Racial bias by PNM against India?

THE EDITOR: The Newsday’s editorial of March 5, “A passage to India,” presented a warped ill-informed western perspective of India on issues as Kashmir and the very character of the Prime Minister of India.

The editorial prompted a spirited response from the High Commission of India as well as the United National Congress. The response from the high commission was robust and presented unassailable information. The fact that India has now become the pharmacy to the existential threat that covid19 presents to the planet escaped not only Newsday’s editorial staff but also the Prime Minister who claimed that he did not know that India had offered the region vaccine donations.

Now that the Prime Minister has publicly stated that he has indicated to both India and China an interest in obtaining vaccines from these countries, the Newsday editorial should also comment on this issue. The fact that Communist China, where freedom of the press and democracy are suppressed, has persecuted Muslims in Nazi-like concentration camps, has imposed anti-democratic laws in Hong Kong, has illegally occupied Tibet, as well as where the covid19 virus originated, should be enough to evoke a similar editorial by the Newsday.

Interestingly, only last week Thursday in Conversations with the Prime Minister, he publicly stated that TT would only accept vaccines that were approved by the World Health Organization. The Prime Minister further advised that once the Chinese vaccine received that approval TT would accept it. It is therefore instructive that no one has asked the Prime Minister on what basis has the Government now recanted on its WHO-approved vaccine policy articulated a week ago.

One can safely speculate that there is an inherent racial bias by the incumbent PNM administration against India given its various public positions such as the sari skit, Calcutta ship statement, etc. The only way the Government could find it palatable to approach the Government of India was to wrap it in a Chinese wonton before swallowing.

PUNDIT SATYANAND MAHARAJ

spiritual leader

Satya Anand Ashram Aranguez Prime Minister Dr Rowley