Senior Reporter
elizabeth.gonzales@guardian.co.tt
As public debate continues over the phrase “one per cent,” religious leaders are urging citizens and public officials to keep the conversation grounded in law, fairness and respect for all groups in society.
Their comments come amid wider public discussion following recent statements by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General John Jeremie about wealth, power, crime and the principle that no one is above the law.
Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha secretary general Vijay Maharaj said the phrase “one per cent” was political and should not be applied to one community alone.
“That’s a political connotation to begin with,” Maharaj said.
He said there were people of means in every community.
“Let’s be factual about it. There’s in the African, in the Indian, in the Chinese, in the Portuguese, in the French, Creole, in the Syrian. There’s a one per cent in every (sic), however small it might be, however big it might be,” Maharaj said.
He said the public had to be clear about what was meant by the term.
“But what do you regard the one per cent as? Are they hardworking people? Are they criminals? Are they philanthropists? What would you regard them as?”
Maharaj said he could not speak based on hearsay.
Asked whether the discussion was about accountability or was drifting into social division, Maharaj said division already existed.
“Well, social division already exists because like I mentioned, there is a one per cent in every community. So it exists within communities as it is at this point in time.”
He said there were corrupt people in communities, but said the majority should not be viewed in that way.
“Yes, there are some corrupt people around within the community. But no, the majority of them are good. The majority of them are ongoing. The majority of them are helpful. The majority of them are philanthropists and they will help you a lot.”
Maharaj said religious organisations could assist where possible, but law enforcement and State institutions had their own responsibilities.
Resist divisive language
Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon also said any illegal conduct should be dealt with through the law.
“Now, if people have done illegal activity, the law should deal with it. And it should be dealt with clearly by the channels of the law. And not spoken about in parliament on the privilege. If there’s real information, there should be, the police should be involved,” Gordon said.
But Gordon said the country must also be careful about language that divides citizens into groups.
“We have one nation and there is no mother Africa. There is no mother China. There is no mother India. There is no mother Syria. There is no mother Lebanon. There is only one mother, mother Trinidad and Tobago,” Gordon said.
He said citizens should first see themselves as part of one country.
“We only have citizens of the country. And that’s what needs to be the first and foremost in the minds of every citizen. And especially of our leaders, the only citizens of the country.”
Gordon said Trinidad and Tobago was a small society where people interact with each other regularly.
“We are 5,000 square kilometres. We don’t have more space than that. We bump into each other in a number of different ways on a regular basis. And holding the nation together to see that we are a people who are one people is vital.”
Asked whether the “one per cent” language could deepen resentment against people based on wealth, surname, race, religion or perceived privilege, Gordon said grouping people in that way does not help society.
“Whenever we scapegoat a group, any group, it does not help the whole fabric of our society. Because today this group gets scapegoated, tomorrow that group gets scapegoated. And that doesn’t help a society to build.”
He added, “When we start to target any group with hate and with resentment, then that doesn’t help in making a society a much better place.”
Gordon said the wider debate also raised questions about equality and distributive justice.
“The role of the government, one of the roles of the government, is to preserve the equality of a society. Equality under the law, equality in the way you are treated as a citizen, equality in the way that you get the goods and services that you need from the society,” he said.
A call to work together
Anglican Bishop Claude Berkley said T&T’s diversity required citizens to work together despite their differences.
“We recognise that we are a multi-religious and multi-national kind of country, multicultural and all of those multis. And the only real answer to the composition of our land is that we have to have a strong mind to work together despite our differences,” Berkley said.
He said the country has religious, political and other freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution.
“The use of any terms that will demean another human being, they are unacceptable,” Berkley said.
He said society had matured beyond descriptions that may once have been used casually.
“As we have become more and more mature as a society, we have found that those descriptions should not be utilised because we are to be committed to respect, due regard, love, and fellowship one with the other.”
Asked what responsibility political leaders, influential people and churches have in ensuring their words do not influence society negatively, Berkley said leaders must act responsibly in their public utterances.
“Well, it is incumbent on all leaders to uphold matters of justice and righteousness, to show that justice must not only be done, must not only appear to be done, but that it must be done,” he said.
He added, “The law is for all citizens. The constitution covers all citizens and any attempts to give special favour will always create… rebellion and resistance and unease, and will not make for the best type of community living that is possible.”
