Advisers to the Ministry of Education are inventing ways to undermine the excellent outcomes in education of Indo-Trinidadians generally, and Hindus in particular. In 1964 the census takers discovered that over 50 per cent of adult Indo-Trinidadians were illiterate while approximately 70 per cent of Hindus did not attend school.

Indentureship was abolished only 29 years before and many Hindus spoke only their mother tongue—Bhojpuri or the language of their region of birth.

Today Hindu children are very prominent in the lists of graduates at every level—from SEA to UWI degrees.

Dr Morgan Job, former lecturer in economics at UWI, wrote a foreword to HP Singh—“The Indian Struggle for Justice and Equality Against Black Racism in Trinidad and Tobago (1956-1962).” HP Singh was a prominent tailor on Queen Street in Port-of-Spain but is remembered as an indomitable fighter of Indian causes.

Dr Job wrote, “There can be no doubt that cabinet members, permanent secretaries and thousands of God-fearing law abiding citizens of African descent have been moved to think and act in a racist manner during the entire period of the PNM regime. Their ignorance of the Hindu community is matched by total neglect of HP Singh. Africans have wrongly interpreted Hindu cultural retentions as Indian racism.”

Hindu cultural retentions referred to by Dr Job help explain the amazing shift in less than 50 years from the most illiterate section of the population to the group whose children are saving this country from total backwardness.

New rules for entry to medical school at UWI, new arrangement for national scholarships and continuous fiddling with the curriculum at primary and secondary levels have nothing to do with emulating our success.

Instead of copying the family values and links between parents, the community and the primary school, which is an ancient Indian tradition, obstacles are created for Indo-Trinidadian children.

Affirmative action has proved to be destructive of the people targeted for undeserved promotions.

The role models for some are calypsonians who specialise in racist stereotyping, Jamaican artistes like Sizzla (held by Jamaican police on suspicion of firearms offences) or Black Entertainment TV stars. The cultural retentions of Hindus programme children differently.

But it is also necessary to uncover the history of this rabid attempt to control the progress of Hindu children, instead of doing everything to overcome the cultural limitations (hindrances) to Afro children. HP Singh’s book is candid in explaining that the problem antedated the arrival of the PNM in 1956. HP Singh wrote prophetically in 1961:

“During the last five years a new pattern has emerged in the politics of the island. The 1956 election was won by the PNM headed by Eric Williams on the institution of a resurgent Negro nationalism. Since then, Indians in Trinidad have been subjected to all sorts of humiliations, degradation and ignominy by PNM racialism.”

Singh continues: “While in theory Indians are eligible for any post in the Civil Service, the Judiciary or the Police, in practice, key and important posts are denied them. Indians comprise 40 per cent of the population, but hold less than five per cent of the Civil Service jobs.”

Replying to CLR James, HP Singh wrote: “What everyone is afraid of is the enterprise of the Indians. Now, is this not funny? People should commend and encourage enterprise, but not in Trinidad where Indians are concerned. Indians are workers, not loafers. They give a dollar, or more service for the dollar, unlike others who, according to Dr Williams, give only 33 cents worth of service of the dollar they receive.

“Indians are not spendthrifts, but are frugal sometimes even parsimonious. No power on earth can stop the onward march of a frugal, hardworking and industrious people.”

As it is in business so it is in education. The hard work and purposefulness of Indians have earned success. It has also drawn hatred and envy. Many Indians have fled to North America from extortionists, kidnappers and bandits. We are targeted by bureaucrats and a criminal empire linked to some politicians.

The racial assault on Indians did not begin in 1995 as calypsonians, some politicians and talk show hosts assume. The words of Eric Williams, confirms this. He warned in 1962 “Trinidad and Tobago is not an African country.”

Dharma is our objective. To do right to all manner of persons by respecting their religion, skin colour or ethnicity. We hope and pray that respect and tolerance will grow into the conscience of people who envy and hate success.

SATNARAYAN MAHARAJ is the Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha