Subsequent to the People’s National Movement (PNM) winning the last general election, everyone was peeved with the decision by Patrick Manning for rejecting to appoint Fitzgerald Hinds as a Minister in his Cabinet.

However, he was still very sympathetic and proposed to Hinds a portfolio as a Junior Minister, a position that the Rastaman unequivocally rejected because of his inflated ego.

In retrospect, I wish to go on public record and apologise to Patos for rebuking him when he elected to exclude the Rasta from his Cabinet in the first place.

Remember, how the Laventille East residents, including Sean Francis and Jamaal Shabazz were very vocal, struggling in the cause of their member of Parliament, and Fitzy was smiling all over his face.

Little did the Laventille East constituents know that it was a sly grin, the smile of death or the grin and bear it style.

As a Muslim, I always admired the late Bob Marley, deceased Sunday Mirror Editor Keith Shepherd and sometimes Rasta Muhammad Shabazz the PNM devotee for their humility and sincerity.

As a matter of fact, Sheppy and I had a very good relationship. Both Rastafarians exhibited sterling qualities; nothing closely resembling the attributes of MP Hinds, whose actions apparently are that of a synthetic Rasta.

Could you visualise Sheppy or Marley coasting a high man role on brothers struggling to curb crime in the ghetto of Laventille?

Understanding the gravity of the crisis in the community, they would have extended a helping hand and the lyrics of their song and pen would convey positive vibrations to enhance and achieve success with the struggle.

Alternatively, the imitation Rasta should be thanking his lucky stars that the brothers are doing what is solely the responsibility of his government and himself as the representative of the Laventille East constituency and the Junior Minister in the Ministry of National Security.

FITZGERALD
HINDS

SEAN
FRANCIS

MUHAMMAD
SHABAZZ

JAMAAL
SHABAZZ

Maybe he was regarded by Manning as another milestone or PNM crapaud and his Rasta hairstyle gave him a “bligh” as he played himself as the rootsman in the party.

The hallmark of a good leader is the ability to understand the men under his command.

Without a doubt, Manning knew some things that the masses were unable to detect about the Rasta and as a true leader he stood his grounds and refused to wash the Rasta’s dirty dread in the public arena.

The Rasta, who has now accepted the position he rejected, has earned fame as the yap, yap, yapity, yap, or the out-of-time Rastafarian.

Just reflect on last week Wednesday’s Channel 3 programme when the Rasta endeavoured to coast a ranking role on Sean “Bill” Francis, Jamaal Shabazz and the other brothers who are risking their lives to do what is definitely part of his responsibility.

Apparently, he’s under the illusion that he is still in his private law chambers and as a result he has no commitment to the gangsters in Laventille, whose support he begged for during his election campaign.

Only the junior Rasta minister can explain why he chose that medium to cry scorn on poor Sean Francis and issue a challenge to him that would certainly cost him his life in the ghetto.

Like a true soldier Bill, understood what is a mark card, and bluntly refused to adhere to the minister’s offer to take possession of the arms and ammunition in his community.

The problems in the ghetto would continue to exacerbate with brothers like Hinds.

As soon as they achieve their ascribed status or gain social mobility, it is exploited as a weapon to castigate the brothers and sisters in the ghetto so that they would be recognised by their new social peers.

Instead of being realistic, the Rasta attempted to play smart with foolishness, so that the rude boys would brand the community leaders as snitch and call a dread shot on their head.

If the Rasta feels it’s the dark ages and his boast about his LLM or Masters degree in law writing is a license to discredit the way of life in the ghetto by treating the community leaders with contempt and referring to them as criminals, then why can’t he do what the brothers are doing without any State assistance or police and army protection.

The Rasta’s ranting and raving that he cannot associate with community leaders because he is the Junior Minister of National Security is foolishness for I am sure he associates with his two disgraced PNM colleagues who are presently before the court on criminal offences.

The folk of Laventille must read between the lines and understand that their beloved representative operates with double standards and he has no regard or respect for the common man.

If you are under any illusion that Hinds is a lover of Laventille masses, then think again because he is quite aware as a former policeman and a lawyer that most youths in the ghetto normally have some difficulties with the law.

Once you are a freedom fighter or a youth who stands up for your rights in the ghetto then the devil eat your supper.

Ask Sean Francis or Jamaal Shabazz. They can talk about victimisation.

Now that Mr. Hinds is shortly about to relocate to his new mansion in Maraval, very close to one of his disgraced parliamentarian friends, I hope he stays clear of the white-collar criminals, in the big shot community.

I am certain that the Intelligence Unit in his ministry would advise him about the crimes of so called “respectable” people in the course of their work.

The only difference is that they generally do not have face-to-face confrontation like poor folks in the ghetto and the police do not kick down their fortified doors and violate their human rights in the still of the night as they do in the ghetto.

If Fitzy feels that his charade as a Rasta would work for him in the ghetto this rounds, he’d better think again because, you see, you can fool some of the people some of the times, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.

Hinds’ failed venture to demonise and denigrate the efforts of the masses to solve their problem is an indicator that he wants to stifle the independence of the community to handle their own issues.

He is taking the “I an’ I” concept out of context, as he wants to get the fame and glory for curbing crime by implementing draconian laws to lock down the youths and to make sure his big-pappy legal gangsters alone eat a food.

The masses are fully aware that the minister has never really dealt with their problems seriously and he cannot deliver what the community needs to make life a little more comfortable.

The PNM believes that the dependency syndrome must never escape the Laventille fanatics so they discredit any effort that appears to have liberating tendencies.

The PNM’s philosophy is that Laventille masses must never be in a position to be able to call their own shots, they must always suffer from a dependency syndrome.

Keep up the struggle, brothers, and remember the lyrics of Bob Marley: “Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights and don’t give up the fight.”