Dear Editor,
A brief comment on A A Fenty’s ‘Bharrat Who? Some Jagdeo legacies’ in Frankly Speaking (SN, August 29): I like people who exercise independence of thought, desperately endeavouring to be authentic, seeing through their very own eyes, and more importantly being open and fearless in stating their views contrary to general opinion – swimming against the tide, as one would say. It is somewhat admirable.
I recall my days at school, and there were four friends in my class who were the ‘bright boys.’ They got almost everything correct; they sat together and often worked in company as a team, and invariably came up with same answers, except for one who frequently would have a different approach and so different results from the others. I always admired him for that till this day. All the stars, attention and praise that were showered on them never got under his skin; he remained true to himself and worked his mind independently. Some day whenever we meet, I will have to tell him.
For me it does the personality very little good if one blindly follows the pack for the sake of being liked, and keeping in step with popular opinion : “All ah we is wan – same thing.” No genuine person does that, but if, say, an individual for whatever reason was made to bend to popular consensus without being fully convinced; while on the outside he/she may be able to deceive the same can hardly be said to be happening on the inside. For most genuine people it’s too big a pill to swallow; the conscience doesn’t work that way, and it sure changes and cheapens the personality, like the loss of one’s fingerprint which is what marks us out as unique, and is our stamp of individuality, our idiosyncrasy.
Now to Frankly Speaking: To begin with, for me this Frankly Speaking presentation was a good one. I liked the way the past events were synthesized, and there was nice creative phrasing and paragraphs, crafty and amusing. Quite a bit of recall, of bringing back – “hey yuh can remember when… which some don’t ever like, it tingles the nerves, make them real uneasy, like ‘corabetty’ ants crawling all over yuh.” Here’s a slice that was bitter, distasteful: “…unprecedented, governmental musical chairs organised by Comrade Janet: young Jagdeo was made Prime Minister, President Jagan resigned. Prime Minister Jagdeo became President and reappointed Samuel Hinds as PM all in four or five days! All politically vulgar, but constitutionally acceptable.” Oh boy! And this one: “Manufactured and Readymade! Made in Janetland! My Guyana had her Bharrat as President of our Republic. I understood the hurt of such loyal ‘Cheddi children’ as Reepu, Moses, Navin, Clement, Ralph even Roger and Robeson: Cha! …even I looked forward to what this baggageless new kid on the political block would offer.”
“Swiftly President Jagdeo shed his mask and Putin-like, even did some Forbes Burnham-like things …old Cheddi stalwarts were immobilized, co-opted, hushed or evicted.”
And here’s a point by Fenty which is serious and not to be pushed aside: “unlike other more hostile commentators and political analysts, I can’t ignore the strengths and positives of leaders, however temporary, strategic or meant to deceive.” And yet once again I hear him loud and clear: “Frankly speaking, to me this lad from the fishing village of Unity, now known by the UN, Caricom, South America and the world succumbed to the virus of unmitigated power, power that immobilized even successive bright intellectual opposition(s)… young Bharrat made young Black Professional Persons seem like either an endangered species – or extinct. His is a powerful ‘legacy’ of Indo names in every sphere of authority, power, status and public life.” Twist and turn it as you like, Fenty is on target. Examine this one: “sadly, even if not of his doing under his watch sugar collapsed, crime and cocaine reigned, extra-judicial killings soared, even sports institutions were compromised and national morality plummeted.” And finally smack on: “To me the Ramotar fellows – and Madame Gail have done a fine job to stymie any effective measures the Brigadier’s opposition has mounted. The administration has used judicial challenges and delays to a fine art. Budget challenges are bypassed, contracts are awarded like ice-cream and the PPP/C boys are rewarding themselves for any eventualities.”
I say, A A Fenty definitely got the muse for this one and good for you, you already have your A A.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
