President Paula-Mae Weekes has been scolded by citizens for mispronouncing some Indian words during her speech at Diwali Nagar 2022 on Wednesday night.
The House of the President has yet to respond to the debate on social media, with most people expressing the view that President Weeks should have known better, four years into her presidency of a multicultural country.
The president, who attended the fourth night of Nagar celebrations in Chaguanas, came under scrutiny after a video of her attempting to name different sects in Hinduism was posted on social media.
As he spoke, President Weeks noted the 2022 Nagar theme, Hindu Panth (Hindu Appellations), and noted that it emphasized principles that “have persevered and flourished to this day.”
The President said Hinduism was the second largest religion in Trinidad and Tobago, which included a number of faiths. Nagar, she said, was a place where everyone could come together to celebrate the principle of good over evil.
“While differences between sects are evident in social practices such as weddings, all participate in the observance of Diwali, which is at the core of Nagar philosophy.
“Here, people of every faith and race come together in commemoration of Diwali, celebrating the victory of good over evil, light over darkness,” said President Weeks.
But while trying to name these sects, her pronunciation of the names Sanatanist, Arya Samaj, Kabir Panth and Ramanandi Sampradaya was questioned.
The clip of President Weeks’ speech has since garnered thousands of shares over the past day and mixed responses. Many citizens questioned why more effort was not made to correct the pronunciation of these names.
“I am not a minister, but in my field of work I prioritize not to confuse the names of people or organizations. So what I do before I talk to them is just ask ‘can you phonetically spell your name for me’.
“If I’m still confused, then I ask someone, including the person themselves, how to say it properly. Then if during my talk or presentation I feel like I messed up, I generally apologize in advance,” wrote one commenter.
“She should have taken a crash course in pronouncing the relevant words in Hindi. It would have shown an appreciation of another culture,” said another.
“At least she could have asked someone to teach her the correct pronunciation, she is the President of this country, this does not look good,” wrote another.
“Bad effort? She is the President of our country speaking on one of our biggest religious holidays. Couldn’t she have proofread it beforehand and practiced the correct pronunciations?
“A little respect goes a long way,” said another.
The other view
Others, however, defended President Weeks’ effort, saying the substance of her speech should be noted.
Pundit Satyanand Maharaj wrote, “While I’m sure she deserves every ounce of criticism for being a well-educated citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and should know better especially as President of the Republic, the reality is that she too is a victim of religious division and racial divide Trinidad and Tobago.
“In her speech she made a few other mistakes, which I would call poor podium lighting.
“While many seek to find fault with her pronunciation, the essence of her speech was heartfelt and poignant, recognizing the 177-year-old East Indian presence in these twin islands.
“Her outfit was also appropriate as she made a special effort to dress for the occasion.”
Another wrote: “Don’t watch/study someone’s grammar, but the message being delivered. Too often people are just looking for a reason to make someone cry. I really don’t understand why it’s so necessary.”
Express yesterday tried to contact the President’s House for a response, but none was received.
