Dear Editor,

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is distributing TT$147 million this year for Carnival.

It is no surprise that this celebration has been pushed into people’s psyche as the “national festival”. When the funds for all other festivals and celebrations in the multi-ethnic country are added, they do not come close to the money being given away for Carnival.

It is Government-manufactured propaganda that Carnival is the national festival because many religious groups do not actively participate in Carnival festivities such as Adventists, Pentecostals, Muslims, and Hindus. Moreover, only one group of people play steel pans, stick fighting, moko jumbies, blue devils, and Canboulay. Mainly that group sings calypso, extempo, and soca — additional evidence that Carnival is not a national festival. Most people flock to beach houses and catch flights out of the country which are fully booked months in advance for this season. Far more people seek to escape from Carnival than to participate in it.

It can be argued that Carnival is tearing apart the moral fabric of society to the detriment of our children (Kiddie Carnival and Carnival in schools). The masquerade of women in the streets can be summed up in four Bs: bikini, beads, bottom, and breasts. Couples gyrating in public like dogs in heat have no respect for themselves, their parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren.

Carnival is destroying those who participate in it. Our women soca artistes dress and gyrate like pole dancers in a strip club.

The atmosphere and music are all about violence, destruction, alcoholism, nudity, and sexuality expressed through songs. And remember, TT$147 million is pushed to promote this orgy.

Fatimah Mohammed

fatimah.mohammed26@gmail.com