Dear Editor,
I refer to an article that appeared in the Kaieteur News on the 28th day of April, 2011 and in the Stabroek News on the 2nd May, 2011, regarding a protest by the residents of Cane Grove affected by dust pollution which emanates from a rice mill located in close proximity to their homes. The Alliance For Change, like a political hawk in search of a prey, has seized upon the people’s genuine plight and turned it into an opportunity to attack and criticize the PPP/C Administration and several persons affiliated to the Administration. Yours truly was one of the recipients of critical comment.
The article in the Stabroek News states “…The residents said that they had filed proceedings in the High Court against the rice mill owner through attorney and PPP parliamentarian Anil Nandlall. However they said that repeated attempts to solicit from him the headway made in the case have been futile. They have said that they sought to retrieve the file from him in order to seek other legal guidance. However, according to them, Nandlall has not returned the file…”
Strangely, those identical statements appeared in the Kaieteur News article, however, in that article, those statements were attributed to AFC’s Presidential Candidate, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan.
For the record, over the last five (5) years, none of those residents on whose behalf I acted, had any communications with me in connection with their case nor did they request their file from me or from my office. Prior to the publication of these articles, Mr. Ramjattan never once spoke with me of or concerning this matter. Therefore, the aforesaid statements published in both newspapers are wholly inaccurate.
For the avoidance of doubt, I fully appreciate the gravity of the pollution problem which confronts those residents, the sufferings to which they are subject and the health hazards to which they are exposed. Eight years ago, after seeing their plight on television, out of a genuine desire to assist, I contacted them and launched legal proceedings on their behalf against the rice miller. At that time, I was neither a Central Committee Member of the PPP/C or a Member of Parliament but simply, a person sympathetic to and incensed by the sufferings of those people. Ironically, Mr. Ramjattan, who is now leading them in protest against the PPP/C Administration, was at the time, both a Central Committee Member of the Party and one of its Members of Parliament. Yet he did nothing for them then. Now, in political opposition and in what I perceive to be an exhibition of political opportunism, he has suddenly become their chief protagonist.
In the circumstances, I feel compelled to caution that we must never encourage an environment which makes it conducive for our politicians to use the genuine grievances of our people as a stadium to play political football.
The legal proceedings which were filed were consensually taken to Mediation. At Mediation, upon the recommendation and approval of the Environmental Protection Agency, the rice miller imported from Brazil and installed certain protective mechanisms over and around the rice mill to capture the dust emissions. At the time, the residents reported to the Mediation that they enjoyed substantial reprieve. I did not hear from them thereafter. Unfortunately, the problems have obviously recurred. My concerns for the welfare of those people have not diminished; these people have suffered for too long. I take this opportunity to call upon the relevant authorities to immediately address this environmental disaster.
Yours faithfully,
Mohabir Anil Nandlall,
MP
Attorney-at-Law
