Dear Editor,
Happily, I arrived in Trinidad in time to share in their Indian Arrival Day celebrations. What took place at perhaps the major event was of interest, and I hope as I share this experience, a lesson for all Guyanese to aspire to emulate. It was a show of courage and spirit, inspired by a sense of duty by a group of Trinidadian women. They took part in a robust public protest not seen in Guyana for a very long time. This act of bravery was in response to concerns they had about a proposed government project passing through their community of Debe. It was orderly and effective. The government proposal to construct a highway through their community bothered them, and it appeared that the administration had ignored their concerns. The scenario: an impressive Indian Arrival Day event organized by the powerful Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha; the venue was the well-known Parvati Girls Hindu College.
The protestors took up their position and blocked the exit of Prime Minister Kamla Bissessar-Persad who was obviously the guest of honour and main speaker. These valiant mainly women protestors said that they viewed the Prime Minister’s action as an insult and one of disrespect. Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, leader of the group, vowed to intensify the protest actions. Police officers had to be summoned to bodily lift and remove the well-dressed protesting females to facilitate the Prime Minister’s exit. Ms Shereen Boodhai told the media that they had written to the Prime Minister stating their concerns. As the Prime Minister left the function, she paid little attention to the group. As I express admiration for this democratic and courageous act by these Trinidadians, I reflected on three events which should have seen a similar show of public spirit and outrage. First, when President Ramotar chose a similar Arrival Day event to lambaste the opposition budget cuts, instead of carefully tracing the rich history of the indentured Indians brought by the colonial administration to British Guiana. The resourcefulness, the sacrifices made by earlier generations remind Indian Guyanese and all Guyanese to follow the earlier philosophy of deferred gratification, which allows them to rise up against all odds. Instead, the burden of his address was the PPP’s warped propaganda about the budget cuts. The second, was the mistreatment of a young Guyanese woman by the then incumbent President Bharrat Jagdeo, who publicly paraded her as our First lady when this was a falsehood. The third event is the recent circumstances surrounding the allegation of rape against the former Commissioner of Police Henry Greene. Why was it left to Red Thread and a few others to launch a public protest?
Have our ladies of every class, every religion, every age group lost their spirit, their sense of justice and the recognition that at every stage of human history from the days of the Asians, Europeans, Indians, Africans, Americans, change only came about when the people were willing to stand up against immorality and wrongdoing.
I hope we are not a lost people, for when there is no spirit, when we have no bounce and turn, we will all drown in the swirling sea of greed, arrogance and misplaced pride. I hope that young men and women will come out of their comfort zone and that the older men and women know that we need to stay vigorous, and recognize, as I heard Yesu Persaud state at an earlier Arrival Day function, that “We came in different ships, but now we are in one boat.” The struggle continues.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green, JP
