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The first time I heard about, ‘Apan Jhaat’

Jul 02, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
‘Apan Jhaat’ (own race) may be still alive and well, whenever the PNCR-1G or at least some of its leaders or would-be leaders again decide to play the race card to further their political or personal agendas.
We can still remember, not from the mists of time, but the relatively recent past, when the then main opposition leader called on his ‘kith and kin’ in the Police Force to act contrary to the Constitution and refrain from protecting citizens from the violence resulting from the ‘peaceful’ street marches and rallies, under cover of which, looting took place, businesses were burnt down, citizens (who were perceived supporters of the PPP/C) were beaten, robbed and molested.
Also I don’t know how the PNC acquired the spy- equipment which allowed them to break into the Police communications system at the time, and also reportedly gave conflicting ‘orders’.
The first time I heard about, ‘Apan Jhaat’ was at a political meeting on the East Coast held by a party led by John Fernandes, a leading Roman Catholic, during which an Indian man addressed the crowd and switched to what I believed was Hindi. He was angrily interrupted by an Indian man in the crowd, who protested to what he was saying.
We didn’t understand, at first, and the man explained that the speaker was talking about race – He said the man talked about ‘Apan Jhaat,’ which meant race, The rest of the crowd then joined in protesting what the man was saying, and who was not allowed to continue.
I looked at John Fernandes to get an idea of what was happening, but from the confused and bewildered look on his face, it was clear that he didn’t have a clue about what was going on. He certainly would not have condoned any appeal to race being a religious man. I wrote about this incident many years ago.
Sometimes, when I attend public meetings at Freedom House, I momentarily wonder if I am at Congress Place, the headquarters of PNCR–1G as I see so many perceived supporters of the main opposition party.
John Da Silva

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