Two religious leaders are urging Trinidad and Tobago’s political leadership to curb hostile language, warning that personal attacks and racial undertones in public exchanges could deepen divisions across the country. Inter-Religious Organisation president Dr Ellis Burris and Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Clive Dottin told Guardian Media that political leaders have a responsibility to consider how their words affect the wider population. Their appeals were directed at Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles. The concerns follow a confrontation between Persad-Bissessar and Laventille West MP Kareem Marcelle over electricity restoration in Beetham Gardens and Laventille after Saturday’s fire at a Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago compound in Laventille. According to the Trinidad Guardian, that disagreement developed into an exchange of personal insults and accusations of racism. Persad-Bissessar accused Marcelle and his supporters of hostility towards Indians and Africans who support the United National Congress. Marcelle responded with personal attacks and accused her of pursuing a racist agenda. These were allegations exchanged by the politicians. Burris said prejudice is learned and warned that language used by government and opposition figures can influence attitudes beyond politics. He called for balanced communication and respect for the offices the leaders hold. “You have to be tempered and balanced in your language,” he told Guardian Media. His concern was that an exchange between individual politicians does not affect those participants alone. He urged intervention before the hostility escalates further and called on the leaders to demonstrate respect towards one another. Dottin similarly expressed concern about the direction of political communication and the distance between Government and Opposition. He questioned whether the two sides could meet outside Parliament during the current term to agree on how to manage the country’s affairs. He also identified controversy surrounding Divali celebrations at the National Council for Indian Culture in Chaguanas, including board resignations and public accusations, as another source of concern. Dottin called for an urgent meeting between the prime minister and opposition leader to establish a commitment to removing inflammatory expressions from political communication. While acknowledging picong as part of local political culture, he drew a distinction between spirited sparring and deeply personal, hostile attacks. Both leaders’ appeals centred on the example set by public officials: political disagreement, they argued, should be managed in ways that preserve respect across Trinidad and Tobago’s ethnic, religious and social communities.