Death threats against Radio Jaagriti's executives, staff

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Police have increased security at Radio Jaagriti 102.7FM following reports by the radio station's Chairman that death threats have been made against its top executives, Sat Maharaj and Devant Maharaj, and announcers. The station is owned and operated by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, the main Hindu body in Trinidad and Tobago.

Sat Maharaj, who is the station's chairman, said the phone threats are acts of cowardice. He said he knows who is doing it and made it clear that "we are not intimidated by it."

The head of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) said he has reported the matter to the acting police commissioner, James Philbert, and Prime Minister Patrick Manning in his capacity as chairman of the National Security Council.

The SDMS fought a lengthy legal battle all the way to the Privy Council to get approval for its radio station.

It began in 1999 when Basdeo Panday was prime minister. By 2001 the government changed and the new government under Patrick Manning rejected the application.

The organization took the matter to court and won its case on the basis of discrimination. In February 2004, Justice Carlton Best ruled that the SDMS was treated unequally when Cabinet bypassed its application and awarded a broadcast licence to PNM supporter Louis Lee Sing.

The judge agreed that the Maha Sabha had been denied equality of treatment before the law by the State. However, he stated there was no need to declare that the SDMS had been denied freedom of expression. He also declined to give a court order directing Cabinet to grant the Maha Sabha a licence.

The State appealed and lost. The Appeal Court, in an unanimous decision, ordered the government to award a licence as a matter of urgency.

When the cabinet failed to act the SDMS took the matter to the highest court and won at the Privy Council.

The unanimous decision confirmed a case of discrimination and also held that the Maha Sabha's constitutional right to freedom of expression had been violated. It found that there had been "a conspicuous failure" to deal with the Maha Sabha's application for over three years and ruled that there was 'unexplained and unjustified discrimination in favour of Louis Lee Sing's Citadel.'

The court noted that the Maha Sabha's application had been approved since the 1st September 2000 and found that no explanation was given for the sudden award of a radio licence to Louis Lee Sing's Citadel Limited.

Despite the ruling the Manning administration continued to refuse to grant the licence. The SDMS wrote the Attorney General, John Jeremy, accusing him of demonstrating contempt for the judgment of the Law Lords.

On Friday 23rd September 2006 the six-year wait ended when SDMS secretary-general Sat Maharaj signed the relevant documents to grant it a radio licence at the Telecom Authority's offices in San Juan.

Maharaj commented that it was unfortunate that this kind of treatment could be meted out to anyone in a democracy like TT, adding that he hoped that no individual or group would ever have to endure the "torture" his organization endured.