Shame on bands for mas blank

I WAS disappointed with the band-leaders who decided not to come to the competition site on “The Greens” on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. It was an injustice and disrespectful to all the members of the Uptown Carnival Committee (UTCC) and moreso to the public.

The UTCC worked hard to make this competition site one of envy. The judging point was perfect for masqueraders: the roads were smooth and spacious, the surroundings were kept clean by a crew that worked hard and put its best effort forward to make sure the place was clean at all times, the security was great with a nice police presence that did not have much to worry about with respect to violence.

A wonderful crowd of “Behind-the-Bridge” residents sat out there in the burning sun and pouring rain (tears of deceased pioneer bandleaders and steelbandsmen from Behind the Bridge who gave there life’s blood) in order to see the bands and catch a glimpse of their family members and friends who might be playing mas. They took great pride in seeing what little mas came to their once proud area.

Though this area is referred to as Behind the Bridge, which includes such places as Laventille, John John, Picton Hill, Jacksonville, even Nelson and Duncan Streets (even though they are in front of the bridge), we accept the name with grace for great things have come out of these places.

Behind the Bridge has been one of the birth places of mas and steel pan, and the good people who live in there for years have contributed to the development of this country and its arts.

When these bandleaders take an action not to pass at this judging point and use the violence in the area as an excuse, I take it as a personal attack on all the residents.

If violence is their reason for not coming, then their bands should not leave their mas camps. Violence is happening all over T&T, it is a problem that is affecting every citizen.

The major crimes in the land are gang-related. True there are instances that good citizens fall victim to these criminal activities. This is regrettable but that should not keep us from living.

Though these bandleaders use the violence in these areas not to come to this judging point, they still take money from masqueraders from these areas, who pay thousand of dollars for their over-priced costumes. There is never a question about where they live; all that matters at that point is that all their sections are sold out.

My solution is to take some of the police officers from the nice safe areas in Woodbrook and St James and position them along the parade route leading to the UTCC judging point. This way we will have a strong enough police presence to make the bandleaders feel safe.

We as a people have overcome violence in the Carnival from its inception and we will continue to be resilient and overcome whatever criminal activities that try to destroy the “Greatest Show on Earth.”

Carnival has always belonged to the people (spectators, vendors, masqueraders, etc), the bandleaders are just servants of the people and should not let their popularity or own cowardly concerns dictate which area should and should not see their bands. Bring back the mas.

I want to give a special word of thanks to the Is We Community Developers organisation that provided some covered seating and refreshments for some of the senior citizen in the Behind the Bridge. I hear it is doing great things in the area for the kids and seniors. Keep up the good work and I hope to see you with a bigger covered area for the seniors next year.

Curt Thompson

Behind the Bridge

High officials must explain

Isn’t it remarkable that Attorney General John Jeremie and Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls have such an incredible “meeting of minds” on two issues which are now at the forefront of the national agenda?

n That the Privy Council disapproved of parallel proceedings—criminal proceedings and impeachment proceedings—and said that it would be oppressive to proceed with both.

That the criminal proceedings should be stayed to permit the impeachment proceedings to go ahead.

The funny thing is that the Privy Council never made any such comment about parallel proceedings and everyone (except these two) agrees that a stay of the criminal proceedings in the light of all that has happened (arrest by warrant, State overturning the injunctions to stop the criminal proceedings and fighting all the way up to the Privy Council to have the criminal proceedings go on—causing the State and Sharma to incur millions of dollars in costs) would in itself be totally oppressive.

Even the DPP accepts that the criminal proceedings must take precedence over section 137 proceedings.

Remember that both Mc Nicolls and Jeremie would have had to be cross-examined in the criminal courts. And both of them are the only two pushing that the matter should not go on there. Coincidence? I think not.

By the way, how come the AG’s statement had up to March 5 not been tendered in evidence in the criminal court although everyone knows that he gave a statement to the police months ago? Why no explanation for this?

Why did the Deputy DPP and Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson so readily agree to stop the criminal prosecution if the Deputy DPP was of the view that Mc Nicolls’ position of not wanting to go on with the criminal prosecution was “untenable.” Why did they not let him be sworn in and be cross-examined?

If the DPP is an independent office, why did she allow Mc Nicolls to dictate the course of the criminal proceedings?

All of these high officials have some serious explaining to do. It is time that the Integrity Commission, the Judicial and Legal Service Commission and the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Association step in and investigate the conduct of these officers.

Jason Humphrey

Diego Martin

Turmoil due to Panday, PM ploys

T&T is in turmoil, mainly due to the ploys of Prime Minister Patrick Manning and United National Congress leader Basdeo Panday.

Panday is trying to save his own skin at the expense of the people. On the other hand, we have Manning, the great fighter, fighting for all the wrong causes and dismissing the legitimate rights of the people.

His fight with the Chief Justice reminds me of McCarthyism in the US when, following the second world war, thousands of people were hounded because of their left-leaning positions.

It was a frightening period in US history. A period for which America was quite ashamed.

In T&T we have the spectacle of Manning seeking to remove the Chief Justice for probably voicing an opinion as head of the judiciary.

Manning should be the last one to do so as one of his first acts on being appointed Prime Minister was to promote his own interest instead of the country’s interest by appointing his wife as a minister.

I am ashamed of every Member of Parliament who sits at Manning’s political table and allows such a provocative and illegal act to continue.

Our only hope is men of integrity, honesty and concern for the welfare of the people.

Dr CF Ramcharan

St Augustine

Spotlight on emperor of soca

The 25th anniversary in any field of endeavour is certainly an outstanding achievement. This year Machel Montano joins the ranks and the Carnival 2007 MVP keeps raising the bar.

Not since Shadow’s Bassman in 1974 has any one song created so much of an impact. Jumbies was no victory, it was a massacre. On a chariot of fire he came sweeping all before him and no one could withstand his fury.

I am no Machel supporter, the era of Sparrow and Kitchener being more to my liking. But the fact remains that this man is the Caribbean’s most charismatic entertainer at the moment.

I still believe that David Rudder is the one to take the mantle from Sparrow because of his versatility. However, Montano is holding the spotlight at the moment.

He was part of the Cricket World Cup opening ceremony in Jamaica on Sunday and a concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden beckons later on.

Book of Angels will unfold once again and a global television audience will witness the emperor of soca at his dazzling best.

Michael Denny

Arima

Why must ICC disrupt CIC?

Can anyone explain to me the relation between St Mary’s College (CIC) located on Pembroke Street in Port-of-Spain and the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup activity at the Queen’s Park Oval?

Apart from having the same letters CIC and ICC, I cannot fathom any relation. Why then is CIC going to be affected by the madness of cricket and have to start school at 9 am and end at 2 pm?

What about mock exams that were originally carded for 7.45 am?

Why must these students’ lives be disrupted over cricket?

A Stephen

Diego Martin

Talk your mind

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