Forty members of the Highway Re-route Movement (HRM), mostly young people, have begun a 40-day “relay fast” outside the Office of the Prime Minister in support of the HRM’s leader Dr Wayne Kublalsingh. They will each fast for a day in turn. The initiative, called the “Project 40 movement,” was kicked off by HRM member Staroi Hassanali from Santa Cruz.
Hassanali, who said he recently joined the HRM, said he felt compelled to do so as he wanted more accountability and transparency from the Government. A psychotherapy graduate who recently returned to T&T, Hassanali said he would be fasting for 24 hours until 9 am today. “It was important to be involved because I recognise that Dr Kublalsingh’s cause impact us all in so many ways. It’s about taking a more active stance,” Hassanali said.
Another supporter, Gerry Williams, said the primary aims of the Project 40 movement was to show solidarity with the broader issues the HRM was highlighting. “We are also concerned for the health of Dr Kublalsingh and want to show we are willing to take up the baton. Ultimately we want to do what we can to achieve the objective of mediation on the highway re-route issue,” Williams added.
The group said it was important to continue the initiative, as although Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar visited him on the weekend while he was hospitalised, she gave no commitment to agree to mediation on the matter.
In fact, in an interview with the media outside the St Clair Medical on Sunday night, the PM said she remained firm in her position on the matter. Fr Clyde Harvey, who visited the group yesterday, said it was important to think about the things which may be sustaining Kublalsingh. “The things which he believes to be prayers, faith and a connection to the ‘source,’ which is how Wayne frequently refers to God and to remember that sustenance could die tomorrow and that Wayne could die,” Harvey said. He said the HRM must think about how it would continue if Kublalsingh died and urged those wanting to support him by fasting should also inherit Kublalsingh’s spiritual values.