DR DEVANT MAHARAJ
THE PHILOSOPHICAL paradox of the Ship of Theseus asks whether an object that has had all its parts replaced remains fundamentally the same. This quandary captures the transformation of the United National Congress (UNC) under Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s leadership.
Once a vibrant, cohesive, and disciplined political force under Basdeo Panday, the UNC has been systematically stripped of its ideological foundation, strategic vision, and political gravitas. What remains today is but a hollow shell, unmoored from its founding ethos and unrecognisable to those who remember its former strength and purpose.
Under Panday, the UNC was not merely a political party; it was a movement that transcended ethnic and geographic barriers while maintaining its cultural identity.
Panday’s leadership was marked by a blend of strategic acumen and visionary thinking. He understood that to win elections and govern effectively, the party had to reach beyond its traditional Indo-Trinidadian base while still championing the interests of its core supporters.
Panday’s UNC made inroads into the east-west corridor, a bastion of the People’s National Movement (PNM). He held large, well-organised public meetings in marginal constituencies, addressing the concerns of Afro-Trinidadians without alienating the party’s Indo-Trinidadian supporters.
Panday’s outreach extended even to Tobago, traditionally a PNM stronghold, where he engaged the electorate with respect and a genuine commitment to inclusion. These efforts showcased his understanding of the importance of uniting diverse constituencies under a shared vision of national development.
Critically, Panday’s leadership also emphasised the art of alliance-building. The 1995 coalition with the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) was a masterstroke that brought together disparate political entities to secure a shared goal.
This historic partnership not only delivered the UNC’s first term in government, but also demonstrated Panday’s ability to forge meaningful alliances across the political and ethnic divide. His coalition politics was not based on opportunism, but on the strategic pragmatism necessary for enduring political success.
Panday’s UNC was a forum for intellectual debate and dissent. While he maintained firm control over the party’s direction, he encouraged open discussions that enriched its strategic outlook.
Figures like Ganga Singh, Vasant Bharath, Jack Warner, Ramesh L Maharaj, etc were integral to the party’s intellectual and operational framework, contributing to a political entity that combined grassroots activism with sophisticated policy-making.
In stark contrast, Persad-Bissessar’s leadership has dismantled the foundational pillars of the UNC. Like the Ship of Theseus, where each plank replaced raises questions about the object’s essence, every decision under her tenure has further eroded the party’s identity. Her intellectuals are Ravi Ratiram, Vandana Mohit, and other low-grade politicians.
Persad-Bissessar’s UNC has all but abando
