PM Kamla ignores Re-route protesters; Kublalsingh vows to intensify action

Police remove a protester at the Parvati Girls' College in Debe Wednesday. Guardian Photo 

Police had to forcibly remove several female demonstrators in Debe Wednesday who staged a protest at the Parvati Girl's Hindu College where Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BIssessar attended Indian Arrival Day celebrations.

Media reports said police bodily removed the women for Persad-Bissessar to leave the venue. 

The women were part of the Highway Re-Route Movement led by Dr Wayne Kublalsingh and supported by the leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), David Abdulah. 

The group is trying to get the government to change the route of a section of the highway to Point Fortin. It says the Debe/Mon Desir section will interfere with the lives of about 300 people who don't want to move, as well as cause serious environmental damage.

The Minister of Works has already ordered a suspension of works in that section of the construction and has said that he would review the project to see if the protesters can be accommodated.

File: Wayne Kulalsingh joins hands with OWTU leader Ancel Roget.
"This news political formation will defeat the political elite". Kublalsingh

However the movement is determined to have its way. Recently the Oilfield Workers' Trade Union (OWTU), which has stated publicly that its intention is to cause the fall of the People's Partnership government, joined the protest. Roget called it an "epic battle". In welcoming the OWTU and other activist labour groups, Kublalsingh said, "...this new political formation will defeat the political elite."

The group tried to advance its political and other agenda Wednesday in front of the national media at the school. 

The female members of the group sat in the rain singing bhajans and praying for a meeting with Persad-Bissessar.

According to media reports, Persad-Bissessar arrived around 12.30 pm and her vehicle drove past the women. One media report said when Persad-Bissessar was ready to leave police asked the women repeatedly to move but they refused. 

The Guardian report stated: "As the female police officers began lifting and moving them to the side the women broke down in tears. Kublalsingh was also lifted, but kept restrained. 

"Thinking that the Prime Minister was in her official PM 1 car, the women began hurling insults, accusing her of betraying and destroying Indian people, as PM 1 left the venue.

"However, PM 1 stopped in front of the venue. Then minutes later, the Prime Minister, surrounded by women, children and a few of her ministers, walked from inside the compound to PM 1, bypassing the protesters without looking in their direction. 

"Asked why PM 1 was moved from the venue to the road, ASP Deonarine Basdeo said he was told the PM was coming to speak to the protesters. 'I don’t know what happened'.”

Kublalsingh called the Prime Minister's action disrespectful and vowed to intensify his protest. And he made a threat.

"She (Persad-Bissessar) will not be safe and the Government will not be safe. We will launch action after action after action for seven days, seven years or seven months until they stop the Mon Desir to Debe Highway," he said.

He added, "They cannot stand the force, the tempo and the force of women that is why she had to leave in disgrace. She is disgraced from now into perpetuity because she has betrayed her people."