(Trinidad Guardian) Local Government Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan says he is worried about the indifference of T&T’s Hindu population when it comes to national events and the role they play in shaping the direction of the country. He was addressing the opening of Divali Nagar 2012 celebrations in Chaguanas on Sunday night. “I am worried about the chutney culture and the rum culture which has seeped into the psyche of our peoples, to a point where I feel that it will be irreversible in the future,” Rambachan said.
The MP for Tabaquite said he was also concerned about the state of parenting and the moral decline in society. Rambachan also called on the Hindu community to emulate the example of hard work set by the National Council of Indian Culture, which oversees the annual Divali Nagar.“There are too many Hindus in our country who are very good at complaining, criticising and pulling down but very rarely is there that humble soul who comes along and quietly but surely makes the vision a reality,” Rambachan said.
Dr Deokienanan Sharma, president of the NCIC, said Divali Nagar had been emulated at the global level where similar celebrations hade taken place in the region and North America. Sharma warned Divali Nagar visitors about dealing with stress, which he said “can bring out the devil” at times. “Every time we breathe life into the evil one by getting angry or jealous, by giving the other a piece of our mind, by refusing to lend a helping hand to someone in distress, by giving bad advice, by leading some innocent one down the wrong path we contribute to the darkness of mankind,” he said.
Sharma said one of the worst behaviours that had overtaken the nation was road rage, which had led to numerous accidents and deaths. Delivering the feature address on Sunday, Swami Prakashananda said every nation, in its infancy, must reflect on its resources and draw out its spirituality in the building of its cultural, social and political machinery. He said Hinduism, practised in its proper form, had lent to the spiritual development of T&T and promoted a world view that it was the only existing religion that was all-embracing and all-inclusive.
Opposition PNM officials came out in force to attend the opening of Divali Nagar on Sunday. Clad in traditional East Indian wear, the entourage was led by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley and included Paula Gopee-Scoon, Penelope Beckles, Faris Al-Rawi, Franklin Khan and Terrence Deyalsingh. In a brief interview Rowley told the T&T Guardian: “I have been here before. It’s a nice programme.” Rowley, however, was not listed on the programme to address the gathering.
