[UPDATED] Clash over Caroni lands as ex-sugar workers storm UNC Women’s Arm protest

A police officer intervenes to bring peace between the ex-Caroni workers and the UNC supporters who squared off against each other in Chaguanas on Sunday. - Marvin Hamilton
A police officer intervenes to bring peace between the ex-Caroni workers and the UNC supporters who squared off against each other in Chaguanas on Sunday. - Marvin Hamilton

MEMBERS of the Opposition UNC clashed with ex-Caroni (1975) Ltd workers during a march organised by the former's women's arm in Chaguanas on Sunday.

The clash saw heated verbal exchanges between the ex-workers and UNC members (including St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen and Opposition Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial), a placard of a former worker being torn to pieces, and police officers having to separate the two groups.

When the altercation ended, members of each group openly complained to the media about the behaviours of the other.

The UNC Women's Arm held the march to demand justice for the four divers who died in an incident at Paria Fuel Trading Company's Pointe-a-Pierre compound, and for victims of crime.

A large group of UNC supporters, dressed in white and holding placards, headed north from their meeting place on Narsaloo Ramaya Road, Chaguanas around 7.35 am. While they were marching, a maxi taxi carrying some people wearing black and carrying placards of their own, passed them.

While Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh was addressing UNC supporters, a handful of people wearing black clothing and bearing placards, which criticised the party for doing nothing to help former Caroni workers, mingled with UNC supporters. One former worker held a placard which said "Kamla, are you sleeping? Wake up." Ameen, who was holding a placard of her own, had an altercation with one of the protesters in black, who later identified herself to reporters as Devika Thomas.

Checks by Newsday determined that Thomas was a former member of the Team Loyalist slate, led by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, which unsuccessfully contested the UNC's internal election in December 2015.

Ameen complained to Thomas and the ex-Caroni workers about the intrusion on the UNC's march.

"Protest against the Government!" Thomas countered, "So why don't you (UNC) see that the Caroni workers need help?"

Ameen told Thomas, "Take down that sign (placard). Protest against (Prime Minister) Rowley. Call on Rowley to give allyuh, all of allyuh land!"

Thomas stood her ground. She told Ameen, "Read the signs!" Ameen yelled, “Look girl, allyuh go from here!"

"So you don't care about Caroni people?" asked Thomas.

Things became heated as Lutchmedial and other UNC supporters came to Ameen's defence while ex-Caroni workers backed up Thomas.

In the melee that followed, former workers and UNC supporters shouted and gesticulated at each other and the placard which read "Kamla, are you sleeping? Wake up" was torn and dropped to the ground.

UNC supporters shouted at the former Caroni workers, "Rowley must go! Rowley must go! All you brainwashed! Move from here!" The former workers shouted back at them, "Brother don't put your sign in front of me! We want justice! We want justice!"

In the middle of all of this, Thomas was heard yelling "Stop pushing!"

Police officers intervened swiftly to separate members of both groups.

UNC supporters urged each other to continue with their march and not engage the former workers. Thomas later told reporters the former workers had written to Dr Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, requesting a meeting with them to discuss their concerns about having not received the two-acre agricultural plots promised to them after Caroni’s closure in 2003.

"A month has passed. Nobody has responded to us. We are all over the media since February 14, they ( Rowley and Persad-Bissessar) have never acknowledged us." Thomas asked why the UNC Women's Arm was ignoring the plight of women from Caroni.

"They are women too and, predominantly, most of these people would have been UNC voters."

She criticised the behaviour of some UNC officials at the protest. A former worker added, "That is the UNC Opposition! They want to fight and they want to fight down people!"

Thomas said, "They mash up all of our placards just now. We came very peacefully." She added the UNC was well aware of the ex-workers' plight, as they were in Penal two weeks ago when the women's arm held a protest against rising food prices. "Why did they not acknowledge us?"

Thomas asked why Persad-Bissessar has not said anything recently on this matter. Time for elections they (UNC, PNM ) would come to you to vote for them. Enough of this nonsense in this country!"

Former Caroni worker Anil Mahabirsingh agreed with Thomas. He recalled that Indarsingh was president general of the now defunct All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Union when Caroni closed 19 years ago.

"He knows exactly what is going on, and still to this day has not said anything to anybody. Ten years he is in Parliament."

Mahabirsingh claimed 90 per cent of Indarsingh's constituents are former Caroni workers. He said the UNC's behaviour towards the former workers was not unexpected.

"They see us as enemies, as opposition to them. We never will be. We don't want to be. All we want is after 20 years, let Caroni workers get what they're supposed to get."

