Dear Editor,
It is prudent to revisit Mr. David Hinds’ controversial Buxton utterance, in the wake of the recent Agricola protests.
Even the casual observer of the goings-on in Guyana cannot help but notice the repugnance of David Hinds, and his pugnacious calls on the people of Buxton to tear up and `buss up’ roads.
What is astounding as is resounding is that the recalcitrant calls by Mr. Hinds passed with hardly a whimper from the major Guyanese and West Indian media. You’d think that the party in power would be up in arms (ignore the pun) with such a precipitous call on a vulnerable community.
This event could have been easily perceived as juicy journalistic morsel to lap up. One cannot help but notice the depth of depravity so-called ‘respectable’ leaders would go to achieve political leverage.
For those who have missed what the august civic rights leader said, let me quote verbatim from the Demerarawaves.com report, “WPA wants Buxton Road blocked; Top Cop dares leaders to be on the frontline”, Aug. 17, 2012: “WPA Executive Member, David Hinds Thursday night reiterated previous calls for villagers to occupy the road …[and] suggested that the thoroughfare be dug up as has been done in the past”. The medium quoted Mr. Hinds as saying, “One thing the Lindeners learn from us is how to barricade roads, how to dig up roads. I don’t have to teach you all in Buxton how to do that,” he told a public meeting on Buxton Railway Embankment”.
Then came the icing on the cake from this venerable rights leader, as the website recorded Mr. Hinds as saying, “These roads belong to us and if this road belongs to us we decide who pass and who don’t pass”. That media outlet reported that Mr. Hinds indicated that his party’s grievances be addressed “by any means necessary” including peaceful and non-peaceful means! Mr. Hinds also advised attendees at the public meeting “to be on the lookout for members of the police intelligence special branch unit and “deal with them”!
You would think “civil” groups such as Red Thread would be so livid with such antics, that they would join with Brown Thread and Black Thread to become twine – and wrap around Rodney House to stifle the trifle that comes out of the mouth of the WPA Executive member. And you’d expect that venerable conscience of the country – the famous columnist, commentator and camaraderie of the protagonist, who described David Hinds as a “great Guyanese” would soundly condemn such audacious statements. But no – nothing! Zilch! Bas!
A few months ago, Mr. Hinds chastised Denesh Ramdin for his (in)famous note after scoring a cricket century, and expressed a yearning for Caribbean civilization to come to a point of maturity and civility. This is now the very same person who has instigated a community that has had a bad name – to re-group and strengthen the perception that the village name ‘Buxton’ would be synonymous with trouble. But alas, the good people of Buxton have had enough of the fluff and fraff, and want to move on.
It was reported (only in the KN, and Demerarawaves.com – Stabroek News and Chronicle, where were you?) that Mr. Hinds’ call for a massive protest in Buxton on August 18 resulted in a grand total of 12-18 persons, mostly with placards, which “snarled traffic for about three minutes shortly after 9 AM”. In other words, the people of Buxton ignored the calls of those who wished to revert back to mayhem, leading to destruction and loss of life!
In his chastisement letter (to Ramdin), Mr. Hinds stated, “in some respects we have allowed the lack of success to dull our better instincts”. He also rightly observed, “… The rhetoric and reality of nothingness, of form rather than essence, of vulgar individualism, of abject surrender seems to have taken strong root”. Sounds good, eh?
The Guyanese people have obviously had had enough of the empty rhetoric of Mr. Hinds. His questionable and dangerous calls for extremist civic actions should be of concern to any government, conscientious civic group or individual.
Yours faithfully,
Devanand Bhagwan
