THE EDITOR: In the 2013 Chaguanas West by-election, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, then prime minister, sent out a clear racist comment to her party members and supporters against the People's National Movement (PNM) candidate Avenash Singh when she said, '…PNM had chosen one of your own to fight against you.'

It was not a dog whistle, it was an emphatic and outright attempt to sow the seeds of division in TT along ethnic lines.

So, it is nothing new to hear the outrageous racist comments from a self-confessed victim of violence and abused female politician, Khadijah Ameen, who described PNM's deputy political leader Rohan Sinanan as 'Rawan Sinanan' (traitor).

This blatant racist outburst from the United National Congress (UNC) political leader and her minions in this election campaign is nothing new and I dreadfully predict it will intensify as the campaign progresses.

We must not forget how Persad-Bissessar was outraged when Camille Robinson-Regis called her middle name 'Sushilla.' She went on to describe Robinson-Regis as having the name of a slave master.

Robinson-Regis came under severe attack from some so-called independent political commentators and editorial writers along with high-profile Afro-Trinidadian women.

Today, however, there is a deafening silence from these same people as Ameen and Kamla go on a rampage making the most derogatory and racist comments in this campaign.

In fact, the UNC's playbook on racism stems from its foundation Democratic Labour Party (DLP) under then political leader Dr Rudranath Capildeo, who called on his supporters in the 1961 general election to arm themselves to mash-up the voting machines.

His comments came at one of the largest political meetings in the country at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

Ten supporters of the PNM were arrested for heckling Capildeo under a PNM government. They were charged with disorderly behaviour but were not convicted. They were represented by Winfred Alexander.

Despite the attempts by opposition parties whose base comes from the Indo-Trinidad/Tobago community, the records would reveal that the PNM never rioted or called on members and supporters to react violently when several obvious political appointments were made to independent institutions when UNC held office.

Dr Winston Dookeran served as governor of the Central Bank, Bhoe Tewarie was principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Herbert Volney won a seat on a UNC ticket after controversially demitting office as a judge in the High Court, Noor Mohammed was commissioner of police when questions were raised about his authentic birth paper. These are just a few of the appointees among several others.

So, when they declare that 'everybody wins if UNC wins the general election,' it is a clear signal that only UNC members and supporters benefit. That is the reality.

It is therefore imperative that we recall the famous words from the founding father of the PNM, the late Dr Eric Williams, in his last convention speech before his death on March 29, 1981.