The enemy is covid19

THE EDITOR: Someone once said that it is wise to abstain from political jokes, as they tend to get elected. But this is not an election year, unless the Prime Minister has a note in his back pocket that may be as secretive as is the foreseeable second management report into the Water and Sewerage Authority or perhaps one into Caribbean Airlines.

Truth is that politics and humour are sometimes regarded as synonymous. That is not to say that our elected politicians are comedians, and surely I don’t wish to castigate our revered comedians as being political. So I take a chance in reminiscing on an “oldie” involving our country’s first prime minister.

It is alleged, in political witticism, that it was once suggested to him that TT should seek to go to war with America as they had a tendency to rebuild the nations which had chosen to battle with them to a much-improved economic position although they had lost in combat. The punch-line of that amusing piece was in the PM’s reply to the one proposing war, which was, “And what if TT wins?”

I considered this political humour as I pondered upon the apparent impasse between the Government and the Indian high commissioner as it related to a request for a covid19 vaccine donation. And I wondered why our minuscule developing republic would seek to engage in a war of words with a nation whose anti-covid19 response had been applauded internationally.

Back in January 2021, Bill Gates, US business magnate, philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, commended the Indian government for the proactive measures it had taken to flatten the curve of that country’s covid19 infection rate. Gates cited India’s “expanding focused testing to identify hot spots for isolation, quarantining and care, and significantly increasing health expenditures to strengthen the health system response.” He also applauded India’s “leadership in scientific innovation and vaccine manufacturing capabilities.”

And in February 2021, the World Health Organization is reported to have said that India managed to inoculate nearly six million in 22 days which reflected on “the government's diligence, discipline and vigour into their response to the campaign.”

Today, instead of embracing and engaging some of India’s tried, tested and proven efforts against this global pandemic, our nation chooses diplomatic squabbles and irrelevant cross-talk. But this is not the first time our “diplomatic decency” has been brought into question.

In 2018 our then foreign affairs minister faced national and regional criticism and a call for his resignation relative to what was deemed then an “embarrassing vote” against Dominica’s request for a waiver of its fees to the Organization of American States as a result of the devastation faced in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Following this diplomatic fumble, there was the Christopher Thomas Report which raised several germane and relevant issues on the conduct of our approach to foreign policy. That report seemingly lies somewhere gathering proverbial dust.

And back in May 2020, our foreign affairs posture was again highlighted when it was reported that US ambassador Joseph Mondello had “expressed concern about the consistency of Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez’s ’s visit to Port of Spain with Trinidad and Tobago’s obligations as a party to the Rio Treaty.”

In the instant case, I would like to think that India is not the enemy here, nor is the Indian high commissioner. The only foe is covid19 and its consequent revolting death, decay and destruction.

We should not be fighting international battles, as in the eyes of the world Trinidad seems incapable of even fixing relations with our own “sister,” Tobago. That makes us all look like comedians. And that of course is no laughing matter.

ASHVANI MAHABIR

Cunupia