Dear Editor,
We are witnessing the sorry episode of a well-orchestrated public deception, as Dr Prem Misir continues his series of miserable misinterpretation of our history and the truth.
His relentless campaign in the Sunday Chronicle to prove there is no marginalization of Africans is fast becoming a comedy, if not a tragedy. I opt for a moderate response to his recent fulminations in the Sunday Chronicle of 20 April, 2008.
It is now apparent that the gut issue is the PPP’s discernible pursuit of a brazen policy of hegemony, or the total control of every facet of life, and activity in our country, an innate Stalinist philosophy.
Unhappily, because of our history and pre-independence experiences, this policy takes on the appearance of African marginalisation.
What appears to be African marginalisation is much more than that – Indians and non-Africans who do not genuflect before the altar of the PPP are also being marginalised – the wider quest is total control, hegemony.
Dr Misir should first of all get out of his propaganda cocoon.
In the Sunday Chronicle of 20 April, 2008, he introduces his article with a total distortion, while looking at housing and lands to prove no marginalisation, he writes as follows:
“In 1992 when the PPP/C formed the Government, there was no national policy on housing”. He then makes a case by saying thus “in 1983 the PNC regime pulled out the housing portfolio of the Ministry of Works and Housing and placed it in the overloaded Ministry of Health and Public Welfare.”
Ignoring his fantasy – who is he to determine when a ministry was overloaded?
When I was assigned to Health, Housing and Labour, the TUC complained to the President that with that trilogy, labour will be subordinated. Within a year, a delegation led by JH Pollydore returned to express their satisfaction with the ministry-union relations.
With dedicated public officers, myself and others worked hard.
But, back to housing.
With appropriate infrastructure could he also explain a clearly articulated feed, clothe and house the national policy, which resulted in houses being built at:
* Amelia’s Ward Housing Scheme, Linden.
* Melanie Damishana East Coast – 100 plus units
* North Ruimveldt Housing Scheme 30 plus units
* Samatta Point – Grove East Bank 90 plus units
* Wisroc – 200 plus
* Essequibo – Queenstown
– Suddie
– Henrietta
* Bartica – Self help
* Brezaena Housing Scheme
* Ann’s Grove – 60 plus
* Cummings Lodge
* Vryheid’s Lust Young Sugar Workers’ Housing Scheme
* Berbice – New Amsterdam
* Amsville
* Bermine
* Crane Housing Scheme – 100 plus
* Corriverton
* Scottsburg Housing Scheme
* Bend Kirton Square Housing scheme
* Festival City
* Shirley Field Ridley Square and others
Beyond this, the Government had established the Guyana Mortgage Finance Cooperative Bank and Guyana Housing Development Corporation to facilitate individuals and groups to get loans to acquire homes.
Squatting areas were regularized, including those in the sugar belt.
The PNC Government had hundreds of cadastral surveys done to assist.
Government leaned on the Sugar Industry Labour and Welfare Fund (SILWF) to provide money and loans to sugar workers to build their homes. The novel self-help housing projects were Burnham’s idea, which many of us helped to foster. Here, government provided most of the material skills, and food packages. The great thing about this was how many persons acquired skills, which they later put to good use. On a visit to construction sites in Barbados and Antigua, workers greeted me and in more than one instance, said they developed their construction skills on housing self-help projects in Guyana under the guidance of the Ministry of Housing.
How can Mr Misir pontificate that there was no policy?
What he must tell us is how Freedom House actively tried to prevent many folks from talking part in these community and civic home building projects. But as in the case of the building of the Leonora School by self-help, they did not always succeed.
Were all these not part of a policy – a master plan? Why this relentless effort to rewrite our history, distort the facts, and demonize everything and everyone that preceded 1992?
Housing was more vibrant under the PNC regime than it is now. But back to this issue of hegemony. This hegemony ‘thing’ explains the Sharma – Channel 6 saga. How dare CN give airtime to the ‘other’ folks – of course using well-known Machiavellian tactics, the State apparatus relented on Stabroek News ads to coincide with putting the screws on Channel 6 and a Caricom visit, yet holding with bands of steel the monopoly on radio – yes – control – control of what you see and read. (Will the Chronicle publish this letter?)
How can Mr Misir venture to talk about lands and marginalization?
I dare him to reveal the large acreages of land handed out since 1992 – here, let us talk of real large holdings; he must not forget Mr Roger Khan et al. Can he tell us of all the state property including those in Georgetown transferred to certain folks, without any public tender process? If Mr Misir has no knowledge, ask him to check at the Deeds Registry.
When we see the list of persons issued with firearm licences post 1992 – then let’s talk about marginalisation, hegemony and discrimination. On the Channel 6 issue, the broadcasting portfolio was properly placed under the Prime Minister who sits in Parliament, and could therefore answer first hand from his seat there – why the unusual move to shift the portfolio to the President? It is not to ensure total control?
Dr Misir, who gets all of the soft contracts even when there is poor performance? Can we set aside a day or some days to visit some roads purportedly rehabilitated?
Dr Misir, this country needs the truth and a strong moral rudder, a revival of our downed spirit – so that we can heal the wounds of the distant and recent past. The majority of Guyanese wish to live and love together. Stop this weekly charade and let’s talk love, peace, togetherness and justice for all.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green JP
