Some ten religious leaders will meet with leader of the Highway Re-Route Movement (HRM) Dr Wayne Kublalsingh today in a last ditch effort to convince him to end his hunger strike. The meeting is expected to take place outside the gates of the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair. The leaders, including the executive of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), who were locked in hours of discussion with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at her office yesterday, hoped Kublalsingh’s life could be saved through their intervention. Kublalsingh completed Day 23 of his hunger strike yesterday in protest against the State’s decision to continue the construction of the Debe to Mon Desir leg of the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension to Point Fortin.
Addressing the media after discussions with the IRO yesterday, Persad-Bissessar made it clear the meeting was not to deal with the highway or policy decisions. “It is to deal with what I am very concerned about, which is the sanctity of human life, and therefore I asked the religious leaders if they could in any way assist to help save the life of Dr Kublalsingh, who seems intent on self-imposed depravation,” Persad-Bissessar said. She said matters relating to the highway were being dealt with by the line minister and president of the National Infrastructure Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Nidco) Dr Carson Charles. “They are the ones who have the oversight of that entire project. Some time was spent explaining to our religious leaders the status of that project and some of the views that have been exchanged over time. “But I want to emphasise again that my concern here was to see what can be done from our religious heads with respect to trying to assist Dr Kublalsingh to save his own life, together with whatever spiritual guidance,” Persad-Bissessar said.
IRO head Brother Harrypersad Maharaj, who also spoke, said today’s meeting would focus on an alternative to the strike. “We will meet with Dr Kublalsingh with the hope to speak to him and we could share with him about the importance of alternatives to what he is doing. We are also prepared to continue to pray with him. “We are all very concerned and we share the concern of the Prime Minister,” Harrypersad said. But Secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) Sat Maharaj said no individual or no organisation should hold the country to ransom. On concerns from members of the public that the Government was allowing Kublalsingh to die and the possible fallout of that, Maharaj said: “What could be the possible fallout of that? Should the Government and the people allow themselves to be blackmailed by one group, one individual or anybody else? It cuts both ways.”
He described Kublalsingh’s cause as a magnet for the Opposition and even for the media. “We have three daily newspapers, 39 radio stations, you have weeklies and you fellas just go around inventing stories to find the stories and Kublalsingh was just the cheap copy. “It didn’t cost you anything to get it. He provided the copy...look at it that way,” Maharaj added. The T&T Guardian understands the People’s National Movement leader Dr Keith Rowley also met with Persad-Bissessar on Wednesday to discuss ways to bring a resolution to the impasse. Rowley will hold a press conference today to deal with the matter. IRO members initially tried to visit Kublalsingh at the Maraval home of his sister after their meeting with the PM but when they got there they were told he was not there. His family said he was too weak to see the heads, however, and asked that they meet him outside the OPM today.
Talks Welcomed
Contacted yesterday, Kublalsingh said he welcomed the meeting and was eager to hear what the religious leaders had to say. “I do not know what they are gong to say but I will be open to hear what they have to say. “But the Prime Minister must remember it was she and not the religious leaders who made a promise with us and that promise is reiterated in the Armstrong Report,” he added.
