The Brigadier’s Militants and Moderates
…and when Christopher cusses
I feel that you will allow me a brief discussion in print on a subject which has always managed to bother me. To politicians, political party loyalists and members of governments, my issue with this aspect of their political calling might seem irrelevant, misunderstood – or outright silly. But here goes.
During the twilight of my three–election sojourn with the People’s National Congress (PNC), I became impatient with the repetition I had to be an activist part of. It was the repetition and recitation – during election campaign – of all the national landmark achievement that the Party’s governments had registered in the national interest.
Besides the numerous posters, flyers and pamphlets, campaign speeches were filled with reminders of all the good things the PNC administrations did. Past tense enumerations cited of course, infrastructure – numerous bridges, roads, schools, houses, factories et al – successfully recognized foreign policy, youth policy, Amerindian integration, education and health care and so forth. (I myself had edited a significant publication, twenty years of development – PNC Progress never ceases – since 1984!)
But when, ad infinitum and for me ad nauseam, the PNC campaign speakers reeled out the list of past achievements, I used to caution my erstwhile boss comrade R.H.O Corbin, to ease up. Especially when speaking to the converted supporters. They became indifferent bored. They were interested in the present and their future.
“After all” I was bold enough to tell him and a Grove School (EB Dem) meeting,” those achievements were what we were put in government to do! They are not gifts or favours, they were and are sacred, manifesto promises and programmes – implemented. Yes, people, voters forget quickly and take for granted, but don’t overwork what you were elected to do!
Once I even bravely added: “and after all, our party does not allow others to win! So we are even more bound to deliver”. In any case, a nation’s people crave all-round, continuous development. Their thinking would be: what good is the new highway, school or hospital if there are no teachers, medical equipment and I can’t afford the taxi fare, the fuel, the uniform and I am not appropriately employed!? People must feel and experience development, personally! Rhetoric does not fill bellies either.
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We did this… that…
So as elections loom, those of you who still plan to actually vote for some hopefuls (and pretenders) brace for the recitation of “achievements”. You must endeavour to analyze how effective or genuine were the efforts to improve your quality of life, your health care, transportation and knowledge. If you don’t have employment, is it due to external factors, or local bungling, mismanagement, discrimination and lack of investment?
Think before you ink – your vote. The out–of–government opposition will ‘buse, will not ever truthfully acknowledge current achievements. And the Pro–Government media
will bombard you with “we – the PPP/C government did this, did that. What will you do?
The brigadier’s militants, moderates…
In an interesting, sometimes persuasive discourse on the “thoughts and times of Forbes Burnham”, retired brigadier–general, the solder–scholar–historian–political analyst David Granger described two groups of the PPP’s fifties as militants (leftists) and moderates (Burnhamite conservatives).
Interesting description, though Burnham was to later embrace Socialism, albeit “PNC Co-operative“ style, recognizing Castro’s Cuba, North Korea and many old Iron Curtain places, a la Cheddi J.
But Granger’s analyses and conclusions were most “scientific” often convincing, especially as no one asked penetrative questions (on the footage shown on the PNC feature). Saying that he had “no time” to discuss the “bad”, the negative or flaws about his leader, the Brigadier–General dealt at length with such issues as the Burnham–Jagan “split” being an expulsion of Burnham rather than how it is traditionally described; Burnham’s orientation in colonial B.G. and Jamaica after leaving his London groundings; the forces that fashioned Burnham’s behaviour – politically in opposition and later as Leader/ Statesman and his (Granger’s) whole “re–conceptualizing” Burnham in the face of Cheddi Jagan’s communism and Daguiar’s moneyed anti–communist crusades here. Granger even sought to explain why Jessie Burnham turned against her brother (spite because of a no–loan)!
Students of local political history should get this tape of the Brigadier–General’s presentation. It is a great basis for full discussion and analysis of a brilliant son and statement.
Students and political analysts can then engage the historian on so much he did not say. The influence which made Forbes Burnham behave in particular ways against his political opponents did not all shape his last days as autocrat who seemingly, allowed power to corrupt him almost absolutely.
And if he had Berbice battle scars and canefields were burnt, find out from some PPP Old Boys, Rupert Roopnaraine and Nigel Westmass, the terror visited upon them in the heyday of Goon Squad House of Israel, the Special Branch and certain PNC Enforcers. Let the whole truth be told!
Incidentally, next time I’ll share views on which political leaders propagated feeding, housing and clothing ourselves. Very early on!
When Christopher cusses…
Gosh, I have to shorten this item. Christopher Ram, the chartered accountant/attorney–at–law/ Business analyst/Political Commentator/Braces–wearing gentlemen, who is obviously not admired by the ruling gentry, certainly knows how to criticize and cuss out, in terms of exposing the irregularities, now allegedly “standard procedure,” for official wrong-doers.
I beg the relevant authorities to respond to Mr. Ram with respect to the quotes below:
In case you missed it Ram wrote:
At their most basic, the business decisions of the Jagdeo administration are not difficult to understand. A hydro-electricity power license and a road contract to Fip Motilall, single sourcing of billions of dollars of drugs for the national health system and in the first instance illegal tax concessions to the Ramroops, land for hotel housing developer Buddy Shivraj all helped to support and enrich friends at the expense of taxpayers.
The many would-be leaders of the PPP/C are silent, perhaps unable to understand the implications of the personality culture and egomania which now shape economic decisions. Or perhaps they quietly relish the thought of leading a country where the people can be bribed with their own.
Ironically, the charge led by the President is taken up by NICIL, the company with one of the worst governance records in the country.
For more than a decade it has failed to meet its statutory obligations to file annual reports. It is a closed shop, more tightly secured than Stockfeeds can ever hope to be, despite being a taxpayer–owned company. It is a vehicle for siphoning off state assets, selling them and using public money without parliamentary approval. It operates with all the characteristics of a slush fund under the control of a handful of persons with no demonstrated commitment to accountability.
And now NICIL has created its own company, Atlantic Hotel Inc, a company that was born, secretly as from an unsuspected pregnancy. The child will be even more wayward than the parent. It is that child that has now placed the advertisement, apparently convinced that it could ignore section 24 of the Procurement Act.
Certainly, these charges should attract a thoughtful, structured response from the government. Please, I ask, for a response.
Until…
I agree. Don’t build any Carport in the Public Buildings Compound. Beautify the place! Remove the Pavement People outside!
’Til next week.
