Michelle, Moruga and murders

Moruga “mom hacked to death,” screamed big front-page headlines.

Hours after that, Michelle Benjamin (MP for Moruga/Tableland) cried, shedding tears, as she explained, not only for the murdered wife and judicial support officer, Stacy Gopaulsingh but “for all other murdered people in my constituency and the country.” Others – relatives and citizens – shed tears daily for other brutal murders.

As of midday December 27, the murder toll stood at 614 breaking all our records while the Prime Minister said this country is “still a blessed land.” She blissfully added: “This (Christmas) moment is special because we go beyond life’s challenges and suffering to search and pray for new, hopeful solutions and meanings.” This is exactly what citizens from all parties have been doing last year and before.

Now back to reality with Moruga’s MP Benjamin’s grievance: “This latest criminal incident was even more heart-breaking as it occurred in Poui Trace – the same community where Enrico Guerra and his five-year-old daughter were brutally murdered in July.”

So, firstly, who is being elected, paid and constitutionally empowered to look for the “new, hopeful solutions” to the country’s breakaway crimes and the conditions which facilitate them? The very conscientious MP Benjamin lamented the Gopaulsingh murder was “a heinous act committed as her family was asleep, a grim reminder of the escalating violence plaguing the (Moruga) community.” And from this “blessed land,” Ms Benjamin dutifully complained: “It is unacceptable that the Ministry of National Security continues to neglect our constituency. We have repeatedly called for increased police presence and better resources for the understaffed police stations in the area.”

Last week, I travelled through Moruga/Tableland from San Fernando. I now understand why MP Benjamin is so distressed not only about murders and other crimes but also about so many broken roads and the neglected physical conditions of that rural constituency. In addition to repairing physical conditions, Moruga can become “a blessed place” as an attractive tourist site.

There are historical churches, etc, even a very old “spring bridge.” Spruce up the road and village area that ends at the sea. This is the time for Minister of Youth Development Foster Cummings and Minister of Culture and Tourism Randall Mitchell to urgently visit Moruga/Tableland to execute their parliamentary oath of office to “conscientiously, impartially discharged their duties and do right to all manner of people without fear or favour.”

We must have “blessed politicians” first, especially elected MPs and ministers, in order to “have a blessed land.” Minister Mitchell should use on Moruga/Tableland some of the $15 million he got for “building tourism.” Minister Cummings too must implement some of his youth programmes as crime prevention for Moruga.

Last week, this column explained how “politics make good men, bad” to which Independent Senator Paul Richards replied: “Politics has also been spoilt by bad people too.” So why don’t our politicians try to make this a “blessed land,” better than last year? The struggling country needs it.

The repeated cries of the Moruga MP for her community’s welfare and safety should not be ignored. Is it because she is UNC? If so, this exposes how undemocratic our political system really is, Trinidad style. If so, it is using political power to create social injustice. And the continued silence is deafening in this and other citizen-state relationships. That is whichever party controls central government funds and project support creates challenges in practice for some elected MPs and regional corporations.

The Moruga MP got 10,534 votes (vs PNM 9,462) and is the fairly and freely elected representative for Moruga/Tableland, and like other elected MPs, is entitled to get the required resources and support to serve.

If not, something is seriously wrong in this “blessed land.”

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