Caption: Kamla Persad-Bissessar before the Divali function at her constituency office on Sunday. Photo: Facebook
By Prior Beharry
OPPOSITION LEADER Kamla Persad-Bissessar made an appeal on Sunday to the Diplomatic Corp to assist in eradicating violence and bullying in Trinidad and Tobago.
She made her comment while addressing Siparia Women’s Association’s 27th Annual Divali Celebration at her constituency office in Penal on Sunday evening.
Several members of the diplomats were present when Persad-Bissessar said, “Tonight, I want to make a special appeal to my friends in the Diplomatic Corps.
“I know that you have undertaken several special outreach programmes in Trinidad and Tobago, and like Mata Lakshmi, you do not ever discriminate.
“On behalf of our citizens, I say thank you to every one of you for the great work you do towards making Trinidad and Tobago a better society.
“I now ask you to please lend us your powerful voices, resources, and expertise where possible towards eradicating the scourge of violence and bullying, especially against our women and children.
“I know with your invaluable assistance, we can move faster toward this noble goal, and I look forward to working with you wherever necessary to this end.”
She said she held this year’s celebration under the theme of Honouring the Divine Mother, the Divine Female, as embodied by Mata Lakshmi as “the concept of the divine mother is as old as humanity itself. It transcends culture, religion, and time.
“In a world striving for balance and harmony, it’s essential to recognise and honour the mother, the female, and the fruits of her womb—our children, our future.
“Because, as you all may know, in the last two months, we have witnessed an alarming increase in domestic violence and bullying in our country, which has sadly cost us the lives of many women and children.”
Persad-Bissessar added, “This is now a national crisis and we must all make a collective effort to curb this truly dangerous trend, for it is only by protecting and safeguarding our women that our country can truly progress.”
She said, “In this season where light and goodness triumph over evil, I urge everyone to recommit to honouring our women and children in our society and treating them with respect and compassion, regardless of their social standing.
“One of my favourite stories of Mata Lakshmi personifies an attitude of generosity, compassion, and empathy to those who are most in need of our help.
“As the story goes, Mata Lakshmi and her husband Lord Vishnu were the manifest deities at a temple for the wealthy.”
Diplomatsin attendance included Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary – Embassy of the Republic of Turkey Bengü Yiğitgüden, High Commissioner of India Dr Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union Peter Cavendish.
