NCIC: Resist voices of division

AS the country celebrates today the abolition of the slave trade, the National Council for Indian Culture (NCIC) said it is an appropriate time for citizens to be vigilant against those who would seek to divide them.

In an Emancipation Day message, NCIC’s PRO and programme director, Surujdeo Mangaroo, said it is a time for citizens to resist voices of division.

He said the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was the greatest tragedy in human history, and the colonial powers of the day, through their greed and desire for power, exploited generations of Africans and their descendants.

“Although slavery was officially abolished in 1834, the impacts of this act, as well as subsequent efforts to exploit other groups, continue to be felt in our society today.

“To commemorate Emancipation Day is to celebrate the abolition of slavery, but it is an occasion for us as Trinbagonians to be reminded of the need to remain vigilant against those who would seek to divide our beautiful cosmopolitan society in the name of greed or power.

“Now more than ever, we need to resist the voices of those who would take us back to a more broken, divided country and to keep continuing to build a society where we all have and equal place.”

He called on all citizens to reflect on the legacy and significance of this occasion and to continue to apply lessons learnt to life today.