Election race-baiting in the 1920s – and now

The public has been entertained by a costly election campaign which incorporates memes, libel, picong, antics, race-baiting and fake news.

During the 1920s, there were also underhand tactics and race in the election campaigns.

For instance, at E.A Robinson’s election campaign in Couva on 2 January 1925, one of the speakers told the gathering that Sarran Teelucksingh indicated he would support Robinson’s candidature if the latter was elected to the Legislative Council. The Trinidad Guardian, in January 1925, reported that Teelucksingh was in the crowd and vehemently denied ever uttering such a statement.

Certain electoral speeches at public meetings provided evidence of deliberate efforts to highlight the race/ethnicity of candidates as one of the criteria for voters’ support. For instance, an election meeting to support Robinson was held on 14 January at the Chaguanas Court House.

L.A Pujadas, supporting Robinson, appealed to the Indians in the crowd not to be prejudiced by the caste system and not to allow the East Indian National Congress (EINC) to influence their vote. In January 1925, the Trinidad Guardian reported that Robinson was adamant that the EINC deliberately wielded race in the Caroni campaign.

Robinson appealed to the electorate to make their choice based on merit rather than race, “The election was not being fought on the merits of the candidates but it was being fought or attempted to be fought by the East Indian Congress on race.

"That was not the proper way to attempt to represent the divergent peoples of the colony. The colony did not contain only East Indians but white, black and every other colour and the proper thing to do if self-government was to be a success was to look at the merits of the candidates who came before them, irrespective of race, colour and everything else and say who was the man best fitted to represent their interests.”

It is apparent that in communities which were predominantly Indian, no guarantee existed of full Indian support for any candidate. Furthermore, divisions of the Indian vote, or any significantly low voter-turnout could be detrimental for a candidate whose reliance was on the support of the Indians.

Kelvin Singh, in the book, Race and Class Struggles in a Colonial State, noted that in Caroni, the composition of the electorate was working class, petite bourgeoisie and peasant. The EINC provided Teelucksingh with an organisational base in Caroni.

Neither the presence of Indians at political gatherings nor a significant number as eligible voters was a guarantee of success for an Indian candidate. For instance, in county St Patrick, the reverse situation occurred. Sobrian, an Indian planter, was defeated by E. Radcliffe-Clarke, a White planter.

Undoubtedly, the rejection of Sobrian reflected the political weakening of the East Indian National Association (EINA) which offered him support or that Sobrian’s Indian supporters were disenfranchised.

Another factor to be considered is the low voter-turnout in St Patrick. The issue of race was a determinant in the outcome of the results in St Patrick since Sobrian depended both on the support and voting strength of the EINA, and also other Indians who were eligible to vote.

The seven successful peoples in the 1925 elections were C.H Pierre who represented St David, St Andrew, Nariva and Mayaro; T.M Kelshall won Victoria and J.A Biggart was the winner in Tobago, Captain Arthur A. Cipriani captured Port-of-Spain and E.R Clarke was victorious in St Patrick. A.V Stollmeyer won the St George seat whilst S. Teelucksingh was elected to represent Caroni.

Some officials were concerned with the results and low representation of Indians in the Legislative Council (Parliament). On 18 May 1925, the Secretary of State wrote to Sir H.A Byatt, Governor of TT and suggested that Indians in the colony should have a representative in the council.

“I note that Mr A.A Sobrian, a member of the East Indian community, was not returned by the electorate of St Patrick, and that there is therefore only one East Indian, an elected member, represented in the Legislative Council.

"In view of the large members of East Indians resident in the colony, I attach importance to one of their number being represented on the council as a nominated unofficial member and I should be glad to learn your reasons for being unable to nominate an East Indian other than Mr Sobrian for one of the six nominated unofficial seats.”

The recent display of cocoyea brooms, in election meetings, should be used to beat the bobolees of race-baiting as tribal politics has not disappeared from TT.