– in face of growing condemnation
Facing mounting public condemnation for making racially offensive comments about their former maid, John and Cynthia Singh yesterday apologised to the Amerindian community and the wider Guyanese society, saying that the remarks were made out of “frustration.”
The Singhs, who since last Friday said among other things that they would never hire another Amerindian because of the actions of their former maid, were yesterday in a contrite mood and repeatedly said that they were sorry for their remarks and any hurt they may have caused.
John Singh said the business, the Guyana Variety Store & Nut Centre, is some 40 years old and over the years they have never discriminated against anyone, adding that the words about not hiring another Amerindian were just words of “frustration” as that could actually kill their business.
“If we get an application from an Amerindian person and they have the qualifications what you think we would do? We have to hire them,” he told reporters yesterday.
“We apologise for the racial remarks generally said towards the Amerindian people; we want to apologise. It is a fact that within the last 40 years of business we have been hiring people across the board… despite of what race, colour, religion or beliefs they may have and we are not here to change those trends. When we opened our doors 40 years ago we have been serving everyone equally across the board and we just want to say that in the height of frustration things were said. …My wife and I are officially apologizing for that,” he added.
The businessman said some “serious allegations” were made against him and his wife which were all false and created “some degree of frustration and dark moments; the staining of a reputation as a business. I would have liked to see some of these allegations that are turning out to be untrue… addressed in all fairness to us [by those who have condemned us with their utterances].”
The Singhs yesterday said they wanted closure to the matter and wanted to move on with their lives and did not want the issue to be dragged on. They said they are human beings and it was a “human error”.
“But it was a wrong statement and we are retracting it one hundred per cent and we are again apologizing to the Amerindian people and the general public… We are thankful for their patronage in the past and we looking forward to it in the future,” John Singh said.
The Singhs had publicly disparaged their former maid, after she was removed from their home last week Thursday by officials responding to reports that she had been imprisoned. They also repeatedly said they would not hire another Amerindian, saying they are exploiting business persons. Cynthia Singh, in the presence of officials from the ministries of Amerindian Affairs and Labour, used a derogatory term to refer to Amerindians while she and her husband used the words “idiot” and “sucker” to describe their former maid.
Yesterday John Singh said they also wanted to apologise to the young woman for referring to her in such a manner.
On Thursday the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs objected to the tone and use of “unethical language” by the couple to describe their former employee and Amerindian people. The ministry had made no mention of the fact that one of its officers was present when the couple made the initial statements.
“The ministry stands firm in providing representation of any such case that may be brought before us and to ensure that where the rights of Amerindians are suspected of being violated that such case/individual is provided with fair investigation and representation,” the statement said.
Minister of Human Services & Social Security Priya Manickchand said she was horrified by the remarks.
“I am horrified and outraged at the statements attributed to the business people by all of the print and some of the electronic media. It is extremely encouraging to know that this backwardness, that is racially demeaning someone, does not reflect Guyana’s reality and is the exception rather than the norm,” Manickchand had told Stabroek News on Thursday
The Alliance For Change (AFC) also condemned the remarks and described them as “racist, discriminatory and atrocious.” The party called for a “speedy” investigation by the ERC, the police and the Ministry of Labour into the matter.”
Chief of GOIP Dr George Norton on behalf of his organisation condemned the statements in “no uncertain terms” and he added his voice to that of Amerindian People’s Association (APA) Programme Manager Jean La Rose who on Wednesday called on the ERC, the National Toshaos’ Council and the newly formed Indigenous People’s Commission to investigate the statements. Dr Norton pointed out that while the ERC might say no one made an official complaint, the issue has been reported in the media and the commissioners “should not be reactive but proactive on such a sensitive matter.” The ERC has so far not issued a statement on the issue.
Meanwhile, the couple yesterday denied the charge by the Amerindian ministry that they were investigated for a similar incidence in June of this year.
“The matter under investigation is not new to the ministry, because in June of this year, the ministry had cause to investigate a similar incident involving the same couple (Singhs) and an Amerindian housekeeper,” the Amerindian Affairs Ministry said in its statement.
However, the Singhs said they knew nothing about that matter. They said they had been out of the country for several weeks and had left their then Amerindian maid and another employee in the home. Upon their return they were told that one day the maid just disappeared and the other employee made a report to the police because items were missing from their home.
Cynthia Singh said they had heard nothing from the maid since and it was only last week that she received a call from the Amerindian Affairs Ministry official, who was involved in the removal of the maid, asking her if she knew how to contact her former maid.
“I told her no and that she had just leave like that and I was looking for her. Is then she tell me that she had removed her from our home since April. Now if since April they remove the girl how come they never call and tell we about any allegations? We did not know of the ministry being involved until last week,” Cynthia Singh said.
She questioned why the ministry did not conduct the investigation several months ago if allegations were made against them.
On Tuesday, the Singhs had a meeting with officials from the Labour Ministry and the young woman to discuss the issue of non-payment of wages. At the end of the meeting, the woman decided to “finish the matter.” The Singhs also decided not to demand the $14,000 they claimed was owed to them by the young woman.
On Thursday Manickchand said investigations are still ongoing as all of the allegations are being treated seriously. She had said that the Guyana Police Force was continuing its investigations into allegations of sexual advances and human trafficking. The minister had pointed out that the National Insurance Scheme is also investigating the statement made by Cynthia Singh that she made no NIS payments for the maid. Singh had said that she did not make NIS payments for her maids because “they could not afford it.”
John Singh had denied making sexual advances to the employee but had said he had asked her to rub his upper leg after he pulled “a vein” and later paid her $1,500 since it was not part of her duties.
Yesterday the minister said the young woman has commenced the cosmetology classes for which the ministry is footing the bill even as it sustains her during the period of training.