Former national security minister Jack Warner may have to blame “karma” for the troubles he is currently experiencing, including his resignation as Minister of National Security. This was the view expressed by members of the Highway Re-route Movement (HRM) yesterday, moments before they entered the Hall of Justice to resume a court matter filed against the State regarding the Debe to Mon Desir section of the San-Fernando to Point Fortin highway.
The matter, which was filed in August of last year, is being heard in the High Court by Justice James Aboud. “It is karma. What you do as the clock strikes twelve it will come around again. “What goes around comes around,” said Tera Sharma, a San Francique resident and member of the HRM. She said Warner had no regard for the movement, recalling the destruction of its camp in Debe last June, shortly after Warner had been appointed National Security Minister.
An order had been given to soldiers and police officers to demolish the Highway Re-route Movement’s protest camp in Debe. Warner also made negative statements against HRM leader Wayne Kublalsingh during his hunger strike last year in protest of the plans to build a section of the highway through the communtiy of Mon Desir. Then Warner had called Kublalsingh a “con man” and said he was “killing himself” and that he should do so quickly.
Another member of the HRM Hanif Abrahim said members of the HRM were being ignored. “We see the Prime Minister go from community to community to kiss children…The Highway Re-route Movement has children too and they are suffering,” he said. Abrahim said the movement would continue to pray and seek justice.
Kublalsingh said yesterday that the movement would be asking the court to agree that the section of the highway from Debe to Mon Desir was too destructive as it would negatively affect 13 communities, agricultural lands, and destroy the future potential of the Oropouche Lagoon. Kublalsingh said there were about 600 members of the movement and they were all for the highway. “The only obstacle to the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway is the State,” he said.
“They have not been building the highway, instead they have been choosing to go the Mon Desir route. “We have proposed and the Armstrong committee proposed an alternative solution which we hope the Government would take into account.” He said he was confident the issues would be addressed by the judge. Warner said yesterday he had nothing to say on the issue.