Yet another voice representing the Hindu community in T&T is speaking out against Satnarayan Maharaj’s call for Hindus to “free their vote” and support his ban on Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar from the Lashkmi Girls' Hindu Collage compound in St Augustine.
Businessman Surujdeo Mangaroo, who told the T&T Guardian his statement was not linked to or on behalf of the National Council of Indian Culture to which he is an affiliate, took to his Facebook page yesterday to give his perspective on the content of Maharaj’s interview on Friday on TV Jaagriti and to affirm his concurrence with the boycotting of this year’s Maha Sabha Indian Arrival Day celebrations.
In the “Sat holds no Hindu hostages,” headline release, Mangaroo said the Maha Sabha over the years have fooled themselves to believe that their stranglehold on the Hindu schools and mandirs equate with some command of the Hindus who patronise these establishments.
Mangaroo slammed Maharaj for what he describes as abhorrent and vile statements made by the Hindu leader on Friday. He said Maharaj is unbecoming of the largest Hindu organisation of T&T and labelled his vocal attack on Persad-Bissessar as the “last straw,” of Maharaj’s opinionated and contentious spews. Mangaroo underscored what made the attack even worse was the fact that it came in response to Persad-Bissessar’s defending of the constitutional rights of a Muslim female on-the-job trainee.
“The issue is not of religious rights but of simple human rights and dignity. Maha Sabha media last Friday humiliated the large cross section of the Hindu community. It is prehistoric positions as this one on the hijab that has resulted in the pulling away to form a multitude of rival organisations and mass conversions over the years,” Mangaroo said.
Mangaroo said Maharaj misrepresented that the Hindu community was now free to support whoever they wanted. He asked Maharaj to explain just when the Hindu community was imprisoned by any one Hindu organisation.