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Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha secretary general Sat Maharaj yesterday pulled back slightly on his Indian Arrival Day ban on United National Congress leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. His decision to pull Persad-Bissessar as a feature speaker from the organisation’s celebrations at the Parvati Girls’ Hindu School in Debe today remains, but Maharaj says she can still attend in her private capacity.
Maharaj made the comment yesterday in response to a caller querying about the situation on his programme on Radio Jagriti. He had banned Persad-Bissessar from the event earlier this week over her condemnation of the Maha Sabha’s decision to prevent on-the-job-trainee Nafisah Nahkid from accessing training at the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College because she wears a hijab.
In announcing the ban against Persad-Bissessar, Maharaj also called on Hindus to “free up” the Hindu voter in the next general election and instead choose the party which has the best programmes. Maharaj did not address the call for Hindus to free up their vote during the programme yesterday.
But Persad-Bissessar is scheduled to attend two other events today hosted by other groups in Cedros and Ste Madeleine.
The Cedros Indian Cultural Committee in collaboration with the Siparia Regional Corporation is celebrating with a street procession from 10.30 this morning to Manmohansingh Park, which Persad-Bissessar will join.
The Corinth/Cedar Hill Coordinating Committee will meanwhile be hosting its fifth annual celebration starting with an interfaith service followed by a cultural programme at the Usine, Ste Madeleine. Persad-Bissessar is expected to deliver the feature address around 5 pm.