In the midst of an election season, opposition MP Rudranath Indarsingh and Minister of Youth Development Foster Cummings faced off during Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day celebrations in Couva on March 30 over which political party helped the group the most over the years.

Delivering remarks to the hundreds of worshippers gathered for the celebration in his Couva South constituency, Indarsingh described the day as one of reflection, introspection and reflection. He commended those of the faith for their resilience in pushing through years of persecution until the prohibition order banning the practice of the religion from 1917 before it was repealed in 1951.

“In addition to that, you continue to ensure that your faith, your belief, was something that did not diminish in spite of what you had to endure. And today, I am indeed pleased to continue to be a part of a party that ensured that the Spiritual Shouter Baptist community was indeed recognised with a national holiday in 1996 by then prime minister Basdeo Panday.”