Dear Editor,
According to the World Health Organization, murder, which they refer to as “Interpersonal Violence”, is the fourth leading cause of death in Trinidad and Tobago, behind heart disease, diabetes and stroke. At a rate of 39.4 deaths per 100,000 people, criminals claim more lives on average per year than kidney disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and respiratory infections. As such, for the Minister of Health to come face to face with this encounter of gun violence and survive, one might expect that this would give both him and the government a better understanding and appreciation for the threat that crime poses to the nation at large.
To be clear, I am glad that Terrance Deyalsingh was not harmed in this encounter, but I would prefer if this was the case in all instances. While the police have apprehended two suspects and may be able to recover his lost possessions, I also wish that this type of response was the norm for the protective services, and not reserved for when crimes are perpetrated against Ministers and their families alone. Because at the end of the day, when crime is perpetrated against ordinary civilians, they do not have the benefit of having someone on speed dial who might be able to remedy the situation.
I say this because, in the conversation that was recorded of Terrence Deyalsingh recounting the status of events to the unknown person on the other end of the line, he says to the person “Just letting you know where crime has reached” as though he himself had only come to the same realization. Now part of me thinks that what he means by this is that he would have never expected that he, as a PNM Member of Parliament and Minister would be held up at gunpoint within his own constituency, but really the level of desperation that is fueling the crime in this country does not care about that distinction. And the fact that either he was previously oblivious to the dreadful level of crime that has been plaguing the nation since he became a Minister in 2015, or that he ought to have immunity based on his status, is both incredibly naive and insulting to the nation either way you cut it.
What this crime has exposed is the callous attitude that the PNM has been towards crime as it affects the citizens of this country, and the difference in approach the police appear to take when the government is directly affected. And until the government starts taking affirmative action in dealing with these criminals absolutely no one in this country is safe. The only thing citizens in this country can apparently do to protect themselves is change their names to Terrence. Because based on police action this week, it seems that they only take notice of matters involving people with that name, no matter how it might be spelt.
Best regards,
Ravi Balgobin Maharaj
Mob: +1 868 476-6181