Sat Maharaj, Springer and Burke
make Strange Bedfellows
September 04, 2000
By John Williams
When Sat Maharaj says that he will withdraw from the IRO if the Orishas and others are not included and targets other religions as being discriminatory, it seems that in this election year, citizens should be ready to deal with not only less than honest politicians but their vocal supporters who would choose the most divisive of seasons to aggravate already bad situations and ignite suspect issues with highly partisan and illogical statements. Why the ultimatum is not being directed to the holder of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Government is beyond my comprehension [well not really], in the light of the fact that the IRO's main area of operations is often with activities connected with the government and the fact that Sat Maharaj, Pearl Springer and Barbara Burke all have the ears of the present Prime Minister who speaks incessantly about national unity and equal opportunity.
The precedent has been set by the very same Prime Minister who said in dealing with the Calypsonians said that he will not use state resources or be tolerant of any group who promotes divisiveness in the nation. One would think then that Mr Maharaj's tirade would have been aimed at the government under whose behest the IRO mainly operates, but when one remembers the similar vociferous campaigns to have the Trinity Cross Award changed prior to the 1995 Elections, which has now become subdued, not much is expected in that direction.
An entirely different way Sat and the Orishas can look at the issue is that the IRO is a private organization with it's own constitution, and anyone seeking to join may have to conform and abide by the IRO's rules and regulations, and where then would that leave them. The option of breaking away and forming a new IRO would also formalize the very same differences and maintenance of exclusion that they would like us to believe they are genuinely protesting against..
Would they also be willing to go against their own principles to join a private organizations whose principles they are now condemning and maybe contradictory to their own position on many issues. If also the IRO is to be credible they must deal with the issue in an open manner so that we can judge the issue much better now that it is out in the open, and if one looks carefully you can see parallels with this to the nightclubs issue, where people want to go to private places, where they are not enthusiastically accepted. Deal with this issue Sat in the same manner you are dealing with the issue of the changing of the Trinity Cross Award, and you should be reminded that some people are saying that you are using this issue to make amends for statements made in the past.
