Dear Editor,
I read that Ansa McAl, the multi-national giant, a conglomerate with headquarter in Trinidad and branches throughout the Caribbean and elsewhere, announced that will inoculate its workers with the Covid vaccine. Why would Ansa McAl vaccinate all of its workers ahead of front line workers – like medical staff, police, home attendants for the sick, druggists, etc. – and the elderly, sick, disabled, educators, and others? How is Ansa McAl able to procure vaccines for its staff and the government faces obstacles to get vaccines for the entire country? Does Ansa McAl have special privilege and is it favored to receive vaccines? By whom and from whom? Why can’t other companies and the rest of the population have similar access and privilege? Why can’t there be equity in the distribution of vaccines among businesses? In every country, the roll out of vaccines was done under government directives with priority given to front line workers not business interests. Is Ansa McAl that powerful that it decides on vaccine distribution?
The influence and power of ANSA McAl, owned by a powerful Syrian family, is comparable to the Dutch East India Company which dominated India from around 1750 for almost 200 years, is rumored to be in charge of Trinidad and Tobago. It is like a government within a government. The ANSA McAL Company has its own government and army to enforce the conglomerate’s interests especially its control over imported goods and services.
In case of combating Covid 19, the T&T government failed to make a request from India for vaccines. Every Caricom country that made a request received vaccines for free from India. It appears that the PNM led government is awaiting for clearance from the ANSA McAl Company [SAAMAL] to request from the government of India for a generous supply of Covid -19 Vaccine to be distributed in the country. The longer SAAMAL and the government [PNM] wait to request the Indian vaccine, the more the virus can proliferate throughout Trinidad.
The SAAMAL-PNM government may have their pride and do not want “Calcutta ship” Aastrazeneca Vaccine, but I am sure the Indian population in Trinidad will not mind having the vaccine from India. It is sad that the SAAMAL- PNM government can decide the destiny and survival of the Indian race in Trinidad with a weak, inept opposition. Understand that since the SAAMA-PNM government has a strong control over the population of Trinidad, with the Vaccine critically needed, the PNM – SAAMAL – government determines who gets the vaccine and can deny it and consequently wipe out a particular chosen race.
The controversy over the vaccine for Trinidad is a good wake up call especially for Indians who need to have serious control of their vested political interests. The Dutch East India Company, along with the colonial government of England, bankrupted India and sought to erase India’s civilization and culture. The same can happen to Trinidad. Indian Trinis can suffer a similar fate as Indians in India.
Yours truly,
Vassan Ramracha.
