Recently I wrote a post on the way Trinidad and Tobago is run as a Christian state, much to the exclusion of other faiths that actually number more than the Christian citizenship.
Of course, proof of this abound in little ways, but today I saw that a police duncey was actually promoted because he did courses in Christian theology. WTF?
Among a bundle of documents before Justice Prakash Moosai who heard the lawsuit in the San Fernando High Court was a letter dated March 26, 2007, from Commissioner Paul addressed to the Director of Personnel Administration.
This letter states, "I refer to the subject and your memorandum dated March 20, 2007 and advise that PC Baptiste was not assessed on his certificate in High Performance Business Writing from RBTT Roytec, but rather on his certificate in Theology from the West Indies School of Theology."
What I got from this story was that the duncey wasn't initially promoted, but got Anand Ramlogan to file a case for judicial review why he wasn't promoted. Subsequently, the PSC did promote him retroactively on basis of his theological studies and Paul's recommendation, rather than challenge the duncey in court over possible non-qualifications.
To me, this is a clear case where that promotion should be rescinded, based upon religious and racial discrimination against other similarly or more qualified people from other religious backgrounds.
Then again, the law will convolute itself until its head is up its own arse.
Actually, I am also disappointed in Anand Ramlogan in taking this case, because on the face of it, he is fighting for discriminatory practice.
This reminded me of a situation I encountered a few years ago. I was working as an IT supervisor in a large department when a new recruit, a Somali Muslim chap, stole my personal laptop.
I had to threaten to report him to the police before I could get the laptop back, and in the middle of the ensuing disciplinary procedure, the chap sent me a letter from a solicitor threatening to sue for racial and other discrimination.
However, in his solicitor's letter he claimed (and I am not lying) that because he stole the laptop, he felt he was being watched more closely than other employees (yes, the bright lawyer actually wrote that in the letter) and he felt uncomfortable working there. Well, duh!
If you prove yourself a thief, what do you expect your employers to do? Not watch you more closely? He was damn lucky I didn't fire his arse outright.
