By Sir Ronald Sanders

Clem Seecharan’s new book, From Ranji to Rohan, sports a cover photograph of what one cricket commentator describes as Rohan Kanhai’s ‘triumphant fall’ – a sweep shot to the leg side that culminated in Kanhai on his back but the ball either racing to the boundary for four or soaring past it for six.
It was not a shot emulated by many. It originated in Kanhai’s approach to the game of cricket which was to overcome the bowlers and win. Kanhai came from very humble beginnings - Port Mourant Sugar Estate in Berbice, Guyana. That origin had a lot to do with his game as Seecharan explores in this book. “I play my cricket in two ways – first as a means of enjoyment (both for me and the spectator, I hope) and second to win”, Kanhai declares. He shared this attitude with another West Indian batsman, who was to come after him, Antiguan Sir Vivian Richards.

What would lovers of West Indian cricket not do to see their like in the West Indian team of today – players who value the game for the game itself, and who excel at it not only for their own glory, but also because they understand that they carry the pride of the West Indian people in every stroke they play.
From Ranji to Rohan is a superbly written book. Seecharan’s use of the English Language is as graceful as it is descriptive and his research is meticulous in the proven manner of his previous publications. He calls on the work of a host of experts in almost every cricketing nation, among them John Arlott, CLR James, and Sir Hilary Beckles.

It is a book about cricket, and yet it is more than that. It is also a book about how Indians in Guyana established their West Indian citizenship by staking a claim for places first in their national teams and then in the West Indian team.
Staking the claim was not easy. In the case of Guyana, the struggle was tied up in class differences, racial bigotry and even politics. Like Kanhai, Cheddi Jagan, Guyana’s firebrand politician from the 40s to the 60s, also came from Port Mourant, and the sugar estates of Guyana were his hotbed of resistance to colonial exploitation epitomised by the British, firm, Booker, that owned the majority of the estates and a good chunk of the Guyana economy.
Among the Indian players from Port Mourant who came to represent the West Indies in Cricket Test matches were Kanhai, Joe Solomon and Ivan Madray. Basil Butcher also came from Port Mourant and played for Guyana and the West Indies at the same time as the others. He was not an Indian but he too faced the obstacle of breaking into a Guyana national team when the Cricket authorities resided in Demerara and belonged to its well-established clubs.
And then along came a man who would transform all that: the Barbadian and West Indian batsman, Clyde Walcott.

It is paradoxical, given the difficulties that currently surround Guyanese Indian immigrant labour in Barbados that it was a Barbadian that helped to unearth the cricket talent of Indians on the Booker sugar estates and secure their places in the national and West Indian teams.
Walcott arrived in British Guiana (Guyana became independent from Britain in 1966) in 1954 recruited, as Seecharan explains, “by the Sugar Producers Association following the recommendation of Jock Campbell (the progressive Chairman of Booker)”. The political context of his arrival was continual strikes on the sugar estates and a report by a Colonial Office-appointed Commission which recommended that cricket clubs be set-up on each estate. Cricket – “a status symbol distinguishing the white managerial elite from the Indian workers created a new area in which social prestige could be won”.
As Seecharan describes it: Walcott’s “was a towering presence that infused cricket in British Guiana with a sense of purpose and resolve that had eluded it for most of its existence. Imbued with the moral compass of the black Barbadian middle class, a product of the elite school, Harrison College, he was the ideal man for the volatile Guyanese political environment of the 1950s, rendered even more hazardous by the intractable race issue”. In three years, he had four Guyanese in the West Indian test match team – three of them from Port Mourant.

It is an everlasting tribute to Clyde Walcott as a great human being as much as to his capacity for recognising cricket talent that Seecharan records Ivan Madray, one of the Indians that Walcott guided from Port Mourant, as saying: “I could have walked to the end of the earth for Clyde Walcott”.
Clem Seecharan is Professor of Caribbean History at London Metropolitan University. As a true academic he supports his assertions with empirical evidence. His Bibliography is extensive and his research material includes interviews with cricketers Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon and Ivan Madray. But Guyanese political leaders are there too: Cheddi Jagan and Eusi Kwayana.
For all that, as a product of a Berbice village himself and a young boy as Rohan Kanhai’s batting exploits were being hailed all over the cricketing world, Seecharan admits that “for Indo-Guyanese, including myself and boys growing up at the time of Kanhai’s ascent”, his taste for the game and the way he played it, “came out of our unconscious craving for a great West Indian batsman to transport us to the heart of creole sensibility – West Indian authenticity”.

