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om shanti


We are about to celebrate the festival of Divali. Between today and tomorrow Trinidad and Tobago will participate in one of the world's biggest festivals. I am glad that we here on the rock are very much part of it. The main stage for the official celebration is at the Divali Nagar located at Chaguanas that has seen record crowds. This festival of lights signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. What a wonderful thing to celebrate, Shubh Divali!

I really should be taking a rest from all the ignorance and the loss of hope on the rock but we cannot stop people until it gets fixed. Today we hear that the Minister of Transport, who incidentally has a registered company in Hong Kong (wonder if that's in the Integrity Commission filing) was in communication with the suppliers of the Terra Jet Ferries out of Greece. Hmmm, that never came up in the JSC, how come? I thought we were all open about this ferry deal? Wonder if the longstanding member of the ruling party, newly suspended, who also claimed an association with the Terra Jet people knew about Hong Kong?

You see, when you come into Office on a campaign of rooting out corruption and being transparent and boasting of good governance then for some reason people tend to hold you to that promise. That's why the PPG was routed. We started off with real ideals of good governance but soon lost our way. I am saying 'we' and 'our' because I was a member of the PPG. We failed the people, we could have done so much to change the landscape of politics and we threw the chance away. Yes, we did some great work but we were not able to earn the trust of the people. Trust in this political business is something that is probably the most important issue for the electorate. You fail in building the trust of the people, that's it you are yesterday's news. Better believe it!

Back to the ferry business, we have obviously not seen the last of this debacle created by the PMOTT. The PMOTT has put his political career on the line with the undying support shown for his Minister of Works and Transport. That's his doing or undoing and he will, like many before him, pay the price.

The other gathering storm is the beautiful song and dance being played out between many parties on both sides of the aisle. It's not surprising who the players are, from captain to cook to bailiff. The dog and cat fight has started and it's a great spectacle for all to witness. Of course while the band is playing we as a country are heading for a very rough ride down economic rapids that will topple the best riders. It seems that no one in the Parliament has a clue as to what we as a nation have to do to survive this dark period in our history. I see some people are more concerned with Columbus sailing past our shores in 1498 than the impending devastation of 2018. The sooner we realize that it's our history and that Columbus and Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are really not going to help or hinder our success the better off we will be. It is what it is! We need to get up and get. We need to get rid of this stupid mentality that someone owes us something. It is not going to happen, we are very much all alone in this world and it is up to us to create our space.

A very Happy Divali to all of us on the rock, especially to our Hindu brothers and sisters.  Tomorrow we will eat dhalpurrie roti, channa and aloo, bhagie, pumpkin and bhaigan. A wonderful place, this rock.

 Shubh Divali!!!

 Asato ma sat gamaya | (असतो मा सद्गमय ।)
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya | (तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।)
Mṛtyor ma amṛtam gamaya | (मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।)
Om shanti shanti shantihi || (ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥)

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