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Why not promote the Indian Deputy Secretary General to head CARICOM?

May 16, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

I wish to extend my congratulations to Dr. Carla Barnett the first female to be appointed to this most exalted position in the Caribbean region coming about 50 years after the Treaty of Chaguaramas signed in Trinidad.
However, from the perspective of an East Indian and with due respect to Dr. Barnett, I do believe given that there has never been an East Indian Secretary General, this was an opportune and unique moment to kill two birds with one stone and appoint Dr. Manorma Soeknandan, a current Deputy and surely equally as capable as Dr. Barnett.
In my opinion, East Indians in the region seem to be regarded as 2nd class citizens, one recent analyst writing in the newspapers has pointed out to scant regard and coverage of the contributions made by East Indians in our history books and one should not overlook the paucity of presence in the West Indies Cricket teams over the years of persons of Indian descent.
I emphasise that three important countries in Caricom namely Guyana, Trinidad, and Suriname have large East Indian populations contributing enormously to taxes, which help to fund a massive Caricom bureaucracy, and over the years, serious questions have been raised about the efficacy of this institution vis-a vis the large financial resources it consumes. Admittedly, it has helped Guyana in times of our post elections chaos.
In summary, it seems that it could be at least another 10 years before it may be possible for a change in the status quo as it relates to ethnicity of the Secretary General of Caricom further alienating East Indians from this Institution.

Yours sincerely,
Chris Persaud

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