THE Kamla Persad-Bissessar Government, with its new thrust in accommodating all sectors of the national landscape, should seriously consider upgrading the Lion House in Chaguanas, which has now become a national eyesore, and make it another national museum.

Persad-Bissessar, with her overflowing capacity to win friends, should talk to several corporate entities to chip in to finance this project, which would become an immense contribution to this nation. Alternatively, consideration should be given to contact the hundreds of charitable organisations in the USA, Canada, and the UK to undertake this project.

In the 1990s or thereabouts, a group of us, which included Sir VS Nai-paul’s intimate family, Dr Suruj Ram-ba-chan and myself, had an extended view of the building, and reports were handed to the then-government for action, but that was the end.

Naipaul is a world literary figure, having won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and having been honoured by the then Queen Elizabeth II, and achieving several other accolades in this field of literature.

Naipaul gave more recognition and respect to the then-colonial Trinidad and Tobago. His books should be made compulsory reading in our secondary school curriculum, and his birthday should be accorded due respect for what he has done, not only for T&T but for the Caribbean and the world.

We must not allow the Lion House—which was built by Naipaul’s grandfather, Pundit Capildeo, in 1924-25—to become an empty space, not only in the Chaguanas environment but an empty space in our consciences.

The hour has come for us all to do something about this national treasure.

Paras Ramoutar