Al Rawi: ‘Kamla’s slavery, indentureship comments racially divisive’

Attorney General and candidate for San Fernando West for the PNM Faris Al-Rawi has accused Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar of attempting to divide TT using race and ethnicity.

He was responding to comments Persad-Bissessar made at the UNC's virtual campaign meeting on Thursday night. She likened the repatriation process for returning nationals to the country, while the borders are closed owing to the covid19 pandemic, to slavery and indentureship.

Al-Rawi said, "Mrs Persad-Bissessar is a desperate woman in search of salvation. She will use every trick in her book, including reference to our 'blankness' as a society, dividing our country racially, and she has, from her public utterances, entered into the realm of racial division in TT."

Referring to controversy over remarks in which Persad-Bissessar purportedly referred to the Prime Minister as "that black man on the other side" during another virtual meeting last week Thursday, Al-Rawi said her more recent remarks were not surprising.

Persad-Bissessar responded to criticisms by saying she used the word "blank" instead of "black."

Al-Rawi said, "I was deeply concered about her reference to Dr Rowley as a black man, which I find to be scandalous and unbefitting of a leader.

"It therefore doesn't surprise me that she would make references to the situation of border management along historical racial lines."

He contended that the policy for the re-entry of citizens into TT was not oppressive as Persad-Bissessar suggested, as it was necessary to preserve the health and safety of citizens. He also asserted that similar policies were in place in various countries across the world.

`During her address, Persad-Bissessar lamented that nationals awaiting exemptions to re-enter the country are "living like vagrants" and she accused the government of abandoning them.

"You cannot abandon over 10,000 citizens of your country. That is worse than, I think, slavery and indentureship, to just give up (on) 10,000 of our people."

Newsday also contacted political analyst and chairman of the Council for Ethical Political Behaviour Dr Bishnu Ragoonath who said he did not want to make any comments as Persad-Bissessar's remarks may be taken out of context.

"I didn't really hear it so I can't comment. I don't know the context in which it was said. When you quote things, you quote in that particular passage.

"For instance that was one of the issues that came up with the blank and the black remarks, where there was this whole context of blank and black. That's why I'm very careful on how I comment on it."

Ragoonath said a statement from the council in response to Persad-Bissessar's earlier "black/blank" remarks should be issued within the next two days.