mutiny contributed
to the start of theactual Russian Revolution, the downfall of the
House of Romanov, and the emergence of Communism.
What has this got to do with Trinidad and Tobago, with Carnival
right around the corner?
Well, it was one small event that precipitated the end of the Tsars,
and I humbly bring this particular fact to the attention of the
government and people of this country, in light of the tyre-burning
in Point Fortin, and more recently, the protest in Cascade by people
who are enraged at the prospects of the President’s Grounds
being subsumed into the Prime Minister’s residence.
The police resorted to tear gas in Point Fortin, and more than one
daily newspaper has dealt with the gravity of this incident, and
its capacity to escalate into dissent and pillage in the country.
Nonsense, some will say, especially those with short memories. However,
I feel that we should cast our minds back to February - April 1970,
and the start of the so-called Black Power Riots.
Many people are still wondering what triggered the unrest which
began in February that year, but as I recall, it was a minor event
which started the burning and violence in April -- a planned march
into the city by students at UWI, thwarted by police.
NJAC joined the fray, followed by more burning and, an attempted
insurrection by some Regiment personnel.
As the riots started, Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams was ensconced
at Crow’s Nest in Chaguaramas, mediating in a border dispute
between two South American countries.
Rumour has it that he was in a state of total shock, unable to accept
that a Black Power revolt was occurring in a black country, on his
watch, as the saying goes.
The Balisier diehards and the Rienzi Complex blowhards should begin
to reflect on this situation.
Let us say, for the sake of argument, that Panday is finally able
to excite a number of flood victims, cocaine-in-watertank activists,
and malcontents on the East-West Corridor into marching on Port
of Spain.
The overworked police will fill the air with tear gas, pepperspray
(probably discharged from the Blimps), and this will further aggravate
the marchers, who then arrive in Port of Spain, Molotov cocktails
in hand, to be greeted by tear gas, rubber bullets, and then real
ammo …
Who’s to say what will follow?
For starters, the business barons will probably flee en masse to
Barbados or their island homes, and the government will move into
the Hilton Trinidad, the traditional retreat when the natives become
restless.
Will other groups then step in overnight to restore law and order,
possibly resulting in Trinidad and Tobago becoming an Islamic State?
The Manning Administration appears unable to accept the fact that
there is growing national foment, and anger.
People are becoming disgusted by the inability of their representatives
to fix the roads, end flooding, improve hospital care, curb the
rise in food prices, and most important of all, reduce the rate
of criminality. The disintegration of the UNC (soon to be blessed
with three leaders, it appears) continues to feed the arrogance
in Whitehall.
If the coffers were empty, perhaps we would be a little more forgiving.
But every time the Prime Minister speaks, he tells us of the rapidly
declining unemployment rate, the massive untapped reserves of gas
and oil, the number of large international conglomerates banging
on his door looking for business opportunities, and the number of
large buildings to be erected in an already overcrowded Port of
Spain.
The planned $850 million stadium at Tarouba is the cause of anger
and disgust.
Why not yield to pressure and upgrade existing stadia located throughout
the country instead?
Patrick Manning’s delusions of grandeur grow unabated, and
many regard this massive building programme as nothing more than
his perceived arrogant legacy to future generations.
It reminds me of China’s Great Wall.
Constructed by the similarly arrogant Emperor Qin Shi Huang in 127
BC, it was not completed until 1300 AD or thereabouts.
But to return to my original treatise: It takes one minor incident
to start a disaster -- On June 28th 1914, Gavilro Princip, a Slav
anarchist, assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the
Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
This event triggered the start of the First World War, a fact which
intrigues historians to this day.
Take note Mr. Manning. |
