The Public debate on the merits and demerits of what the Chairman of the Police Service Commission has said regarding the ethnic composition of the Police Service is on the boil.
It has always been a subject of contention and others including the current Attorney General have been critical of the composition of the Police Service. In addition, there have been over the years numerous complaints about the number of East Indians being recruited and I dare say that the figures do tell a tale of imbalance.
Mr Mohammed’s comments also come at a time when there is an active discussion in the UK, Canada and other recent migrant countries of the need to have ethnic police on the forces in those countries. It is seen as part of the management and a reflection of the diversity that is a reality in these countries.
The history of how so few Indians exist at the top of the Police Service would make good reading. In my view however, it is a reflection of the unwritten policies on recruitment as well as the criteria used to eliminate those who applied. This started with Dr Eric Williams and the PNM.
We cannot escape that politics was and largely continues to be race dominated. It is also reflective of the once perceived need by basically a “black” government to control the police service with their own.
What has made Mr Mohammed’s statement controversial is the fact that the People’s Partnership Government may be the first real national government given the unprecedented 439,000 votes it captured in 2010.
Let us examine why this controversy started. However, we must also ask and answer whether the statistics given by him are true or not. It appears that his statistics are true. And what are these statistics? According to him:
It has always been a subject of contention and others including the current Attorney General have been critical of the composition of the Police Service. In addition, there have been over the years numerous complaints about the number of East Indians being recruited and I dare say that the figures do tell a tale of imbalance.
Mr Mohammed’s comments also come at a time when there is an active discussion in the UK, Canada and other recent migrant countries of the need to have ethnic police on the forces in those countries. It is seen as part of the management and a reflection of the diversity that is a reality in these countries.
The history of how so few Indians exist at the top of the Police Service would make good reading. In my view however, it is a reflection of the unwritten policies on recruitment as well as the criteria used to eliminate those who applied. This started with Dr Eric Williams and the PNM.
We cannot escape that politics was and largely continues to be race dominated. It is also reflective of the once perceived need by basically a “black” government to control the police service with their own.
What has made Mr Mohammed’s statement controversial is the fact that the People’s Partnership Government may be the first real national government given the unprecedented 439,000 votes it captured in 2010.
Let us examine why this controversy started. However, we must also ask and answer whether the statistics given by him are true or not. It appears that his statistics are true. And what are these statistics? According to him:
- Out of 10 Assistant Commissioners of Police, you don't have a single one of Indian origin. Out of three Deputy Commissioners, none of Indian origin
- At the level of Senior Superintendent, you have 15 all of African origin, none of Indian origin
- At the Superintendent level, you have 21 of African origin and ten of East Indian origin
The entire episode started from a letter received by Mr Mohammed from president of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association, Sgt Anand Ramesar, which was sent to Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs, highlighting concerns regarding the ethnic composition of the Promotional and Advisory Board.
Ramesar stated that he felt "threatened" and "unsafe" and asked that the PSC to address the issue. Among the five-member promotion board, who are all of African descent, are Deputy Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams and Acting ACP Terry Young, including three civilians.
There are perceptions that discriminatory practices are possible due to the ethnic composition of the Promotional and Advisory Board.
There are perceptions that discriminatory practices are possible due to the ethnic composition of the Promotional and Advisory Board.
Coming from the President of the TT Police Service Social and Welfare Association, one cannot treat it lightly.
In a society that claims that meritocracy is the basis for career advancement, and in a diverse society where racial and other forms of discrimination have been proven in the courts, Mr Mohammed is merely a messenger of a topic that we would like addressed but not discussed.
A failure of this society and a reason why it continues to flounder with respect to national maturity has to do with its inability to face hard issues squarely. Everyone suffers as a result and the society continues to stand on shaky ground and to flounder.
Mr Mohammed has said nothing that is new. He has simply had the courage to speak an unwelcome truth.
Mr Mohammed has said nothing that is new. He has simply had the courage to speak an unwelcome truth.
What is really more fascinating is a comment by an Assistant Superintendent Of Police Fitzroy Fredericks that Mr Mohammed is too damn farse. Frederick, who said he was annoyed and hurt by Mohammed's statements, said Mohammed was "farse and out of place" when he said there were too many police officers of African descent on the executive of the Police Service, as compared to East Indians.
What is wrong with the truth, may I ask? Did Mohammed make a racial statement. Surely not! At first glance the headlines convey a picture of race talk.
However a more careful reading of Mohammed’s statement reveal that he is simply reflecting what exists. Where he went wrong is to suggest that he intends to fix it using the parliament.
