Next week Friday is Labour Day. If ever one of Guyana’s too–numerous Public Holidays was justified and valid it is this national occasion which recognizes and celebrates the local and global contributions of the working class to a nation’s development and sustenance.
Since the advent of the 1992 PPP/C administrations the fifth of May has been deemed Arrival Day. We’ll return to that a few paragraphs hereunder.
May 26, of course, is Independence Day. Remember? Political and constitutional “Independence” was “won” from the “Mother Country” Britain in 1966. What independence in an interdependent world? Independence was and is good for our national pride and psyche but it does not actually exist for most former colonies. Even the most developed ones. For every state depends on some other or something. The legal and constitutional independence is/are mere balms for nationalistic souls.
The May month of my youth was time for lovely innocent May fairs and May pole plaiting. Such clean moralistic fun! No stabbing 41 times for any 18 year–old teenager in my May months past.
Enter May 2015
The excesses of the PPP governments between 2006 and right now can be blamed on the relatively soft responses of the opposition over those years. Especially the PNC – the major member of an outfit now described as “APNU”. In some Caribbean islands justified discontent over executive lawlessness, obvious discrimination, anti–worker, legislation, governmental heavy–handedness and such like would have attracted robust and sustained protest, civil disobedience and regular, effective opposition mobilised by both political parties and civil society.
Frankly speaking, young President Jagdeo was allowed to paralyse even the minds and spirit of the opposition through his organised intrigues, intimidation and aggressive use of his Presidential and Cabinet authority. I cringe that years after the Linden deaths nothing was achieved. Public Servants and Pensioners groan and suffer annually as Unions’ Collective Bargaining attracted PPP “suck–teeths”.
As I had to explain to an African friend who once lived here and was livid at opposition inaction, Guyanese resort to stealing from government and demonstrating contempt for authority as forms of protest.
Yet I must congratulate the Alliance For Change (AFC) for shortening the Ramotar 2011–2016 tenure. It was that No Confidence threat that brought us to this May. Admittedly with eventual support from a supine, jealous “Big Brother” APNU. I am now much more appreciative of the robust, incisive, organised and hopefully–victorious electoral opposition. In all its various forms!
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Arrivals? Departures?
As obtains in nearby Trinidad and Tobago, it was decided to recall, recognise and celebrate the bringing and “arrival” of indentured immigrants from India, China, Portugal and elsewhere to work on plantations, vacated by the emancipated African slaves. But why on the Fifth of May?
Frankly Speaking, despite the fact that by 1835, immigrants “arrived” from Antigua, Africa, Malta, Portuguese Madeira, Ireland, England, Germany and China, it is because the first batch of East Indian labourers arrived in the colony on May 05, 1838. May Fifth is supposed to represent the arrival of all immigrants, however. But does it really?
Listen to the State–controlled radio and television today and you’ll hear the ads and promos for the May Fifth arrival. Distinctly “East Indian”. So let me, as an “East Indian” invite hundreds, thousands of my African–descended friends to all Arrival events! Make them national, for African Emancipation actually caused those arrivals. Assess how political the cultural becomes.
But will a new government, a new party arrive by May thirteenth? Time and votes will tell. Personally I’d love to see some departures. Permanently! Goodbye to Sam Archibald, a gentleman, a strange political enigma. A let–down?
All those who appreciate clear, precise succinct thinking and elucidation will welcome the departure of the irritating Master of Circumlocution, Dr R. Luncheon. Fare well Doc. Concentrate now on your health as I myself try to do. Not the health – and wealth – of failed managers and of corruption. And who would deny the Czarina Madame Gail, a robust retirement, replete with a guaranteed gravity?
What? You–all wish all of them a hasty departure into Guyana’s dustbin of history Rough!
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The mind of a P.Y.O member
(I had already planned this portion when I read the columnist’s earlier piece about even philosophical analysis failing to explain why the oppressed PPP supporters will vote for a group which denies them development)
The genuine, sincere 18-to-30-year old member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is a significant member of a substantial segment of the electorate deemed the youth vote. And my intrigue resides in my wonderment about how those PYO/PPP youngsters think. Or were taught to think. Many are fairly literate, educated and capable of personal reasoning. So do they still accept Mr Jagdeo’s “warnings” of perceived military evil if APNU/AFC prevails? Modern mind-control is both subtle and overt at the bottom-house briefings.
Do PYO females (18 to 25) think that Varshnie’s accounts of Presidential “high-tech” spousal abuse is without merit? Do they really have concerns about racial insecurity? Ethnic domination?
Discuss…
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Ponder well…
- 1) I have to agree with writer Ms Shah: both contemporary and past history should be assessed by younger voters. But those who seek to guide the youth now must be dispassionately objective. Which right now is hard to be for too many. And very real PNC wrong-doings in the past should not be evidence of what is to come.
- 2) What is the role of Dr Luncheon’s “intelligence agency” on the grounds of Castellani.? I ask again?
- 3) So GPL and GT&T gave all permission to post flags and paper on their poles?
Til next week!
(Comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com)
