Dear Editor,
I used to hear older folks back in Guyana say that you could have all the book sense in the world but if you don’t have common sense, you wouldn’t be making any sense at all.
I don’t believe a single person in Guyana could question my love for my own race and people. Even as recently as last week, I received criticisms from persons commenting on a leter of mine, captioned, ‘May 11 must be a victory for all Guyanese,’ published in Jan 22 edition of Stabroek News.
In the comments section of that letter, I was called ignorant for using terms such as African Guyanese and Indian Guyanese. It didn’t matter to that individual that the gist of the letter was about us uniting as a people, etc, etc.
Listen, I hold deeply the view that both the PPP and PNC used race as a tool to assume political power and to maintain such power while in office. Further, I believe deep down in the inner recesses of my being that both parties while in power did nothing at all to change the condition of the majority of Guyanese who have lived in poverty for decades.
I am also not satisfied or convinced that either party did anything to effectively address the problems of race and ethnicity in our country. How could they when they needed those divisions to sustain political power. This is unfortunately where we are at in 2015 and I believe that we are now serious about removing the PPP this time around.
What we see today in our political efforts to achieve the desired results of regime change is the third party using a strategy that may be the most effective one. Moses V Nagamootoo being chosen to lead the coalition may be the best strategy to end the PPP’s domination, period!
When the PPP goes, we can begin to address the conflicts of race and ethnicity and put structures in place to strike the balance. When the PPP goes we can begin to overhaul the constitution.
When the PPP goes, we can begin to instil in all racial groups in Guyana that racial voting must be a thing of the past and we must begin to act to ensure that that becomes a reality.
None of this can be achieved if the PPP is handed another five years in power! So let’s forget for a moment that Nagamootoo will be another Indian leading Guyana post PPP.
I am now angry that our African brothers and sisters are closing ranks and saying that Granger is the best candidate to run with at this juncture. We are becoming just like those whom we charge with being racist. Mr Granger has convinced not one of us that he was prepared to halt PPP hegemony during his tenure from 2011 to now. Granger did not stand up and show real leadership or courage by effectively confronting the countless human rights violations visited on the Guyanese people, especially African Guyanese.
Granger insulted the Linden struggle then moved on to ostracise vibrant young leaders of his party at Linden. Granger now demonstrates that as a politician he can embrace Linden because we need to be united to enter and have a chance at winning the elections. This is nothing but hypocrisy. Why is Granger the best candidate to lead the charge of getting rid of the PPP; is it because he is a Black leader?
Where is the logic? Where is the common sense? Granger could not even be a majority leader without an alliance with the AFC.
How can we blame Indians for voting for someone as backward as Ramotar when we would squander our best chance of getting rid of the regime by running with Granger? Aren’t racial considerations transcending everything else on both sides of the political fence?
Let me be pellucid. We are becoming as racist as those who support the PPP of Jagdeo and Ramotar. We run with Granger and we have forfeited the right to point a finger at Indians who pander to race and the PPP.
Some are calling their own brothers and sisters charlatans, betrayers and imposters, for expressing the above views. I don’t mind what they say or how they feel. I have to bring some common sense to our scholarly meanderings about our political situation.
Yours faithfully,
Norman Browne
London