That is not his job. His job is to deal with fair treatment of all Police Officers and to ensure equality of opportunity. In fact the statement by Fredericks seems to be suggesting that no one has any right to speak about unfair treatment and matter of equality. In fact Fredericks could be perceived as far more racial in his comments than Mohammed.
If this were a perfect world where human beings would ignore ethnicity and race, religion and culture in making decisions, there would be no concern about the composition of the top brass of the Police Service. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect and people do have varying degrees of prejudice. As a result, justice must not only be done but also be seen to be done.
The composition of the Cabinet of Kamla Persad Bissessar is a very good example of leadership that appears to have gone out of its way to demonstrate racial balance.
If this were a perfect world where human beings would ignore ethnicity and race, religion and culture in making decisions, there would be no concern about the composition of the top brass of the Police Service. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect and people do have varying degrees of prejudice. As a result, justice must not only be done but also be seen to be done.
The composition of the Cabinet of Kamla Persad Bissessar is a very good example of leadership that appears to have gone out of its way to demonstrate racial balance.
In fact the Minister of national Security is of African descent. He was chosen not for his race but his competence. Several Boards are headed by people of African descent including the Port Authority, UDeCOTT and the Board of TSTT.
All the state boards reflect the composition of the society. In the Cabinet Errol Mc Leod is Minister of Labour, Jack Warner, Minister of Works and Transport, Rupert Griffith, Minister of Tourism, Therese Cornelis Baptiste, Minister of Emmanuel George, Minister of Public utilities.
Every major Ministry is headed by a person of African Descent. Only the AG, the Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance hold significant portfolios as East Indians.
An examination of the appointment of Ambassadors from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows further racial balance. The Indians are Harry Partap in South Africa, Hamza Rafeek in Brazil, Chandradath Singh in India and Dr Anil Ramnanansingh as Consul General in Miami.
An examination of the appointment of Ambassadors from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows further racial balance. The Indians are Harry Partap in South Africa, Hamza Rafeek in Brazil, Chandradath Singh in India and Dr Anil Ramnanansingh as Consul General in Miami.
In Washington, Dr Neil Parsan. In Caracas, Razia Hosein. In Nigeria NJAC’s Nyahuma Obika was appointed. In Costa Rica, Sandra Honore. In Uganda, Patrick Edwardas. At PRUN New York, Rodney Charles. In PRUN Geneva, Dennis Francis. In Brussels, Margaret King Rousseau. In Canada, Phillip Buxo, a white person. In Cuba, Jennifer Jones Kernahan. In the UK, Garvin Nicholas. In Jamaica, Dr Iva Gloudon.
The racial balance is there for all to see.
The racial balance is there for all to see.
In other words, the government of Kamla Persad Bissessar has gone overboard to achieve perceptible balance, and this may have been at a tremendous political cost since worthy supporters would have been denied in the process. There are five East Indians as Ambassdors. There are nine persons of African descent, and one white in the fifteen embassies.
The track record of the People’s Partnership Government is clear when it comes to achieving racial balance. Therefore is Nizam Mohammed being racist when he puts forward a bit of truth by way of valid statistics?
The track record of the People’s Partnership Government is clear when it comes to achieving racial balance. Therefore is Nizam Mohammed being racist when he puts forward a bit of truth by way of valid statistics?
What is worrisome is the attitude of the three Commissioners who distance themselves from him. I am still wondering what it is they objected to!
In this regard too, Jack Warner, the self professed, “first black Hindu” (he boasted about this after he attended a Hanuman pooja) was too quick to condemn Mohammed. Maybe, the real crux of this matter is not what is the truth but in a sensitive society how the truth is told.
Finally, has anyone considered how the East Indians who laboured to put the UNC in government feel when in the first year of the government, three Africans are given the opportunity to act as Prime Minister but only Dookeran of the COP has had that opportunity.
Finally, has anyone considered how the East Indians who laboured to put the UNC in government feel when in the first year of the government, three Africans are given the opportunity to act as Prime Minister but only Dookeran of the COP has had that opportunity.
If the East Indians in the party were racial persons they would have kicked a fuss over this. However, they would also like to see opportunities for the ones whose hard work over nine years kept the UNC alive!
So where is the race talk?
So where is the race talk?
And is Nizam Mohammed really guilty of racial talk or is he confronting a reality, which he feels, must be taken into consideration? Who is really being racial, may I honestly ask?
Chandra Harnanan
Chandra Harnanan
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