This book starts with Ranjitsinghji, the Indian Prince who played for England and dazzled cricket spectators between 1896 and 1912. He was an inspiration to the Indian Diaspora in the West Indies and this is well chronicled by Seecharan. But, the book’s main theme explores the role of cricket in authenticating Indo-Guyanese as West Indians. He does a convincing job, and has written a book that will enthral all Cricket lovers of all races and nations.
Seecharan ends by pointing to the necessity for integrating Caribbean countries in the same way that West Indian cricket is integrated - as a representation of our oneness and a source of our pride. “Chanderpaul and Sarwan”, he says, “could now be an example pointing the way for the politicians toward genuine regional integration, based on our diversity, not some imagined creole procrustean mould”.
“From Ranji to Rohan” by Clem Seecharan is published by Hansib, London. Website: www.hansib-books.com
(The writer is a Consultant and former Caribbean diplomat)
Responses to: ronaldsanders29@hotmail.com

– other candidates mum
Several of the candidates nominated for Leader of the PNCR remain tight-lipped as to whether they intend to contest for the post at the party’s upcoming Biennial Congress, even as the party’s deadline for them to officially accept their nomination draws closer.

On Friday, General Secretary of the Party Oscar Clarke announced that six persons had been nominated for the position of Leader. These were Dr Aubrey Armstrong, Robert Corbin, Winston Murray, Aubrey Norton, Dr Richard Van West-Charles and Basil Williams. Clarke disclosed that Corbin had received the most nominations (162) followed by Dr Van West-Charles with (21). Clarke disclosed that both Armstrong and Murray had been nominated by (5) organs while Williams had received one nomination.
Clarke said that these persons have up to tomorrow to officially indicate their acceptance of these nominations.
The 16th Biennial Delegates Congress is scheduled to run from August 21 to 22.

Van West Charles, who has openly spoken about his interest in running for the party’s top post, told this newspaper that he had already indicated his acceptance of the nomination. When asked whether he had any concerns about the number of candidates that had been nominated, he said that he had no concerns since this was all part of the democratic system and described this as something that was “healthy”.  He said his main concern is about the electoral process since this needed to be one that was free and fair.

Corbin, the incumbent, when contacted, said he has not accepted the nomination as yet adding that he was not preoccupied with that at the moment. He told this newspaper that right now his energies are focused on dealing with the fight against the Jagdeo-led administration and its “excessiveness”.  He said that at the appropriate time, the announcement of the candidates competing for the party’s leadership will be made.

Murray, the former PNCR chairman who resigned from his post last year owing to the party’s public departure from a position he took on the EPA, is said to be considering running for party leader.  Stabroek News understands that Murray is yet to indicate his acceptance of the nomination but a source said that he is seriously considering doing so. Murray has declined similar nominations in the past but his reported concern over the direction in which the party is heading, may lead to him breaking from this tradition.

Meanwhile, Norton and Williams have both declined to comment on whether they will accept their nominations.  Norton said he was aware that he had been nominated for the position of leader but he had not responded.

Williams, on the other hand, said that he could not speak on the matter and directed this newspaper to the General Secretary of the party.  Williams, however, is seen as a strong candidate for position of the party’s chairman, where he received 98 nominations, the most received by any of the 16 nominees for that post.

The other candidate Armstrong, Stabroek News was informed, is expected in the country today. Armstrong, in previous interviews with this newspaper, had not ruled out the possibility of contesting for the party’s leadership.

 Jamaica Gleaner

File
Trident Castle, a Portland landmark now owned by billionaire investor Michael Lee Chin. Barbara Gayle, Gleaner Staff Reporter

The Court of Appeal has declared billionaire Michael Lee Chin the beneficial owner of Trident Castle, the impressive Portland landmark operated as a luxury villa that has hosted many of the world’s rich and famous.

