The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) is joining with media colleagues across the region to mourn two giants of industry: Hans Hanoomansingh and Rickey Singh.
Hanoomansingh’s death was confirmed by his brother Gideon. He described him as “a true patriot of T&T whose contribution to nation building was selfless and exemplary”.
Hanoomansingh was known throughout Trinidad and Tobago for his work on the programmes “From the Silver Screen” and “Gems of India”. In his later years, he was a founding member of 103.1 FM and Heritage Radio, continuing his tradition of mentoring generations of broadcasters.
Outside of broadcasting, he was a former member of parliament for Caroni East and the former president of the National Council for Indian Culture.
In 1990, he was honoured for his contributions to media and culture when he received the Hummingbird Gold award. In 2010, UWI bestowed him with an honorary doctorate.
Rickey Singh was a political journalist who, in the words of veteran Trinidadian journalist Tony Fraser, was “born in Guyana but belonged to the Caribbean”. He died at his home in Barbados.
Singh got his start at the Guiana Graphic and moved to significant reporting stints with BBC Caribbean Report and CANA, and later as a columnist with the Trinidadian Guardian and Trinidad Express newspapers
He is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies, and in 2022, the government of Guyana presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his journalism.
The ACM extends condolences to their families.