Dear Editor,
I would like to add further analytical notes to the letter of Frank Fyffe in SN of June 29 titled, ‘The Rodney commemoration should be an occasion for accommodating dissenting voices.’ There were unpleasant occurrences that took place after I spoke at the 30th commemoration event that need to be publicized, so that these pitfalls could be avoided at next year’s ceremony.
Harsh words have to be used to describe what occurred at the June 13 celebration. And I call upon the quintessential inheritors of Walter – Rupert Roopnaraine, Clive Thomas, Andaiye, Nigel Westmas, David Hinds, Moses Bhagwan, Desmond Trotman, Frank Fyffe, Karen De Souza, Sase Omo, Stanley Humphrey, Mobutu, Ali Majeed and others – to offer their thoughts on what will be described below. After I spoke denouncing the privilege given to Sam Hinds to speak at a Walter Rodney commemoration service, Vanda Radzik took the mike. Her presentation was an indecent distortion of the culture of Walter Rodney
She rejected my contention that the occasion should not have been graced with the speaking opportunity for Sam Hinds. Then she introduced a horrible fiction. She explained that Rodney was not against dialogue with his enemies, and even had ongoing discussions with persons who had a hit list to kill WPA leaders. Walter Rodney did no such thing. Walter Rodney never pursued dialogue with President Forbes Burnham, his close colleagues like Messrs Hamilton Green, Elvin McDavid, etc, and the PNC leadership. If what Radzik said was true, then Walter should have dialogued with Burnham and Guyana’s history would have been different. I remind all pro-democracy Guyanese that Walter was prepared to use all types of avenues to remove Burnham, and engagement was not one of them.
Ms Radzik is on a consultation team working with Mr Jagdeo on his LCDS programme, and was part of the Guyana delegation to Copenhagen last year. After Ms Radzik, the next speaker praised Sam Hinds and President Jagdeo and extolled the existence of democracy in Guyana to loud cheers. It would be nice for this part of the recording to be shown on Walter Rodney Groundings. Amazing how Rodney’s legacy has been caricatured by the very people who claim to be perpetuating his legacy. I hope Walter’s family is reading this.
Then another person who is part of President Jagdeo’s LCD consultation team suggested that the WPA apologize for my remark on Sam Hinds and this was done, again to loud cheers. This person has a long employment relationship with President Jagdeo. This is what the legacy of Rodney has turned into. That person may have been merely protecting her employment contract and that would be understandable. What is not easily explained is how the rest of the WPA leadership feels about the action of this woman and Ms Radzik. What is significant about the evening was the type of followers Walter Rodney now has, no doubt encouraged by many WPA leaders. For a speaker to sermonize at a Walter Rodney event with a description of the lofty existence of democracy in Guyana and sing songs of praise to the PM and President and get loud applause shows what a disastrous country Guyana has become.
Finally, readers should be reminded that the Rodney family and the WPA have issued public statements rejecting Sam Hinds’ announcement that the family asked for a suspension of the inquiry into his death in 2005. He has been the Prime Minister for over 18 years and together with Clement Rohee and Roger Luncheon is one of the three longest-serving persons in the Cabinet. In those 18 years, what Walter stood for has been virtually destroyed by Mr Hinds’ government. I end with a curiosity. Why was Hinds invited to speak and not one of Guyana’s most popular activists, Mark Benschop? Not only as some of us age, we lose some of our rationality, we also become more opportunistic, and less principled. That is totally unacceptable when you claim you are fighting to save an entire nation.
Yours faithfully,
Frederick Kissoon
