As I spend the Memorial Day holiday weekend in The Bahamas, I reflect upon what in Trinidad is our Indian Arrival Day holiday weekend, which is made extra special, euphoric and exciting, because it is also the occasion of Kamla's arrival to the highest elected office in the land. It is, indeed, interesting and coincidental, the timing of her arrival, with the celebration of the Indian Arrival Day holiday, because more than ever, the day has significance and meaning, but it also gives us pause to consider the profound words of her acceptance speech upon her investiture with the Office of Prime Minister. She was very clear that we must move away from the labels and we must no longer see ourselves as Afro-Trinidadians or Indo-Trinidadians, but rather as one nation, one people, one purpose.
A move away from ethnic voting
It is a very clear demonstration that she is willing to not just talk the talk, but is also prepared to walk the walk. It is clear, too, that she does not want this victory to be parlayed or portrayed as an "Indian victory," or for it to be foisted upon the nation as "Indian Time Now." It is clear that the nation has spoken–and decisively so–in its desire to move away from the traditional tribal and ethnic voting patterns which have so dominated our political landscape for decades.
Main beneficiaries of this tribalisation have been Messrs Panday and Manning, who have been locked together in a death dance for years, with their mutual exploitation of the racial bogey for their own individual benefits, and in order to prop themselves up in power.
As I remarked to Mrs Persad-Bissessar, two Fridays ago, during a private reception at my home, I told her she was poised on the cusp of history, not just for being the first female Prime Minister, but also for the fact that it took one female to remove from the political forefront of Trinidad and Tobago the two dinosaurs, Panday and Manning, who have both contributed in no small measure to the nation being gridlocked, stymied and functioning unprogressively, because of the fixation and obsession with racial politics.
Arrival Day for all
Mr Balliram (Bally) Maharaj and his wife Leela, who were also at the reception, made a similar point, reflecting upon their recent trip to India to rediscover their roots. Bally said the most important thing for him would be to see all Trinbagonians celebrate their arrival, whether Indo, Afro, Asian, Syrian, Chinese or Portuguese. He wishes to see us all, as a nation, participate in and celebrate our arrival to this place and this space in the Caribbean called Trinidad and Tobago.
This is the type of unity and communality that the People's Partnership has espoused on its platforms, that without losing our individual identity, we can come together as one, for the greater good of our nation.
There is so much hope and expectation riding on the shoulders of our new Prime Minister, and there is so much desire to see these things come true, that I trust that as a nation, we will be patient and allow her, in her own time and in her own way, to seek to fulfil and live up to the mandate that she has gotten. It is not an easy task, and it is, indeed, a tall order, to try to unite this nation, so that we can all work together and move forward, in peace and harmony and in a manner where, to pardon the clich�, "We will rise' to the point where we can celebrate and appreciate Bally's dream of an Arrival Day for all.
Personal, Individual changes needed
It will not be easy, and maybe we are being overly optimistic, as old habits die hard, and once the honeymoon period is over and persons get settled back into their former ways and their traditional thinking patterns and their familiar mindsets, change will be hard to come.
The fact is that no amount of Kamlamania can change our minds and our thinking, if we as a people do not work along with her and start to make that individual change within each and every one of us. In the words of the late, great, Michael Jackson, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways...If you wanna make this world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change."
New dawn, new day
I note with pride, Sat Maharaj's glowing tribute paid to Mr Austin Jack Warner in this Thursday's edition of the Guardian newspaper, for Jack's role in the victory of the People's Partnership. I listened in awe at Jack Warner's masterful and magnanimous victory speech on Monday night. I note with admiration, Mr Ashworth Jack's unstinting loyalty to Mrs Persad-Bissessar, and in return, her determination to keep her promises made to Tobago. It represents the only way that we can truly try to move forward as a nation, and it is the fervent hope, desire and wish of this entire nation that we are really witnessing a new dawn and, indeed, a new day in the growth and development of tolerance and understanding and an improvement in race relations and unity. This has all been heralded, fostered and hinged upon the People's Partnership and Kamla's arrival, and may she be blessed and guided in the task that lies ahead, and may God bless our nation.