He estimated that approximately 4,500 former workers are still waiting for their agricultural lands.

Thomas said the former workers sought a meeting with former agriculture minister Clarence Rambharat but got no response. She added that a similar request has been sent to new Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein, who replaced Rambharat in a Cabinet reshuffle on March 16, after Rambharat resigned as a government senator and minister.

Mahabirsingh said there are also relatives of deceased former workers who are trying to get the lands promised to them.

While there was verbal response from the Estate Management Business Development Corporation (which assumed control of Caroni's land assets after its closure) to the former workers, Thomas said corporation was asked to give a written reply for a meeting. She objected to attempts by the UNC to portray the former workers as PNM agents.

A short distance away, UNC members continued their criticism of the former workers.

Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee said, "We should be asking who is behind those people." He wondered if former government minister Vasant Bharath was supporting the former workers. "We must find out."

Lee described the former workers’ action as an inhumane march. He reminded party supporters that the UNC is the opposition. Lee insisted the former workers go to the Prime Minister's official residence and protest.

"Why are they coming into our march for the second week running?"

Lee claimed Thomas challenged him to represent the UNC (in Pointe-a-Pierre) in the September 7, 2015 general election.

"Good thing the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the screening committee did not pick Devika Thomas."

Indarsingh rejected Thomas' claims that the UNC did nothing to help former Caroni workers. He said the question should be "how much land has the PNM government given to ex-Caroni workers over the last seven years."

He said under the former People's Partnership (PP) government he was intimately involved in the matter.

"No one can contradict me on this."

Indarsingh said it was the PP which succeeded in getting an injunction, granted under the former Patrick Manning administration to prevent the distribution of promised agricultural lands, lifted.

"It facilitated the distribution of 5,000-plus agricultural leases between May 2010 to when we demitted office (in September 2015)."

Indarsingh also said 3,000 residential leases were distributed to former Caroni workers under the PP.

"I don't know if there are persons who continue to have political ambitions."

He claimed the former workers were "paid agents being transported in maxi taxis that are trying to disrupt the unified activities of the UNC."

Lutchmedial and Ameen endorsed Lee and Indarsingh's statements.

Lutchmedial said, "We must not get distracted by the naysayers and the Trojan horses that come here to change the narrative. That is what the PNM thrives upon.

"We must come together as a united party and stand up against this Rowley dictatorship. We have no time to get distracted now. There is too much going on in this country."

Ameen warned UNC supporters, "If we lose focus, we will lose the battle.

"We must unite to ensure that the PNM leaves office.”

Ameen scoffed at the Cabinet reshuffle which was announced on March 16.

"They had a whole Cabinet reshuffle and the biggest joker of all, Fitzgerald Hinds, is still the Minister of National Security."

This story was originally published with the title "UNC Women’s Arm, ex-Caroni workers clash in Chaguanas" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

MEMBERS of the Opposition UNC clashed with ex-Caroni (1975) Ltd workers during a march organised by the former's women's arm in Chaguanas on Sunday.

The clash saw heated verbal exchanges between the ex-workers and UNC members (including St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen and Opposition Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial), a placard of a former worker being torn to pieces, and police officers having to separate the two groups.

When the altercation ended, members of each group openly complained to the media about the behaviours of the other.

The UNC Women's Arm held the march to demand justice for the four divers who died in an incident at Paria Fuel Trading Company's Pointe-a-Pierre compound, and for victims of crime.

A large group of UNC supporters, dressed in white and holding placards, headed north from their meeting place on Narsaloo Ramaya Road, Chaguanas around 7.35 am. While they were marching, a maxi taxi carrying some people wearing black and carrying placards of their own, passed them.

Ex-Caroni (1975) Ltd workers face off against UNC Women's Arm protesters at Endeavour Road, Chaguanas on Sunday. - Marvin Hamilton

While Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh was addressing UNC supporters, a handful of people wearing black clothing and bearing placards, which criticised the party for doing nothing to help former Caroni workers, mingled with UNC supporters. One former worker held a placard which said "Kamla, are you sleeping? Wake up." Ameen, who was holding a placard of her own, had an alteraction with one of the protesters in black, who later identified herself to reporters as Devika Thomas.

Checks by Newsday determined that Thomas was a former member of the Team Loyalist slate, led by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, that unsuccessfully contested the UNC's internal elections in December 2015.

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"[UPDATED] Clash over Caroni lands as ex-sugar workers storm UNC Women’s Arm protest"

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