The decision by the People's Partnership to return Carnival to the Queen's Park Savannah was favourably greeted. Now, however, the effect of that good news is rapidly being undone by a demonstration of insensitive attitude and ham-fisted policy toward the critical Carnival element that the steelband represents.
Sourness is set to intensify as the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration seems set to cynically walk away from its campaign pledge of a $2 million first prize for Panorama and other Carnival competition winners. If the administration wanted to pick a fight and squander goodwill, it could hardly have picked a worse adversary than pan players and pan supporters, a worse cause than Panorama, and a worse time than the present.
While Panorama is admittedly not any be-all and end-all, singing a song that it is "killing" steelband, then driving the argument home by short-paying pan players to the tune of $200, betrays only a measly penny-pinching wisdom and heavyweight pound-foolishness. Moreover, the appallingly ill-considered lyrics from Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston "Gypsy" Peters only confirm his disappointing unsuitability for the role into which he has been thrust. The Minister has been conducting himself as though he is in an extempo war, rather than in a managerial portfolio requiring tact and thoughtfulness.
Replies
It's about time the Express take a position. Better late than never, I guess.
bugs
This is an intelligent piece of commentary by the Express on this impasse.