Dear Editor,
Does anyone ever remember the name Derek Hugh Goodrich, the Englishman who was the Anglican Dean of the St George’s Cathedral who retired in 1993 to Surrey, UK?
He was one of the champions for the poor and the working class during the PNC era. I remembered his message from Old Year’s Night 1991, the year before the ‘dawn of the new era’ when he condemned the then owners of the Forte Crest Hotel (now Pegasus) for charging US$200 per person, which was close to a year’s wage for a security guard.
The 20-year anniversary of that statement is a good time to reflect on this “gap between the rich and the poor” and whether it has been addressed. The facts are that after some 20 years, the core component of this ‘gap’ remains unaddressed and has actually widened.
Today we have friends of the PPP earning large sums in profit, while the ordinary man has to take care of his family on US$3,500 per year. Much has not changed for the working class in Guyana.
I plead with the current Dean of the Anglican Church and the Catholic Bishop to research this message of Dean Goodrich from 20 years ago and add their important voices to expose this deterioration in the economic plight of the poor and the working class in Guyana.
The people’s economic well-being and ensuring that the upcoming local government elections are free, fair and peaceful are still relevant to the church leaders some 20 year later. I also call on the AFC and APNU to meet with the Church leaders as we approach this season of Christmas, share notes and build an alliance in the fight for the people and against the economic oppressors. This battle must be fought on all fronts and 2014 will be a very important year in breaking the political back of the oppressors.
Yours faithfully,
Sasenarine Singh
