Dear Editor,
Some observers have argued that the Rodney Commission of Inquiry (COI) is a necessary step towards national healing. We disagree. The COI is strategically timed in the post-2011 period as a means of dividing the nation and driving fear in the mind of East Indians. It is all part of a race-based election strategy of ‘don’t split the votes,’ namely the East Indian votes of the PPP. The saddest irony is that Dr Rodney and his political party are most known for multi-ethnic mobilisation. The COI is in the line of the terrible race-based propaganda that is launched from the annual Cheddi Jagan memorial at Babu Jaan by Mr Jagdeo and Mr Ramotar. The strategy is clear: stir up racial fears and hope East Indians cling to the PPP. This trick, however, is overshadowed these days by the radical demographic shifts taking place, including an expanding proportion of mixed race Guyanese who do not self-identify with either larger popular ethnicity, and voters too young to remember Dr Rodney or anything of PNC rule.
Editor, we have learned a few interesting points from the COI. We believe the findings will backfire against the ‘don’t split the East Indian votes’ strategy. Presenters at the inquiry have revealed a few interesting historical events. Firstly, we now have some perspective that the late Commissioner of Police, Laurie Lewis, may have been part of the plot. Interestingly that late commissioner was maintained in 1992 by the new PPP/C administration, well past his retirement age. Guyanese deserve to know why he was kept on the job. Secondly, as yet uncorroborated testimony at the RCOI asserted that a KGB advisor was brought to Guyana. Which political leaders in Guyana at the time had the closest associations with Soviet Union during the Cold War?
Thirdly, several of the individuals from the House of Israel cult as well as very high ranking military veterans have become extremely close friends with the Jagdeo PPP. One of them may even have flown out the alleged killer of Dr Rodney. We are to believe that presenter cannot remember who ordered the flight.
Fourthly, the COI has backfired and we must continue to raise these findings with the public as one obvious purpose of the inquiry is to try to besmirch the good name of Brigadier David Granger. Thanks to the COI, many people now know that David Granger was not only subordinate to Norman McLean in the GDF, but also had been sent to Yugoslavia at the time of Dr Rodney’s killing, long before the advent of text messages, the internet, and even direct dialled overseas calls.
Yours faithfully,
Tarron Khemraj
Gerhard Ramsaroop
