Our governments and food

Now, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Unions’

by A.A. Fenty

And “Carifesta Considera-tions”. My, so much on my mind to summarise today.

Amidst the “initiatives” by President Jagdeo regarding the call for Guyana to grow more food, I had occasion to discover the Parliament Library, where I stumbled upon speeches in the House by – who else? – Dr Cheddi Jagan in 1967. Forty-one years ago. I must return to that, a few paragraphs hence.

In the context of a reported looming global food shortage, occasioned by fuel prices and erratic climatic conditions world-wide, the PPP/C government is investing a lot of its energy, seeds and finance to promote a national campaign to get Guyanese – youths, householders, gardeners, farmers, manufacturers – simply to plant and tend all types of food crops.

As is usual in this lovely, Beautiful but Blighted Land, even as I was being suitably impressed by the President’s breadth of vision regarding the scope of his programme, I became acutely aware of the negative murmurings of professional detractors. You see strangers, in my Guyana, it is easy, routine, to politicize even a proposal to fix poor eyesight by laser!

The main political Opposition scoffed at this Administration’s Grow More Food call, recalling proudly that the earliest PNC regimes had launched similar aggressive programmes which had attracted then, derision, even sabotage, by the PPP Opposition. Oldsters will remember Forbes Burnham’s

Feed-Clothe-And-House-Ourselves campaign. Why, I can even picture him now on his horse distributing cassava sticks and pigeon peas. And it did catch on in many outer Georgetown yards and on parapets. Until greedy thieves stepped in.

The Jagdeo “local food” initiative is much more than domestic gardening though that is a desirable, immediate short-term objective. His programme has to do with long-term sustainable commercial farming for agro-industries, local consumption and export. (I’ve always wondered: Just why do we have to depend so much on imported milk, for example? The other day I saw all types of Brazilian-manufactured milk in Brazil.) And the truth is, no government or Opposition can ignore or seek to undermine any Grow Food/Buy Local plan. No need to advance obvious reasons here.

Cheddi and food…

The Cheddi Jagan government(s) of ’57 to ’61 and even afterwards were indeed accused of being a “Coolie/ Rice Government”. Simply because a prescient Jagan wished to emphasise Agricul-ture. He pushed the colonial masters to fund Drainage and Irrigation Schemes, empoldering, land-to-the tiller distribution and agri-related programmes. But the odds and the donors were against him. Then came the wily Forbes Burnham after 1964.

Now here is poor, out-manoeuvred Cheddi in Parliament in 1967: “… For instance, we said openly that we would support the government’s “Buy-Local Campaign”. Of course, the Government’s Buy Local campaign is nothing more than our (earlier) import-substitution policy which was adumbrated in the Kaldor Budget. It is just a rose by a different name…”

“When I was Minister of Trade and Industry, I went and drank Banks Beer although I do not drink beer. I advised the people to drink (local) Banks beer. I did not know that the head of that company would have robbed the Guyanese people and made 50-60% profits.”

And on the Critchlow Labour Institute/College: “We are not opposed – and we will never be – to trade unionists having institutes like the Critchlow Labour Institute. Nor are we opposed to trade union education being carried on in this country… but we cannot agree to tax-payers’ money being allied with CIA money for the purpose of corruption of the working-class in Guyana.” He later spoke of the USA’s AIFLD through which money was funnelled to Opposition allies to destabilize his government in the early sixties.

Interesting too, were his comments regarding Trade Unionist George DePeana who is still going the distance. Go read!

This government should really seek significant international cooperation to resuscitate Cheddi’s legacy in agriculture. Try Mr President, to bring back Black Bush Polder, the MMA-ADA, Tapakuma, the Canals Polder, the intermediate Savannahs. Involve the Caribbean, Fuh True!

Another ‘hero’
– and ‘unions’

I have to agree with those who share the view that once again, the government has overreacted, has been self-destructively excessive in penalizing a media operative it deemed disparaging and disrespectful to the Head of Sate. Now they have another “herd” on their hands. (Recall this column wrote of the government’s penchant for creating unnecessary heroes by paying too much attention to certain critics.)

The old-fashioned part of me did find the journalist’s usage to be disrespectful and discourteous, but the government should have noted that and let it pass. But ban!?

The journalists of the recent past would not have dared to use such language with respect to Presidents Burnham and Hoyte. However the freedom now to ’buse and abuse is frequently misused. Pity the various forms of Opposition can manipulate now the fact of that freedom to emphasise real or perceived persecution…

Because we working-class souls are so busy maintaining a daily food-for-the-poor existence, we pay little attention to those groupings which claim to represent registered workers. Who really constitute the traditional TUC? What is that Organisation’s true membership strength? What is FITUG? Who are they? When is the GTU joining FITUG? Beginning next column, I’ll try to make the complex simple.

Carifesta
considerations…

Four more Fridays, and the Festival begins! Organisers, pretend that you have only two weeks! Improve the paths and roadways to venues – and drainage in case of rain in sunny August.

Are the Blackouts now to ensure power for the 10-day festival? Secure some big generators for Carifesta – and beyond. The whole area outside the National Stadium should be upgraded!

Personally, I’m looking forward to the Festival’s Hospitality Village at the Burnham-built Carifesta Sports Complex on Carifesta Avenue. Upgrade the precincts. Put two security-guarded gates to allow visitors to enjoy the Atlantic Sea-Walls in the evenings. Lights and Security. The Hospitality Village is where hundreds of visiting artistes and friends meet, mingle and give impromptu performances, after the day’s events.

Limited free bars, getting to really know one another Caribbean-style in the Guyanese open-air. Can it, will it be done?

Until…

* Now is Mr Moseley – a competent journalist with the most interesting TV voice and an accomplished back-ground – a reluctant hero? Or …

* Cheddi Jagan’s government of the late fifties was getting either a Paper Pulp or Cement Factory from the Cubans. The loan would have been paid back by the manufactured products bartered back to the Cubans. But D’Aguiar and Burnham said no. And the colonial masters said Communists. Later Forbes Burnham was to embrace Castro. Confused are you?

* Just what is Carifesta’s Grand “Celegacy”?
Celegacy? What could it be?

’Til next week!

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allanafenty@yahoo.com