Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie has fired Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) board member Jaishima Leladharsingh with immediate effect, after being alerted to an alleged conversation he had on Facebook which was laced with a series of explicit racial slurs and obscene language.
The messages on a page purported to be his quoted Leladharsingh as using “n...r” several times during exchanges with a person by the name of Anthony S Mcleod. The date on the Facebook posts was April 12, 2014 but it was recently reposted on the social website, including on the page of attorney and senator Clarence Rambharat, which led to it being raised with Tewarie.
Leladharsingh’s conversation with Mcleod was so offensive that it even prompted former prime minister and United National Congress leader Basdeo Panday to act as peacemaker.
“My Dear Jaishima, please do not do anything to exacerbate the racial problem which has been the bane of this society for centuries. Speak your mind without being offensive. Please?” Panday wrote, calling then for Leladharsingh to desist from propagating racial division.
In a statement yesterday, Tewarie said he called on Leladharsingh to resign at once as he described the comments as “objectionable and reprehensible.”
“Over what can only be described as objectionable and reprehensible statements made on a social media platform, the minister takes the position that such behaviour is unacceptable in a civilised and multi-ethnic society such as ours.”
Tewarie, who defended his decision to fire Leladharsingh, added that “divisive statements such as these” would not be tolerated under any circumstances “regardless of situation.”
He said T&T was a model of plurality and racial harmony which the entire world could witness and emulate.
Calling on all citizens to reject divisiveness, Tewarie also urged people to reject at every turn “any attempt to divide us, especially through race and religion.”
Contacted for comment yesterday, CDA chairman Danny Solomon said Tewarie had already spoken on the issue and therefore he could say nothing more.
“The minister already dealt with the matter and he is above me so I really cannot comment on it,” he added.
In a statement yesterday, however, Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner noted that Leladharsingh also held a senior manager position at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), which is under the portfolio of Minister of Food Production Devant Maharaj, and called for him to be removed as well.
But in a text message response Maharaj said Leladharsingh did not work for the ADB, adding: “Like most things Mr Warner says is not to be trusted.”
An official at the ADB said Leladharsingh had resigned from the organisation “a while ago.”
A Linkedin profile said Leladharsingh currently lectures in marketing, business management, human resource management and fundamentals of business organisations. It added that he was also a lecturer at the UWI School of Business and Applied Studies.
Proper thing to do—Bhoe
In a brief telephone interview yesterday, Tewarie said he interviewed Leladharsingh and stemming from that he believed he made the right decision in asking him to demit office.
Asked why no action was taken against Leladharsingh sooner, as the posts were close to a year old, Tewarie said he was unaware of the statements and the matter was only brought to his attention recently.
In a separate interview with members of the media outside the Parliamentary Chamber yesterday, Tewarie said: “Even though it was a long time ago and not associated with the CDA, I felt that it was not appropriate for someone to continue as a board member of the CDA.”
Expressing his love for T&T, Tewarie, who said Leladharsingh admitted to his discretion, said he also felt a sense of pride over the fact that this was a country in which people could have differences but still lived in harmony.
“I resent anything that would interfere with that prospect. I also think that there were attempts by various sections of the media, not necessarily the mainstream media, to capitalise on racialisation of the debate and I didn’t want to contribute to that,” he added.