Newsday
THE EDITOR: Top Minister Rowley lately announced that he is changing TT’s coat of hands. “You observe them three Columbus ships in the logo? They might maybe roam,” he boldly pronounced at a assembly of the political birthday celebration he leads. His themes roared in approval.
Having made this reckless proclamation, Dr Rowley must now name and quantify the industrial and social impact of his decree.
Monetary costs will comprise redesigning and reprinting beginning certificates for more than 1.4 million other folks. Death certificates will have to be redesigned. Contemporary driver’s licences, identification playing cards and passports must be issued.
Are the connected authorities offices willing for the additional workload? Because it’s, it takes hours, customarily days, even months to compose obvious authorities-issued paperwork.
Up to now every other folks grasp now no longer yet got their notices of property tax due. Ironically, property tax notices had been despatched out on letterheads and envelopes on which the coat of hands became as soon as imprinted. Contemporary rubber stamps are an extra heed.
Contemporary indicators on authorities structures will most likely be torn down and changed. These structures comprise ministries, colleges, offices of People of Parliament, and embassies and high commissions. Podiums and banners will most likely be changed.
Contemporary currency notes and cash will most likely be instituted. The nation vividly remembers the torture to which we had been subjected when the Rowley-led authorities made up our minds to change over our $100 funds. Of us – younger and outdated, healthy and infirm – stood in lines for hours to relinquish their outdated notes for the promise of the novel. What became as soon as the unbiased correct thing about that punitive, tortuous exercise? In an analogous scheme, what’s the unbiased correct thing about changing this nationwide logo?
Rowley is environment a terrifyingly harmful precedent on the side of his dictatorial decision. At his political birthday celebration’s assembly he educated his faithful that he wished to claim “one thing that is now no longer so extensive in law…” Can you imagine a first-rate minister desirous to “mention” one thing as critical as changing our nationwide logo with out first consulting the citizens of the nation?
Moreover, if a matter is now no longer “extensive in law,” does that give him the supreme faithful to impose his will on the other folks? If that is so, what subsequent? What happens if he gets up one morning and considers the phrases of the nationwide anthem or the nationwide pledge to be monotonous? By George, let’s change those!
Rowley can grasp to scrupulously level to that as he alters one coat for any other, in the period in-between he’ll be like the proverbial emperor – completely exposed.
JASODRA RAMPERSAD
Couva
