Anil Bheem was no ordinary entertainer

THE EDITOR: I have been approached by many since the death of my friend and colleague in broadcasting, Anil Bheem, to deal with how the Ministry of Culture and the PNM dealt with his passing.

The ministry, while quick to recognise and laud calypsonians who pass away, was never ready to respond in kind to singers of the Indian genre.

First there was a weakly-worded letter that named Bole Bole Hanuman as a chutney soca song. That is the same as saying that Amazing Grace is a soca song.

Clearly the PNM and its Ministry of Culture do not understand the multicultural nature of TT.

Then came a quick apology for the mistake. While we welcome the correction, we have to ask ourselves why was such a glaring mistake made.

The answer is that the staff at the ministry simply are lost when dealing with East Indian culture as practised and enjoyed by more than half of the population.

Again I call on the powers that be to set up a committee for the purpose of avoiding such blunders

TT is too small a place to continue to use culture as a tool of division. We can never realise the essence of the national anthem, "here every creed and race finds an equal place."

Where was Anil's equal place? Why was he not treated as his peers in calypso, etc? Where was the Minister of Culture in all of this? Why was there less than a passing glance and an incorrect platitude at his passing?

It is abundantly clear that there was no regard for the contribution of Bheem as an artiste. How can he contribute more than 30 years of his life to his art and still be ignored by a Port of Spain-based Government.

There was no state participation in his funeral but that did not stop him from having a stately funeral.

The entire East Indian community rose up to send him off in grand style after a private ceremony at his home. The NCIC's Divali Nagar "big stage" became the place of his final farewell with hundreds in attendance.

His peers in music filled the stage as they paid tribute to him in song and speech. The Caroni cremation site was packed with mourners hoping for a last look at a man who shared so much love. They all came to give love, all except representatives of the Minister of Culture.

Anil Bheem's music will live on despite the blatant disregard by the PNM Government. The Indian anthem, Suhani Raath, as sung by Anil is now the rallying call for unity amongst East Indians and will remain so for a long time.

The scant treatment of Anil is just another glaring example of the inequality practised by the PNM since it has been in government. We all know better than to expect better. I have always wondered how things would be if the roles were reversed?

How would the other side react if their women were denigrated in song and their men were absent from ads? How would they react if their precious cultures of calypso, pan and Carnival were denied state funding? How would they react if they were always passed over for promotion based on ethnicity?

The reality is that TT is a fractured society with the PNM rulers and their minions clearly disconnected from half of the population.

SATYANAND MAHARAJ

spiritual head

Satya Anand Ashram