Leadership in a Plural Society Part 1 – Caribbean Societies
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Recently in Trinidad and Tobago, a certain political party came under fire for racially insensitive messages displayed on placards at an organized rally against the present East Indian Prime Minister helmed government. The leader of the Opposition party divested himself and his followers of blame for the incident and announced that the racist protesters were in no way affiliated with his party nor were they representative of his followers mindset. This incident had set off a national firestorm. Racism? In this day and age? Well, yes. In every day and age there has always been and unfortunately most likely always will be racism. It’s a nasty byproduct of a multi-ethnic society, or plural society, such as the one T&T occasionally touts as an example of its uniqueness amongst its Caribbean neighbours. Not without merit, the makeup of the twin island nation is impressively diverse for such a small population. Nearly every religious group in the society has at least one public holiday to commemorate its festivals and observances. Every student in the country learns about the history of one’s peoples and how the many different shades of skin tones came to co-exist in relative peace.
This
incident in T&T showed how different races in a society can facilitate
discord and unrest. In Jamaica, there was an incident which showed how
different ideologies within a society can also lead to civil dissonance. A
tenured professor at the University of the West Indies in Mona was terminated
from his position after making controversial remarks about homosexuality while
giving expert testimony during a trial in Belize. While the professor did
explain that his comments about the unhealthiness of a homosexual lifestyle
reflected his views and not those of the University, equality groups put
pressure on the institution to penalize him which then led to protests against
the University for infringing upon its employee’s right to free speech.
Contentious issues such as Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) rights,
abortion and the death penalty tend to be discussed only in public forums when
an issue arises. It is then the onus of the leaders of the society to make
statements or enact regulations that ideally should appeal to all factions.
However, this is hardly ever the case since one might argue that it is
impossible to please everyone, especially when the differing opinions are so
varied and contradictory.
Before
we talk about pandering to the majority, let’s consider the title “leader”. Who
are the leaders in Caribbean societies? The government comprises the Prime
Minister and his/her cabinet, Senators, Members of Parliament, and the
President, where applicable. All are most certainly leaders with respect to
their positions of power. Then there are persons who wield considerable
influence over certain sections of the public through being heads of particular
organisations. In Trinidad and Tobago, Sat Maharaj, the Secretary General of
the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, is a leader to the many Hindus who fall under
the purview of his organisation. His opinions on occurrences in society are
often sought and broadcast on local media which depict him as a voice of
counsel for the entire local community, not just Hindus, whether or not every
member of the population necessarily considers him as such. By giving credence
to his views, it elevates him as a leader of sorts. Other religious figures are
also treated as authorities on matters, thus bestowing them with the honourific
as leaders in society.
Then
there are community members who take up the mantle of leaders in their
respective areas, and police officers who carry out duties that may earn them
this title. Hosts of certain television programs on local channels have
followers who believe whatever they say and who seek them out as problem
solvers. Talk show hosts, radio announcers, celebrities who advocate causes,
and even revered journalists, anyone with the ability and capacity to affect
public opinion may be classified as a leader. However, for the purposes of this
series, only leaders who can implement change on a national level will be in
focus since they are in charge of everyone and not just the specific sectors
that follow them. This naturally means that only the politicians and their
agendas and policies will be discussed.
There
is no doubt, whether or not you personally subscribe to any political party,
that governing a society made up of a myriad of disparate groups is a difficult
job. Any government that is truly committed to fairness and equity will find
this task arduous. The public can be unforgiving towards any perceived bias by
its leaders. So how do these politicians succeed in maintaining peace amongst
these groups, if they succeed at all? Going back to the dynamic religious
population of T&T, I mentioned that nearly all religious groups have their
own holiday. Not only that, each holiday is celebrated by the national community
and the leaders who wear the appropriate ceremonial garb in parliament and
extend their best wishes in the spirit of the particular observance. This
practice is so normal that it is taken for granted as a way of appeasing their
potential voters. Denominational boards are also allowed to administrate
schools in the country and receive partial funding from the government.
T&T, for the most part, is a religiously tolerant nation. It is not
uncommon to see a church, a mosque and a Hindu temple in the same vicinity
without any disagreement or furor.
In
the next article, more examples of leadership in plural Caribbean societies
will be given along with an outline of the existing literature and academia on
the matter. Also, the more negative aspects and outcomes will be delved into
further.
PART 2
PART 2
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