Much ink has already been spilt in recent weeks and days over Energy Minister Stuart Young’s unfortunate and unforgettable ‘hot mic incident’ in Parliament, in which he was caught making derogatory remarks about Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Indeed, many right-thinking individuals have openly scoffed at the remarks on the grounds that much better behaviour is expected from a person of his calibre.
The statements have also garnered a religious backlash in the midst of Divali celebrations, as it was felt that at a time when the goddess Mother Lakshmi was at the forefront, Young’s stance against a woman of faith represented a certain amount of darkness.
However, out of darkness must always come light.
This is why the National Council for Indian Culture (NCIC) must be commended for its decision to have Young speak at the closing Nagar event, not as an exoneration of his actions, but to represent itself as an organisation capable of something bigger, better and brighter.
Equally deserving of commendation is Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who returned to the island on Monday night, for his decision to address the Divali Nagar tonight.
For us, this is a step in the right direction by Dr Rowley, who has previously shied away from these celebrations while suggesting that they represented a sort of darkness to him, as strong, opposing political voices often decried and objected to his presence there.
Undeniably, the Nagar has long been wrongly used as an open platform to promote United National Congress (UNC) politics, creating a rather uncomfortable platform for a non-Hindu, People’s National Movement (PNM) leader to participate in.
But staying away from the Nagar did little to eliminate the darkness that exists in our politics, fuelled by our ethnic differences.
T&T’s image as a harmonious multi-racial, multicultural society has faded as our political banter and general discourse have become more and more hateful.
The NCIC’s decision to once again invite the Prime Minister to these events, regardless of political or ethnic considerations, and the Prime Minister’s decision to accept this invitation, tells us that the fire hasn’t entirely burnt out as yet.
As we celebrate this special religious observance, we are all acutely aware of the horrendous crime situation that requires not only divine intervention but the collective light of us all, to overpower the darkness within our homes, our communities, our schools and our businesses that threatens to subsume us all.
Indeed, as a society, we must be able to shed light in circumstances where our women and children are suffering from domestic and sexual abuse and in the interest of reducing poverty and homelessness.
The light of goodness must certainly be kept burning to eliminate religious intolerance.
Divali gives us an opportunity to change our approach from one that illuminates the darkness of others simply to expose and cast blame upon them.
We know the dark side of our country but we all as individuals have a role to play in carrying our light daily if we truly wish for darkness that currently abounds to dissipate.