Reflections on 61

THE EDITOR: Fearful to walk the streets during the day, far less at night. Murder, rape and robbery flood the airwaves, headlines and our daily thoughts. Our homes, once our sanctuary and castle, are no longer sacred. Our sleep is no longer peaceful, trauma pervades our waking moments. Nightmares have become our reality.

Our neighbours who escaped political and social oppression risking life and limb to lead a safer life of promise have now become victims of sexual oppression on our very soil. Human rights only seem to matter when ours are involved.

Our flame has been doused, the refinery is no more, nor the notion of a hard day's work for fair pay. We may be independent from colonial rule but we are slaves to hours of traffic, salaries worthy of a decade ago, political oppression, corruption and inhumane governance.

Our communities no longer foster harmony and love but hide the failures that they produce. The village no longer raises the child, instead it hides the monsters and then hides from them. A few gold coins to get by, but at what cost?

What are we building or, more importantly, what are we leaving behind? Sweet TT, what have we become?

What of our Government? Where is the leadership?

Our Prime Minister's message at 61 years of independence was one of introspection, urging the population to take a long, hard look at ourselves and "help rebuild the country."

Pretty ironic coming from the most tone-deaf person to ever to lead TT. Wasn't that your job, Mr PM?

Even a rumoured cabinet reshuffle list that made its way onto social media was not enough to prompt this Prime Minister into acting and making some changes that we desire so desperately. What more must be done?

Golf trips, attacking political opponents and vacationing on taxpayer dollars instead seems par for the course.

An Attorney General that spends more time reflecting, apologising and making excuses than passing well-drafted, useful legislation. A National Security Minister asleep at the wheel with our "praying" Commissioner of Police. A Minister of Works who only comes alive during election season, a Local Government Minister whose biggest concern is matching his ties with pocket squares and, frankly, a cabinet content with going through the motions, taking the lead from a tone-deaf Prime Minister who cares little for public opinion, confidence or trust.

For a political party that has governed TT for the majority of our post-independence years, I feel ashamed for those in the PNM who associate greatness with their legacy.

A person at age 61 behaving in this callous manner may not have much life left...imagine a country.

Before you call me unpatriotic or attack me, take a deep breath and reflect.

This is my home too, I was born and live here. Taking the oath in our Parliament as a senator was my proudest moment yet and our future generations deserve a country that they can be proud of.

My choice is TT and so must yours be. We must fight for better days or risk having none.

RISHI ND TRIPATHI

former UNC temporary senator