The ruling clears the way for the completion of the transfer of the property Lee Chin is acquiring from its former owner, retired architect and businessman, Earl Levy.

Trident Castle, spread over 52 square feet of land four miles east of Port Antonio and built by Levy in the late 1970s, has been at the centre of a court battle since Ken Sales and Marketing Limited some years ago received a judgement for $28.5 million against Levy’s company, Trident Villas and Hotels Limited, for goods supplied.

Pursuing the collection of the money it was awarded, Ken Sales sought and received on November 7, 2007, an injunction in the Supreme Court preventing Trident Villas from transferring any of its assets, including the Trident Castle.

Lee Chin entered into an agreement with Trident Villas in February 2007 to purchase Trident Castle for US$2.1 million. He paid US$210,000 of the purchase price and on February 5, 2007, a caveat was lodged on Lee Chin’s behalf and endorsed on the title to the property.

Levy was reported to be asking US$8 million for the property when it went on the market a year ago.

Injunction

On February 15, 2008, the injunction in favour of Ken Sales granted by Supreme Court judge Justice Brooks was discharged by another judge, Justice Horace Marsh, but Ken Sales appealed that decision.

The Court of Appeal heard Ken Sales’ appeal in July 2008 and handed down judgement earlier this week, dismissing the appeal.

The court held that Ken Sales was guilty of material nondisclosure, in that when it applied to Justice Brooks for the injunction it had not disclosed some important information.

The court noted in its judgement that Lee Chin had bought the Castle in February 2007, and had lodged a caveat on February 5, 2007.

The Court of Appeal agreed with arguments by Lee Chin’s lawyers Michael Hylton, QC, and Kevin Powell, that when the Canada-based billionaire signed the agreement in February 2007, he became the beneficial owner of the property, and so, when Justice Brooks granted the injunction in November of that year, Trident Villas did not have any beneficial interest in the property and the freezing order should not have been made.

Attorney Maurice Manning, who represented Trident Villas and 80 year-old Levy, the majority shareholder in Trident Villas, had argued for the dismissal of Ken Sales’ appeal.

Disposing of assets

Kenneth Biersay, managing director of Ken Sales, maintained in court documents filed on November 5, 2007, that “the defendants (Trident Villas) are seeking to dispose of their assets, including the land subject of the order for sale in an effort to frustrate the claimant (Ken Sales) and prevent it from recovering the fruits of the judgement”.

Levy said in his affidavit filed on November 21, 2007, that he owned 9,000 of the 10,000 shares in Trident Villas and had no property anywhere else in Jamaica. “I have absolutely no intention or desire to migrate or dissipate mine or the company’s assets. I can, therefore, confirm that there is no risk, real or otherwise, of dissipation of mine or the company’s assets,” Levy said.

Lee Chin was named as a respondent in the suit.

The Court of Appeal, comprising its president, Justice Seymour Panton, and Justices Howard Cooke and Mahadev Dukharan, held that Lee Chin, in lodging the caveat, was acting within the provision of Section 139 of the Registration of Titles Act.

The court said Lee Chin was entitled to protect his interest by lodging the caveat, since once the agreement for the sale of Trident Castle was executed, he became the beneficial owner of the property.

Submissions by Ken Sales lawyers Carol Davis and Gillian Mullings that Lee Chin’s contract was not valid because there was no evidence that the deposit of US$21,000 had been paid, was dismissed by the court.

Lee Chin, who had already acquired the adjoining 42-room Trident Hotel and Villas in 2003, plans to integrate the castle into the redevelopment of the Trident property.

The redevelopment is part of a stalled $20 billion plan for Portland, Lee Chin’s parish of birth, that involves the conversion of the Trident property into a signature ultra-luxury five-star resort, reopening the Blue Lagoon, rebuilding the Titchfield Hotel, and building a resort on Navy Island.

Lee Chin said in media reports earlier this year that uncertainties related to the global recession had forced a pause on the redevelopment work.

Jamaica Gleaner

Juan Somavia, Guest Writer The financial crisis has evolved into an economic, social and employment crisis.

Although there is evidence that the global recession may be bottoming out, at least in some countries, unemployment is increasing relentlessly.

