Blue Waters Boosts Divali Nagar Support After Sponsors Withdraw

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NCIC says it founded Divali Nagar in 1986. Its own history describes business investment as important to sustaining the cultural event and permanent site. Mangaroo told the Guardian that the site carries year-round electricity, staff and security costs as well as event costs. Those are attributed organiser figures, not independently audited accounts.

Sources: NCIC, history of Divali Nagar ↗ · Trinidad Guardian, 22 Oct ↗

The Guardian reported First Citizens Bank withdrew after 18 consecutive years, followed by NFM and bmobile; its 23 October report also names NLCB and TSTT among agencies withdrawing support. NFM’s reported letter gave no reason. On 23 October, NCIC announced Blue Waters as a Diamond sponsor with a larger commitment. NCIC president Surujdeo Mangaroo said the event would remain free.

Sources: Trinidad Guardian, 22 Oct ↗ · Trinidad Guardian, 22 Oct ↗ · Trinidad Guardian, 23 Oct ↗

The organiser says the festival will remain free despite the withdrawals. That is its plan, not evidence that the funding gap has disappeared. NCIC says the permanent site also has year-round electricity, staffing and security costs. The reports do not give an audited budget or the value of each sponsor commitment, so the net effect of the withdrawals and Blue Waters’ increase is still unknown.

Sources: Trinidad Guardian, 22 Oct ↗ · Trinidad Guardian, 22 Oct ↗ · Trinidad Guardian, 23 Oct ↗

On 24 October the Guardian reported three distinct responses to the Diamond sponsorship. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar criticised Blue Waters’ involvement and linked it to her dispute with the company’s owners. NCIC president Surujdeo Mangaroo denied reports that the sponsorship had created a board rift and said the company had been approached months earlier. Blue Waters representatives described the sponsorship as support for cultural heritage; the company did not disclose its value. The Guardian reported an estimated TT$250,000 based on its own sourcing, which is not an audited or confirmed contract amount. These are competing statements, not evidence that sponsorship funds have already been paid or that a political motive has been established.

Sources: Trinidad Guardian, 24 Oct ↗ · Trinidad Guardian, 24 Oct ↗ · Trinidad Guardian, 24 Oct ↗

In a Guardian interview carried in the 25 October edition, Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath said state-linked sponsors should receive meaningful community value. He contrasted bmobile's participation in other community events with his account of paying for a small site at NCIC Divali Nagar. The published interview does not supply the agreement, price or services received, so his comparison is a policy argument rather than a verified contract audit. Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles-Robinson said her party planned a response and argued that culture should not be politicised; a planned statement is not yet the party's detailed position. Padarath also discussed domestic electricity tariffs in the interview, but that is a separate utilities issue and not part of the festival funding claim.

Sources: Trinidad Guardian, online 24 Oct; 25 Oct edition ↗

The dispute continued when NCIC board member Dr Shane Mohammed resigned. He said a public claim that the Prime Minister had cut all Divali Nagar funding was false and had not been corrected. The Guardian reported that NCIC had applied for a TT$1 million state grant for 2026 but its amount had not yet been decided. Two other appointed members had already resigned; NCIC president Surujdeo Mangaroo did not attribute their departures to this disagreement. Opposition senators questioned the timing of withdrawals by state-linked sponsors, while the Prime Minister defended her spending priorities. No final grant decision or complete sponsor ledger was available in the account.

Sources: Guardian, 27 Oct, p5 ↗

In a statement issued on 27 October and reported in the Guardian’s 28 October edition, the NCIC said its board had not accused the Prime Minister or Government of political victimisation over Divali Nagar funding. It rejected that allegation and acknowledged that it should have corrected the public impression sooner. This addresses the claim about deliberate withholding; it does not establish the value of the 2026 state grant or reverse the separately reported sponsorship withdrawals.

Sources: Trinidad Guardian print edition, 28 Oct ↗

In a report published on 30 October, Guardian Media described a quiet opening-period visit to Divali Nagar, with some booths still being prepared. Its account covers about 90 minutes after 5 p.m.; it is not a count of attendance over the whole evening or festival. Vendors differed over whether turnout was unusual and expressed hope that later visits would increase.

Sources: Guardian Media / CNC3, 30 Oct, 9:39 p.m. Trinidad time ↗

The report also records the Prime Minister’s statement that the NCIC would receive TT$500,000 in government funding. That is a reported allocation claim, not evidence that the money has been paid. The final grant and sponsorship accounts remain unavailable here, and the opening observations do not establish that the funding dispute caused a change in attendance.

Sources: Guardian Media / CNC3, 30 Oct, 9:39 p.m. Trinidad time ↗