MSJ: Communities riddled with 'bad men'

EVERY community in Trinidad and Tobago is now riddled with “bad men,” said Radhaka Gualbance, deputy political leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ). She cited greed, status, and selfishness as the root causes of the spiralling crime spate.

Referring to the kidnap and murder of Andrea Bharatt, during a press conference on Sunday at MSJ head office in San Fernando, Gualbance said a dark cloud is hanging over the country.

Gualbance said society needs to review its core values and urged citizens to look out for each other. Religious organisations’ roles, she charged, have been minimised in many ways and many of them only focus on their members.

“Many people who are god-fearing are racists. They are still dishonest. They still cheat and lie. We are saddled by governments who were and are unable to govern, resulting in broken systems,” Gualbance said.

“Traditionally, culture defines our roles as women. We now enjoy a certain level of equality but we lack the will of a government to put things in place. Governments are not walking the talk. All they are concerned about is winning the next election and not about the development of society.”

She criticised the Prime Minister for his using the word "jammetry" to describe Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar; his likening a golf course to women and his telling women to choose their men wisely.

Gaulbance also criticised Persad-Bissessar for allowing disrespectful behaviour. The MSJ deputy political leader claimed a male UNC supporter had attacked her during the 2020 election campaign.

“When the press approached the (UNC) leader, she responded: ‘Let her take it to the police.’ She did not see a gender issue there. She did not even call on her members to exercise respect and restraint during the elections,” Gualbance said. She said some people are socialised to think men are always correct and women always wrong.

On behalf of the MSJ, she made several recommendations to make TT a better and safer place and called on Government to make public transport safe, efficient and reliable.

On the issue of PH (private hire) drivers, she said: “For years, governments have been talking about regularising the issuing of licence plates. We are demanding they address that immediately. They can put microchips in licence plates.” She called on PH drivers to do the “right thing” and get their taxi badges.

She also called for improvements in the educational system and networking between the ministries which she claimed are operating in silos. Gualbance added that programmes must be put in place to "fix men." She called on Rowley and Persad-Bissessar to come together and fix the broken system.

“We (citizens) have to give them deadlines and hold them accountable. No more excuses. Fix it or resign,” Gualbance said.

MSJ leader David Abdulah also spoke on Sunday and called for improvements in the crime and justice system, which he referred to as broken and dysfunctional.

Abdulah sent condolences to Bharatt’s father and other relatives, adding: "Generally when issues like these come up, there is an outcry for greater punishment for the offender. While this may be necessary, we need a major reform of the entire criminal justice system."