The message is clear: though there may be ‘green shoots’ for the global economy, there will be no immediate green shoots for the labour market for some time to come.

Despite some positive economic indicators, the jobs crisis continues to deepen. We are well within the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) estimate of a potential increase in unemployment of some 50 million in 2009, and an increase of the some of 200 million working poor by end 2009 over 2007.

Unemployment and informal employment are rising.

Gains in poverty reduction are backsliding. Wage earnings and household incomes are declining. The middle classes are suffering.

And with 45 million new entrants to the global job market annually, mostly young women and men, some 300 million new jobs will be required between now and 2015, just to keep up with the growth of the labour market.

These are the ingredients of a social recession and an increased risk of political instability.

We know from past crises that jobs recovery always lags behind economic recovery. If we do not act decisively now, we are looking at a jobs crisis of between six and eight years.

We cannot let this happen. Many countries have taken important action to stimulate their economies. It is now time to stimulate their labour markets.

We must work together to shape policies and decisions that can accelerate the recovery in employment and shorten the lag between economic and labour-market recovery as much as possible.

World leaders representing governments, labour and business from developed and developing countries came together at an ILO summit on the jobs crisis in June to agree on a coordinated international and national response to the crisis.

‘Global Jobs Pact’

This was expressed in the ‘Global Jobs Pact’, an internationally agreed policy instrument negotiated by governments, business and trade unions that informs policy options in countries and multilateral institutions to generate employment, restore enterprise growth and expand social protection.

The pact identifies several key follow-up areas where an active system-wide response is needed. These include:

Jamaica Gleaner

Oran A. Hall, Contributor QUESTION: I would like to extricate myself from a huge credit-card debt that has been plaguing me for some years now. It seems as if I cannot get rid of this debt and need your expert advice.

I have a credit card with a limit of $140,000. The reason I acquired this card was to help me alleviate some of my expenses while at university - bus fare, lunch money, etc.

The minimum payment is ridiculously high. Could I make an arrangement with the bank for them to cease sending me a new credit card when the old one expires? Please give me some good advice on relieving this huge debt burden.

- Del

PFA: Credit-card debt is pretty expensive and should be treated as the short-term debt it is. Nonetheless, with some discipline and sacrifice, you can bring it under control.

One lesson you should learn for the future is that it is not the best way to finance your living expenses at school, or in any other situation.

In fact, you should remember that it is important to know where the funds will come from to service this and other types of debt before incurring them.

Recognise, too, that it is not prudent to manage credit-card debt by just making the minimum payment.

Considering its cost, this approach only serves to put you into a sinkhole of debt. As a spender, use the credit card for convenience.

It is important for you to establish a good credit rating and having a credit-card account can help you to establish one because it is usually easier to get such a facility than other forms of credit.

It is an unsecured loan, which is why it is so expensive.

Let us now look at the other issues you have raised. The issuers of credit cards require that their customers make a minimum monthly payment to keep their accounts active. In your case, it is five percent of the amount due.

But there are situations in which the required payment may be higher.

If, for example, you exceed your limit, as the companies sometimes allow their customers to do, that excess is added to the five per cent to determine the minimum payment required.

Additionally, any delinquent amount due is added to the five per cent to determine the minimum payment.

Let us say that you were required to make a minimum payment of $5,000, but paid only $3,000.

The delinquent amount of $2,000 would be added to the five per cent of the next amount due to arrive at the minimum payment required for the next payment.

Your minimum payment could be “ridiculously high” because you have been in either or both of these situations in the past, or you may be in that situation now.

Apart from the delinquent amount I just referred to, your account could be deemed delinquent if you have not made required payments for a period ranging from 60 to 90 days. In this case, no activity would be allowed on the account until the delinquency has been corrected.

Issuers of credit cards generally send new cards to their customers automatically as the expiration date of the old card approaches. To stop this happening, you would need to write to your branch advising that you wish to close your account and, therefore, not be issued with a new card. But it does not stop there - all balances would have to be cleared for this to take effect.

You may want to visit your branch to discuss how to manage your situation. The representative of the bank may help you fashion a suitable payment plan, or an arrangement may be made to convert the credit-card debt to a regular loan.

