Tobago and the one-eyed giants

THE EDITOR: Tobago’s representative Ayanna Webster-Roy took a page from Greek mythology with her statement in Parliament on Friday. It is interesting to note that the ancient Greeks, with their polis system, had tried to democratise representation by reaching down to the individual citizen and reaching back to the centre of governance.

In Webster-Roy’s case, the people of Tobago are Odysseus who told Polyphemus that his name was Nobody. In this context, “Nobody in Tobago is suffering.”

It is of interest to note too that this statement by Webster-Roy comes on the heels of Tobago’s other representative, Minister of Tourism Shamfa Cudjoe, referring to members of the private sector in Tobago as “Tobagonians by boat.” These two statements are connected, but with a difference.

Nobody (Odysseus) had to beat a quick retreat “by boat” out of the land of the Cyclops. On the other hand, “Tobago Nobodies” have no boat with which to leave the island. Ironically, this nobody statement by the Tobago representative came on the very day when the T&T Spirit was scheduled to return to plying the route between Tobago and Trinidad but it was announced it would not be doing so, and with no date when it would be doing so stated.

It is of interest to note that according to Greek mythology, Polyphemus and other Cyclops were one-eyed giants. In the present context, Tobago’s Nobodies seem condemned, like Gilligan, to be unable to leave this island by boat – the Minnow is lost. This is party politics TT style. This is the political arrangement between Tobago and Trinidad where Tobago’s two representatives in Parliament are “passengers” – not captains of the ship as was Odysseus. This is party politics in TT under the Westminster system where representatives of the people must follow the party line – even foolishly. It is of interest to be informed on how major matters relating to the empowerment of Tobago within the two-island state arrangement are factored into the Tobago Constitution Reform Bill that was put before the Parliament recently and is due to go through a process culminating with a decision by this Parliament.

It is of interest to know if, when and how Nobody (the people of Tobago) will pluck out the one eye of Polyphemus and fly off in victory.

MERVYN J O’NEIL via e-mail