think piece

A “State of Emergency” can be defined as a governmental announcement that is used to alert citizens to change their normal behaviours or to suspend the normal rights and freedoms of the citizens of the country, if the best interest of the majority of the people is threatened by a minority. It can only be called if an elected government is in office at that specific time period. As of Sunday, August 21, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago declared a nationwide State of Emergency and curfew in certain highlighted areas in the country. The main purpose of this decision was to help alleviate the high rate of crime that seemed rampant throughout the state.
Crime is reduced but at what cost to the public? Is a State of Emergency dangerous for the nation as a whole entity or even individual security? What is the attitude of the nationals towards the State of Emergency like? All these are questions that arise out of the present condition of the land. 1
The given article “States of Mind” By Tony Deyal, portrays the State of Emergency as having no positive effect on the present crime rate; instead the present situation is compared to a condition that occurred in 1990 when the Muslimeen held the country’s officials at gunpoint in the House of Representatives located in the capital of the country. This action was taken by them due to the fact that they thought that the then government was incapable of running the country. They assumed that they would be better suited for such a job. When this happened an immediate State of Emergency and curfew was put into place.
The reason behind implementing a State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago today is completely different to that incident in 1990. Today, the crime situation in the country is on a rapid increase and as such the country’s executives made the decision to put into operation a State of Emergency as they thought it would help with the decrease in crime and other crime related activities in the nation. Many of