Your creditor will want to recover the money owed, so if you fail to pay your debt, it may resort to other measures, such as engaging the services of a collection agency or an attorney-at-law, depending on the size of the debt.

It seems that you have completed your university course and I hope you are working. Make settling your debt your priority, even if it means putting yourself through a period of austerity, and do not use the card. In the long run, that is the cheapest and best way.

Oran A. Hall is principal author of ‘The Handbook of Personal Financial Planning’. For free counsel on personal finances and money management, email: finviser.jm@gmail.com.

by MARIA BRADSHAW

BANKS HOLDINGS LIMITED (BHL) and the Urban Development Commission (UDC) are two of the latest companies to have begun discussions with the union in relation to pending staff cuts.

The SUNDAY SUN recently received word that BHL was seeking to cut some of its staff and had already put some employees on a four-day work system, while UDC was in the process of laying off over 20 workers.

But Sophia Cambridge, group public relations manager at BHL, while admitting that the company had initiated discussions with the Barbados Workers’ Union, said no firm decision had yet been made.

No public comment

She said while reduced work hours were being considered, “the company will inform staff directly before making any public comment”.

She said like any other manufacturing entity, BHL was not immune to the effects of the downturn in the economy and had seen a significant slip in sales.

“We are continuing to witness a significant decline in sales and with our current staff complement, our three production companies have over the past few months been producing more than we are currently able to sell,” she said.

The BHL group includes Banks Breweries, Pine Hill Dairy, B&B Distributors and Barbados Bottling Company.

Meanwhile, new director of the UDC, Derek Alleyne, confirmed yesterday that the commission was sending home staff.

He said the UDC was restructuring and had created new posts.

“We asked those who wanted to apply to do so and we have sent correspondence to the National Union of Public Workers. Some may qualify and some will not, but as few as possible will go,” he stated.

Unemployment

Central Bank Governor Dr Marion Williams recently announced that the unemployment rate now stood at 10.1 per cent, the highest since 2003; she also said that this should increase by year-end.

Since last year several companies have severed staff, and announced it publicly, citing the economic downturn, among other things.

However, union sources indicated that there were other companies who had also sent home staff, but not made it public.

Those on record include:

* Four Seasons - 750 workers

* LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment) - 350

* DaCosta Mannings - 81

* Courts Barbados Ltd - 25

* Nation Corporation - 23

* Sagicor Financial Corporation - 18

* Caribbean Media Corporation - 8

Nation News (Barbados)

LIME has accused the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) of trying to discredit it in the eyes of the public.

In a release yesterday, LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile & Entertainment) said the BWU had resorted to a “tactic of publicly discrediting” the company when for weeks it had tried unsuccessfully to schedule meetings to continue consultations on LIME’s overall restructuring plans.

“Attempts were made in May and June to get the union around the table, but the first opportunity came after the company’s letter to the union on July 20 which said the company would proceed to notify staff of the impending staff reductions to take effect at the end of August 2009.

“Attempts were made to continue the process of consultation on May 28 and on June 19, by letter and via numerous telephone calls to the union, but these proved fruitless and this on-engagement did not indicate a desire from the union to begin dialogue,” the release stated.

LIME’s country manager Alex McDonald said he was disappointed BWU’s general secretary Sir Roy Trotman had gone to the length of calling for protest action against the company which for decades worked with the union to cultivate a long-standing and mutually respectful relationship.

McDonald said LIME had never attempted to sideline the union in any manner and the time had come for intimidation and threats to stop.

“LIME must be allowed to put the mechanisms in place to ensure the sustainability of the business for the future,” he said.

McDonald said LIME did not consider itself in violation of the procedure for redundancies agreed by the union and the company in January 2006.

Sir Roy has charged that LIME has violated Protocol 5 of the Social Partnership Agreement with respect to consultation dealing with lay-offs.

The impasse is now before the chief labour officer. (PR/WG)

PIGEON PEAS AND RICE; MACARONI PIE

SWEET POTATO PIE; FRIED FISH

GRILLED FISH; BBQ CHICKEN

BAKED PORK; BEEF STEW

CREOLE GRAVY; COLE SLAW; TOSSED SALAD