Dear Editor,
I was mildly intrigued by a couple of items that appeared in SN. On 20/10/14 by GHK Lall, “Deal in making to stave off no confidence vote” and Mr S Samaroo of 9/10/14, “We are a global people of poor self image.”
First; Mr Lall, I must confess that you left me in “stitches” (a term for hilarious laughter) after reading your either “tongue in cheek” or “serious naivete” description of your humongous discovery. It had to be humongous discovery because since 92 when Freedom was restored to Guyana, ostracism and disrespect against black people began. And as the commercial says; “Everyone knows that.” All the issues that you have put forward that could shame a government into resignation, means nothing to the Indian voter.
Issues are not the overriding thing here, race is. For the Indian whatever the complaint it only affects black people. Therefore there are no outraged Indians. There is no reason for the Indian voter to be on the picket line, for even though he suffers the same humiliations he identifies with the Government. It is his government. Therefore when the columnist characterized the people collectively as sheep, he is not addressing black people with that sheep characterization.
History is a good teacher. When the PNC was in control the black middle class bourgeois were incensed with Burnham and his policies. These intellectual black people decided to pick up the cudgel and run with it. Black people went after Burnham: “Rodney, Ogunseye, Hinds, Thomas, Lewis, Kwayana, Holder. It was about issues they said, not a thing about race, they were patriots. What form or type of Government these bright black people were going to deliver to us after they got rid of PNC only they know. “The greatest stumbling block in the way of progress in the race has invariably come from within the race itself” – Marcus Garvey.
During that period Dr Jagan proved where he was really a smart politician, he laid low and allowed the black people to fight each other. He kept his ears to the ground, his powder dry and awaited the conflagration, which eventually came. Leaving us with the fallout up to present. Mr Lall I gather from your writings that you see our future in dire straits. I do not for one minute doubt you.
For when things happen you wonder. APNU has a leader who has the audacity to be incensed when he is picketed, yet he pickets the President every Tuesday and does not see the irony. The people ask when will the parliament reconvene? The part time politicians don’t have a clue. They are making a mockery of the Constitution. They scream that the constitution says this, the constitution says that. The metaphor for our constitution is “our present traffic.”
Mr Samaroo, you are quite the bleeding heart aren’t you? You are so sweet your sweetness could lead to diabetes. I am however just wondering if your sweetness is not just disingenuousness. I know that you have been around since KN came on board. And I know that you know how KN got its fame and fortune. Utilizing the old axiom of the media “If it Bleeds it Leads.” KN made full profit both ways. However I must confess that I cannot remember you writing anything during that time about what was going on. Maybe you were not around. But now you would entreat us all to hold hands and go down the street singing kum-ba-ya. No it will not be that easy. The wounds are still raw and bleeding. You said that “Guyanese all over the world dream with great nostalgia about our homeland with great fondness.” I know you have not spoken to any of my family. You further said; “that Guyanese everywhere express shame about the decline of our nation.” Which is it Mr Samaroo, “fondness or shame.” I was very happy to read the words that you wrote about the slaves. It was commendable.
But do you know that the lands left by the builders of Guyana for their inheritors are now being confiscated? Do you know who is the point man in this? And do you know why he was made point man? There is a solution to this problem and we all know what it is.
Yours faithfully,
Milton Bruce
