Several Amerindian leaders including an executive of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) have accused the government of essentially hijacking the annual toshaos conference with many concerns left unraised because of the practice of shutting down vocal leaders.
“We did not plan the agenda,” executive member of the NTC Clyde Henry said on Sunday even as he said that the matter was raised at the executive level but recommendations including that one or more of the leaders chair the sessions, did not occur. Instead, the conference held from Wednesday to Saturday was chaired by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs Nigel Dharamlall and Yvonne Pearson who is the advisor to Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai.
Several toshaos who met with Stabroek News on Sunday spoke out on the practice of shutting down vocal leaders who wanted to raise concerns and said that as this practice has become the norm over the years, many of the toshaos are cowed. The conference, one said, “is influenced by the political will of the ministry” and described it as a “political campaign” where the opposition