Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 02/Jan 13:59

A fearless gladiator

Jerome Teelucksingh YESTERDAY was the anniversary of the passing of Basdeo Panday. He has been described as a politician, activist, trade unionist, actor and lawyer. He was briefly involved in the Workers and Farmers Party (during 1965-1966) and subsequently suffered defeat as a candidate in the 1966 general election. The young Panday would later be affiliated with the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). And in 1972 the DLP appointed him as an opposition senator. Many are unaware of the support Panday gave to the Black Power Movement in 1970. During the 1970s, Eric Williams and his government mocked and ridiculed Panday while he was in opposition and head of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers’ Trade Union (ATSGWTU). Panday always drew his swords to battle discrimination. For instance, on October 2, 1993, Panday, highlighted racism at the launch of the Proceedings of the Conference of the East Indian Diaspora Committee. He revealed the mistrust in the society: “Generally speaking, the Indian has been so cowed that the African feels no sense of shame or double standards in condemning white racism in South Africa with all his might while in the same breath calling the Indian a racist for daring to raise the question of African racism against Indians. “In the past the Indian has always been on the defensive on the issue of racism against him in TT. There were many who felt inferior, physically, if not mentally.” Hopefully, this ugly phenomenon does not exist in the 21st century. On April 7, 1994, Panday, in an interview at Rienzi Complex, candidly dealt with the systemic racism, “You know there is a strong perception in the society that you cannot trust an Indian to run the country. You cannot allow him to become prime minister.” He proved the naysayers wrong when he became prime minister in 1995. In March 2020, the theme of the annual History Fest (at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine) was “The Many Shades of Resistance.” One of the events was a panel discussion to commemorate the 45th anniversary of a labour protest (known as Bloody Tuesday), which occurred in 1975 in San Fernando. I decided to invite Panday to the panel discussion because he was one of the prominent protesters of Bloody Tuesday. He agreed and, as expected, he stole the show with his charisma and insight. His captivating talk and lively interactions with those in attendance were highly appreciated. After chatting and posing for photographs, I escorted him to his car. During the short walk, the former trade unionist briefly discussed an earlier decision he had made to reject an offer to pursue a PhD in India and opted to stay in Trinidad and become involved in politics. Before he departed, one of the questions he jokingly asked was, “Would you get in trouble for inviting me to campus?” Many of us have stories of meeting, greeting or hearing the “Silver Fox.” Others can boast of longer friendships. Among those who bravely ventured into the world of party politics, Panday became one of the finest orators in the post-independence era. His speeches were always entertaining, humorous and sometimes controversial. Panday was a patriot whose leadership skills were honed in the trade union and political arenas. Those who betrayed and mocked him paid a heavy price from a man whose wittiness, sarcasm and vitriol were a trademark in our party politics. Future generations will remember Panday as a champion of working class issues, passionate about assisting the poor, underprivileged and those who faced discrimination. His opponents will not have fond memories and seek to distort his legacy. He constantly battled armies comprising cynics, media, opportunists, armchair politicians and pollsters. Two of his faults was that he was quick to forgive and trusted people who deceptively claimed to be his friends and supporters of his ideology. This could be seen in struggles within the United Labour Front, departure from the NAR in 1988, and later the attacks he faced as prime minister. Panday, the weary gladiator, lost the internal elections of the UNC in January 2010. This was not fatal, as the warrior had already possessed a lifetime of fortitude and a breastplate of resilience. His defeats within politics are a lesson for those desiring to be gladiators. It seems that when one remains in the battlefield too long, there are disastrous consequences. One day the political gladiators will let down their guard and they will be injured or killed by the warriors they once admired and trained. The post A fearless gladiator appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.