime Minister who attended the Emancipation function and the general PNM leadership is sending the message that Dr. Cudjoe’s attacks on the Indian community has been given tacit support by the ruling party.”

“After a week no officials of the PNM commented on this offensive and racially divisive address of Dr. Cudjoe,” Maharaj added.