By COREY CONNELLY Tuesday, September 29 2009

Secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Satnarayan Maharaj yesterday claimed that Citadel Limited, organisers of the Compulsory National Service programme, may not have wanted to include East Indians in the proposed initiative.

He also accused the company’s management of discrimination in enlisting him, as one of two East Indians, to a panel of guest speakers of mostly African origin at yesterday’s event.

“This address has fallen within a day long seminar that examines the merits of compulsory national service for Trinidad and Tobago, no doubt as a forced means of citizen development,” he said in an address during the programme, held at City Hall in Port-of-Spain.

“Beyond this select group of ‘national service’ champions, limited to a single radio station, there has been no calls from the greater national community to consider compulsory national service, no discussion from the Government, Opposition, or indeed members of civil society organisations.

“It has not escaped notice that I stand alone on the programme presented to me some weeks ago. This speaks volumes about the organisers and indeed the wider topic. It is as if the organisers feel the issue of national service is not of concern and interest to the Indian Hindu community.

“If this is the case, they will be correct. The Indian community rejects outright any suggestion that compulsory national service is an option for our nation.”

The proposed National Compulsory Service, as outlined by Citadel’s executive chairman Louis Lee Sing, targets young adult males between the ages of 15 and 25 from along the East West Corridor and from Point Fortin to La Brea.