I couldn't help but notice a certain disparity this morning in the prizes given out for the Soca Monarch competition which is largely subsidised by the government (and whose competitors are of one race) , and the Chutney Soca competition (the competitors are of another race) which is largely sponsored by private sponsors.
The first prize for the 2009 International Soca Monarch now stands at $1 million.
The first prize for the Chutney Soca Monarch is a Lancer motorcar, the value of which is nowhere close to $1 million.
The Best Soca Chutney Music Band will compete for $250,000.
This reminded me of the Mastana Bahar program which Sham Mohammed and his co-workers ran for years and through hard work was able to drum up lucrative prizes, while the government highly subsidised Holly Betaudier's Scouting for Talent and the Best Village competition.
Again, it shows that in Trinidad and Tobago, Indians must work hard to progress while the 'other' group can obtain PNM patrimony (Pa-trick's money) to keep up or move ahead.
And despite all the hard work Indians do, they are constantly watched as having more, never mind that they earned it themselves.
